The seamless movement of goods around the globe is a complex operation requiring expert management and drawing on the experience of industry veterans. ECU Worldwide is the global leader in the industry, working across 180 countries in more than 2,400 direct trade lanes and enabling door-to-door deliveries in more than 50 markets.
For almost 11 years, Vikas Dutta has been a key part in ensuring the company’s growth and success, initially starting as the Country Manager for Indonesia, before serving as the Head of Full Container Loads (FCL) for the Asia–Pacific region based out of Shanghai.
“One of the things that originally attracted me to ECU Worldwide was its focus on putting people first as well as its entrepreneurial mindset, which is a big part of the organization’s DNA,” Dutta explains.
“Larger organizations can become too bureaucratic, whereas with ECU, we’re at the sweet spot where we have the freedom to be entrepreneurial while also having the comfort of a larger organization.”
Expanding for growth
Dutta felt this immediately while working at his first posting in Indonesia.
“We had big expansion plans, and the company gave me a clean slate to put my plans in motion,” he recalls. “It was comforting to be part of an organization that valued my knowledge and experience to help build a stronger organization.”
This spirit continued during Dutta’s time in Shanghai, where he was tasked with creating a strategy to effectively negotiate pricing with various shipping lines and create attractive pricing models for customers.
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Thanks to Dutta’s success in these roles, he was offered his current position as Cluster Head for Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand in September 2023 with a mission to create a more agile organization.
“The cost of doing business is going up dramatically, so we’re looking at how to use the latest technology to become more process-oriented; for example, using AI to provide customers with better service,” he reveals.
“We’re also setting up global centers to support our business from centralized locations.”
Aside from these changes behind the scenes, Dutta is very focused on customer acquisition and growing ECU Worldwide’s product offerings.
“We are currently developing our air freight solutions, and we are quite confident that this vertical will grow at least by 100 percent, if not more,” he predicts.
“We are currently developing our air freight solutions and we are quite confident that this vertical will grow at least by 100 percent, if not more.”
In response to these ambitious plans, the company is on the hunt for substantial fresh talent with fresh ideas.
“We are always open to people with different perspectives who challenge what we are doing. If their ideas make sense, then we’re going to action them,” Dutta notes.
This culture is supported by ECU Worldwide’s annual entrepreneurial challenge held at its offices around the globe. As part of the challenge, teams choose a project area from anywhere across the business and see how its processes could be improved, a practice that it aims to expand among its employees, according to Dutta.
“Our core values are inclusiveness, customer centricity, agility and being globally available,” he says.
“These are a few of the things that differentiate us from the competition. We are already a world leader in our niche segment, so what we create is followed by a lot of other companies – it’s a template.”
Super suppliers
While customers choose ECU Worldwide because of the strength of its network, as a non-vessel owning common carrier (NVOCC), the company depends on its partnerships with core carriers to help you move cargo with optimal transportation time and cost. It’s for this reason that it prides itself on its carefully chosen and nurtured partnerships.
“The volatility of our business can only be managed through effective partnerships and that means when we grow, they grow,” Dutta explains.
“It’s not that we squeeze you out of the business; that’s not a partnership, so we are very clear when choosing partnerships.”
“Everything we do is about being closer to the customer and creating solutions that will make their lives simpler.”
For Dutta, this means working with partners who have a strong track record when it comes to compliance and gender equality. ECU Worldwide also works with its partners to invest in technology for mutual benefit.
“Technology can require a big investment, and this would not be likely to happen if we were just involved for short-term gain,” he points out.
“Our partnerships with our key vendors are strategic and long-term. If there are problems, we would not just drop the partnerships, we would take up that issue and iron them out so our partnerships develop.”
Thanks to an extensive network of strategic partners, its team of over 3,800 talented employees worldwide and its ambitious plans for growth, the company is well-positioned to become the preferred NVOCC for customers around the world.
“Everything we do is about being closer to the customer and creating solutions that will make their lives simpler,” Dutta says. “This is something we are continuously evolving and sharing with our customers, which is our recipe for success and growth.”
