• About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Newsletter
  • More
    • Demographics & Advertising Rates
    • Terms & Conditions
Monday, March 27, 2023
No Result
View All Result
California Business Journal
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness
California Business Journal
Brussels Airport

Taking Flight: What You Can Learn from the Transformation of Brussels Airport

The Belgium airport is the global leader in handling and shipping pharmaceuticals, and the first COVID-19 vaccines were flown out of their airport, which has captured multiple international prizes for its work, including an award for Best Cargo Airport. Here's how the contractors did it.

by Shannon Lucas and Tracey Lovejoy, Special to California Business Journal
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Ten years ago, Brussels Airport was struggling. “We were losing customers, we were losing market share, we were losing reputation,” said Piet Demunter, the current Chief Business Development Officer.

Today, Brussels Airport is the global leader in handling and shipping pharmaceuticals, and the first COVID-19 vaccines were flown out of their airport. They’ve won multiple international prizes for their work, including an award for Best Cargo Airport. They’ve gone from losing to winning.

Two leaders were critical to this transformation: Demunter and Steven Polmans. They’re what we call Catalysts—individuals who constantly take in information, see a clear vision for the future, and feel a drive to make that vision reality.

We interviewed Demunter and Polmans to gain insight on how they transformed the airport and why they were so successful. Here’s their story.

Envisioning a Better Future: The Creation of a New Business Unit

In an airport, you have passengers, and you have freight. Usually, passengers get all of the attention, and freight is an afterthought. Demunter, then a senior project manager, envisioned something different: a separate business unit for freight.

This is a key trait of Catalysts: they see solutions and paths that others cannot. From the outside, it can look like they operate on intuition, but in reality, they’re deeply keyed into the trends and context around them. They’re always taking in information, many times subconsciously, and a thousand different data points coalesce into a clear vision for the future.

In Demunter’s case, he saw that, between 2005 and 2010, Brussels Airport had lost 50 percent of their cargo volume to other airports. He saw what other airports (both the successful and the not-so-successful ones) were doing. He saw all the ways in which passengers and freight required different strategies but were currently being treated the same. Overlaying all those patterns on one another, Demunter saw a better way for the airport to be run.

Catalysts not only see the potential for transformation—they act on what they see. Accordingly, Demunter made a strong business case for an air cargo unit, secured board approval, and became the new Head of Cargo Development.

Piet Demunter, Chief Business Development Officer
Piet Demunter, Chief Business Development Officer

Driving Change: Two Catalysts Collide

A few months into Demunter’s new role, one of his team members left, and he began interviewing for the position. That’s when he met Polmans.

Like Demunter, Polmans was also a Catalyst—and a supercharged one at that. Demunter had learned to be cautious, moving more slowly in order to not burn bridges to other parts of the company. In contrast, Polmans had basically one speed: sprint. He moved quickly and regularly pushed boundaries, not always caring about following the rules.

When two Catalysts collide, the results can be explosive, in the best way possible. Demunter and Polmans made a powerful partnership. Demunter was able to build and maintain the necessary connections to other parts of the company, and he ensured they were in compliance with the airport’s rules and expectations. Meanwhile, he was able to give Polmans the space and freedom to do what Polmans did best: make change happen, fast.

ADVERTISEMENT

Polmans saw himself as the conductor of an orchestra. He started talking to all the stakeholders, seeing how the pieces fit together. As he listened, he heard the same issues arise again and again, and he started solving them, striving to create the right balance. More violin here, a bigger crescendo there. Bit by bit, one process improvement at a time, Demunter and Polmans’ vision began to take shape.

Being Bold: The Choice to Go Niche

In this process of driving change, Demunter and Polmans made a bold decision. Though pharmaceuticals made up only 2 percent of Brussels Airport’s total cargo volume, they were going to focus nearly all their attention on building up this part of their cargo volume.

They were going niche.

Catalysts often have a reputation for being “bold” or even “risky,” but usually, they’ve simply internalized information that shows the “risky” action is actually the smart path. Prioritizing just 2 percent or your cargo volume may seem ill-advised at best and idiotic at worst, but Demunter and Polmans had two good reasons for the choice.

First, for inspiration, Demunter and Polmans had been looking to Schiphol Airport, which was (and still is) a true leader in freight shipping. Schiphol had largely built their reputation on a single commodity: flowers. If going niche worked for Schiphol, it could work for Brussels too.

Second, though Brussels Airport had lost much of its cargo volume, some customers had remained loyal. When asked why, their answer was almost always the same: pharmaceuticals, which could be tricky to ship due to the time and temperature requirements.

Demunter and Polmans knew that if they could maneuver Brussels Airport to be the global leader of a particular commodity, the airport would be known for something. They also knew the airport already had a strong foundation in pharmaceuticals. So to them, the bold choice was also the obviously correct one. It ended up being one of the smartest moves Brussels Airport made.

Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport
The Power of Catalysts

Catalysts are a huge asset to any company. As Demunter said, “You need people that push the boundaries beyond what you think is reasonable, because that has an impact on the central gravity of the organization.”

For Catalysts to thrive and have a positive impact, though, they need to be properly supported. Too many companies make the mistake of restricting their Catalysts, telling them what they can and cannot do. As Polmans put it, “You start cutting their wings, and then you’re surprised when they’re no longer flying.”

