DHL’s Yati Abdullah: Taking CSR a notch higher

MANILA, Philippines - For decades, global logistics giant DHL has been shipping goods and spreading goodwill in the Philippines.

With country manager Nurhayati Abdullah at the helm, DHL Express Philippines has become deeply involved in providing socially relevant projects for ordinary Filipinos.

Finding success in both business and life is as simple as “give and you shall receive” for the businesswoman of Malaysian descent.

“Our culture is we don’t want to be positioned only as a company focusing on business. At the same time, we want our employees to take time and give back to the community,” Abdullah told The STAR in an interview.

 “Since I was young, my parents taught me to always share your blessings whenever you get a chance. My mom says it’s not about giving, it’s about the love you give when you give. My father on the other hand always believed that when you share your blessings, more will come so don’t hesitate to share. I learned these since I was young which is why I am so passionate about corporate social responsibility,” she said.

Abdullah has been part of the global DHL Group for 16 years now and has held the DHL Express Philippines country manager post for four years. Aside from the Philippines, she has served in countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

“I find Filipino people very friendly, approachable, and very dedicated to do a great job and that really inspired me to go on for four years and look forward for more. Our team is very passionate and very dedicated to give our best everyday,” she said.

DHL is a global market leader in the logistics industry with presence in over 220 countries and territories.

Abdullah said    the group’s vast network is its biggest strength and advantage.

 “We have the reach not just in the Philippines but outside. If a small or medium-sized firm for example want to ship to Bhutan, we have the reach. If they want to ship to the US, we also have the reach. So I think the biggest strength we have is our network,” Abdullah said.

However, Abdullah notes DHL Express is more than just a logistics company with a huge global reach.

The company regularly embarks on various corporate social responsibility programs to ensure that the success of the business is shared to people and communities.

Such endeavors are part of the company’s global drive aimed at giving back to local communities and instilling the spirit of volunteerism among employees.

“For the past five years, we have been incorporating a sense of social ownership among all of our employees and contributing to the sustainability of the communities through our programs,” Abdullah said.

Every year, the DHL group offices around the world participate in a variety of community projects in support of various local causes.

All activities contribute to the group’s three corporate responsibility focus areas which are GoGreen (protecting the environment), GoHelp (providing skill-based help to people in need) and GoTeach (improving educational opportunity and employability).

Fortunately for DHL Express Philippines, it has a leader who has a genuine passion for helping people and local communities.

Apart from DHL’s corporate social responsibility projects, Abdullah also spends time with children across the country for her personal charity work.

 “My passion has always been people, how to add value to people. It’s not just giving but also making time. That’s my passion up to now. I just carry what I was taught. It’s very fulfilling because it’s not just focusing on yourself but also giving a part of yourself back to people who are in need,” she said.

As a leader who understands the need to “walk the talk,” Abdullah serves as an inspiration to her staff and the 700 strong DHL Express Philippines employees.

 “It’s very inspiring because usually the leader provides the direction but Yati does not just do that. What’s unique about her is she leads by example. For us being a global company, and you see a leader like that who is hands on, that’s very inspiring. It starts from the top and if you see the leader acting about it then you also get inspired to help. She could easily delegate the task to us but she’s there in action,” said DHL Express Philippines marketing manager Hope Atienza.

DHL Express was founded in 1971 and currently has 10 service center facilities and close to 200 retail outlets in the country.

Abdullah said the company plans to expand its retail presence to 300 by next year.

 “For the Philippines, we see it is as a growing market for us. We see a lot of opportunities mainly in the SME segment. There’s still a lot of penetration in that segment. Because of the market of SME, over 99 percent of companies are registered as SME and in terms of our market share, we feel there is still a lot of opportunity to grow within that segment,” Abdullah said.