Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Dublin and having finished school, my first job was as a scaffolding representative. Then, after a year, I decided to reach greater heights and ended up in the freight industry. I started out doing customs clearance in Dublin Airport, Dublin port and on the Border with Northern Ireland. These were the days without email, mobile phones, faxes and we relied on Telex – how things have changed! My 40-year journey in this sector has led me to some great companies. I started in 1977 at a company called Clyde Shipping, and moved on from there to other companies including Reindear Shipping, Bective Air Cargo, Genesis/Toll and I’ve now been with Aramex for over five years.
Aramex was set up in the 1980s, and it is abbreviated from Arab American Express Company. Initially a major express parcel and courier company, it has evolved into a US$2bn logistics and forwarding company. It is headquartered in Dubai and listed on the Dubai Stock Exchange. It opened in Ireland in 2006 through the acquisition of a local freight forwarder.
What are the main shipments and flows?
At Aramex Ireland, we airfreight a lot of general cargo, electronics and aircraft parts. We also handle a lot of perishables, particularly live seafood to Asia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. These shipments comprise, lobsters, crayfish, razor clams, oysters and crab – a lot of crab.