New Managing Director at a. hartrodt in Switzerland
Gabriela Aebi-Tövishati wants to develop Food & Beverage and air freight products.
As of December 1, 2020, Gabriela Aebi-Tövishati is the sole managing director of a. hartrodt Switzerland in Muttenz near Basel. The 39-year-old already moved into this position in September, while her predecessor, Peter Hofer, was still at her side. The graduate marketing specialist has been working for the company for six years, most recently as Business Development Manager. Hofer retired last Friday. In 2010, he took over the national company and successfully established the sea freight focus. The objective of his successor is "to develop and multiply our activities to all modes of transport".
Corona makes communication difficult
Aebi-Tövishati takes the helm in the middle of the Corona crisis and experiences sales as a great challenge: "We want to be close to our customers, but trust is difficult to build with online communication". According to her, clients prefer to make phone calls and appreciate personal contact. Currently, many doors of new customers remain closed due to Corona. Aebi-Tövishati hopes that the market will reopen by mid 2021.
Increased customer confidence
In future, Aebi-Tövishati intends to bring the Food & Beverage products of a. hartrodt "to the market in a stronger way". Because Swiss chocolate and cheese are exported worldwide. The logistics concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) take into account every customer requirement, no matter how special it is. "The grown basis of trust shortens the decision-making process so that we can quickly provide solutions and take action", says Aebi-Tövishati. One priority is air freight: Certifications from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and as Regulated Agent (RA) have been applied for: "Both will be obtained by the middle of next year at the latest".
Three quarters of the eight-member team at a. hartrodt Switzerland are women. Due to Corona, all of them work "fifty-fifty" in the office under strict hygiene requirements. The new Managing Director also copes well with this – especially since she became a mother in February.