As the Chief Cargo Officer of dnata, Guillaume Crozier leads the company’s global cargo operations and strategy.
What was your dream job as a child?
A member of a Commando SWAT team. I admired my uncle who was part of the national SWAT team intervention group, and my grandfather was a policeman.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?
The pace of the industry continues to ever increase. With that comes the increasing magnitude of disruption.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever shipped?
Crocodiles, pandas, and even consignments of billions of bees are fascinating.
What’s the best business lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
That communication is key. Don’t expect to be understood in the first instance. Communication is a two-way street and you must ensure that your message is received properly.
If you could swap jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be?
dnata CEO Steve Allen – to see what a busy, full-on day in his life would be, and how he juggles his responsibilities.
Which three items would you bring to a desert island?
Sunglasses, shovel, swimwear.
What’s your guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
Gladiator.
What’s the most exciting place you’ve visited for work?
Microsoft Headquarters in Seattle is an amazing place. We visited as part of dnata’s digital innovation journey. I also find fulfilment centres very exciting. The levels of automation are staggering.
If you could introduce one new regulation in air cargo, what would it be?
Cargo data exchange capability with the aircraft hold. You’d be able to precisely know every single good that is in the hold, as it is tracked and scanned. You’d know in which exact part of the aircraft the item is located.
Describe your job in three words
Exciting, challenging and rewarding.
What’s your hidden talent?
I’m an amateur musician. I love playing the accordion. Music runs in the family, as my children also play the piano.
If you could instantly master one skill, what would it be?
Coding. Having the ability to talk to machines would be fascinating.
What’s the best airport in the world, and why?
Dubai International Airport. The scale and levels of efficiency are unmatched. The new Al Maktoum Airport – Dubai World Central will take that to another scale.
How did you get into airfreight/logistics?
During my studies, I took an internship with a freight forwarder. I was attracted by the pace and it introduced me to the cargo community – I was hooked from then.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses first, in order to interact better with others.
What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?
Sleeping in an igloo in Zermatt, Switzerland.
If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Whitney Houston. Musk is very unique, I’d like to discover how he ticks, how he learnt all that he has, and how he is doing everything himself. Jobs – I’d love to find out from his lens how he managed to build Apple, despite all the challenges he had to face. He and Musk were and are not the most loved by colleagues, but what they have achieved is mind-blowing. Whitney sang one of my favourite songs and it would be great to find out more about her career.
What’s something we wouldn’t know about you from your CV?
I am a good dancer! I began in sportive dance in my early school years, before moving into Acrobatic Rock’n’Roll. It’s physically demanding and I competed in the French championships while in school.