If Brussels Airport didn’t empower its Catalysts, it wouldn’t be the cargo leader it is today. The ability to push boundaries and drive change is exactly what makes Catalysts so valuable. So don’t cut your Catalysts’ wings. Give them the freedom and space they need to take flight, because when Catalysts soar, companies do too.

Author Biographies

Shannon Lucas, co-author of Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well
Shannon Lucas, co-author of Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well

Shannon Lucas has been Executive Vice President at Ericsson, a Senior Innovation Architect at Cisco, and a Director of Innovation at Vodafone. A practitioner and global thought leader on intrapreneurship, she founded the Global Intrapreneur Salon and is passionate about transforming corporations into sustainable change engines.

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Website

 

Tracey Lovejoy, co-author of Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well
Tracey Lovejoy, co-author of Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out.: The Catalyst’s Guide to Working Well

Tracey Lovejoy is an anthropologist and the research engine for Catalyst Constellations. She spent twelve years at Microsoft leading teams of changemakers and co-founded the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference. Tracey thrives when she can use her intuition and relentless optimism to coach Catalysts and amplify their changemaking power.

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Website

 

 

Move Fast. Break Shit. Burn Out. The Catalyst’s Guide to Working WellMove Fast. Break Sh*t. Burn Out is Available on Amazon.

Tags: bestBusinesscasecompliancecontractorsdatafocusinformationsustainableteamsTransformation
ADVERTISEMENT
Shannon Lucas and Tracey Lovejoy, Special to California Business Journal

Shannon Lucas and Tracey Lovejoy, Special to California Business Journal

Related Posts

Avoid Hidden Airport Fees
5 Ways to Avoid Hidden Airport Fees
Airplane Landing
London Heathrow one step closer to controversial third runway
download
Weekend Trip: Las Vegas
advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT

CBJ Newsletter

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram LinkedIn

Advertise With CBJ

Contact Rick@CalBizJournal.com

CBJ Rates and Demographics

Job Postings

CEO Wanted


Requirements: BS/BA + 2yrs of Business Managing Experience

Mail Resume: Grand Life, Inc. 14647 Northam St. La Mirada, CA 90638.

$114,754/year

ADVERTISEMENT
1REALTOUR-SAN DIEGO-WEB DESIGN
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram Youtube
C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
  • About
  • Contact California Business Journal
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
  • Terms & Conditions

Categories

  • Art & Culture
  • Business
  • California Hotel Listings
  • Daily Updates
  • Editor's Choice
  • Education
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Food & Dining
  • Health & Fitness
  • Human Interest
  • Insurance
  • Law
  • Lawyers
  • Marketing
  • Medical
  • News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • People
  • Popular
  • Real Estate
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper
 Laguna Beach City Guide
 Newport Beach Independent Newspaper
Newport Beach Country Club Magazine
  Montage Magazine
 Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine
 Bespoke Concierge New York
 Evans Hotels
 Laguna Beach Magazine
 On The Menu Laguna Beach
 Newport Beach Magazine
Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)
Monarch Beach Resort Magazine
 Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)
Sea Island Life Magazine
Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine
 View our entire portfolio

 

Most Viewed

  • Gavel, scales of justice and law books

    Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Investigation: Can TriumphFX Take Your Money?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Impact of Covid: Racing to Buy Second Citizenships

    3 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What to Do When an Online Casino Refuses to Pay Out Your Winnings

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Truth About Temu: Where Is It From?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 5 Flavors On Elf Bar BC5000 Review

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • NFL Paychecks: How Do NFL Players Get Paid?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Temu’s New Shipping Policy Is A Smashing Hit For Shoppers All Over the Country

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Five Reasons Why The Government Does Not Like Bitcoin

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How to Start a Telecommunication Business: A Step-By-Step Guide

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Latest Articles

Can You Trust Temu on Facebook and its Referral Games and Rewards?

Can You Trust Temu on Facebook and its Referral Games and Rewards?

Shoe Packing Isn’t as Easy as You Think on Moving Day

Shoe Packing Isn’t as Easy as You Think on Moving Day

How to Prepare Your Home for a Successful Sale

How to Prepare Your Home for a Successful Sale

Is It Possible to Track Facebook Messenger Secretly?

Is It Possible to Track Facebook Messenger Secretly?

How To Date Over 60 Successfully?

How To Date Over 60 Successfully?

BioLargo’s PFAS Treatment Technology Meets EPA’s Proposed New Drinking Water Standards

BioLargo’s PFAS Treatment Technology Meets EPA’s Proposed New Drinking Water Standards

7 Factors to Consider While Picking the Right Freight Carrier for Your E-Commerce Business

7 Factors to Consider While Picking the Right Freight Carrier for Your E-Commerce Business

The Marketing Effect On Healthcare and Wellness Organizations

The Marketing Effect On Healthcare and Wellness Organizations

5 Reasons Why E-Commerce Businesses Rely So Much on Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Services

Why E-Commerce Businesses Rely So Much on Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Services

Making The Smart Choice: Why You Should Shop Online For Best Selling Products

Making The Smart Choice: Why You Should Shop Online For Best Selling Products

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR

No Result
View All Result
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR