Power 25 2022: Dr. Raman Kumar, Managing Director of Al Futtaim Logistics, Ranks 7

Raman Kumar is an experienced logistics and accounting professional with more than 35 years in the logistics industry. Kumar qualified MBA, CMA, Risk Analyst, PostGraduation in Financial Accounting, Post-Graduation in Management and Graduate in Commerce and Accounting. Kumar was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Kumar is involved in various sports activities, and he loves to play cricket.

His passion for cricket is evident in the line-up of numerous trophies in his personal collection. Kumar is a member of professional accounting bodies like Management Accountant in USA and Australia. In 2021, Kumar received his professional doctoral certificate conferred in Global leadership and Management from the European International University (E.I.U), Paris, France.

In the year 2013, Kumar had taken over the role of managing director for Al-Futtaim Logistics. During the past 8 years, he expanded the logistics activities within UAE, and expanded to Gulf countries like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Logistics operations further expand to Sri Lanka as a fully owned company.

In 1995, Kumar joined Al-Futtaim Group as a senior accountant and moved to the position of finance manager before taking over the role of managing director. Before joining Al-Futtaim, Kumar was working with Inchcape Shipping Group for 7 years in Abu Dhabi and Muscat as Management Accountant. Currently, he oversees a team of 1050 associates through the GCC and Sri Lanka.

Currently, his focus is on digitalisation. In the year 2020, he rollout the Yard Management system in automotive logistics, which is the unique solution that has enabled the customer to receive the vehicles in 24 hours and reduce the cost of operation by 18%. This system is tailor-made and designed specifically for automotive logistics.

Al-Futtaim Logistics, a division of the Al-Futtaim Group of companies, is well recognized as a strong player in the Middle East region offering a full portfolio of supply chain solutions that include warehousing & distribution, automotive logistics, road transportation, sea and air freight forwarding, corporate transportation, international relocations and moving.

Kumar has extensive experience in managing the profitability of the business, expansion, customer and associate’s engagement, risk management and commercial aspects of the business in Al-Futtaim Logistics, ensuring that the company abides by local regulation and legislation.

In the initial few years, Kumar played a vital and dual role heading the company successfully during its restructure. Under his leadership as Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Logistics achieved many milestones which contributed to the outstanding achievements the company has had since 2013. He played a critical role in stabilizing and speeding the strategic decisions, which is indicative of his seamless change management, business relationships and people competence.

With an impressive track record in revenue and growth to match so far, Kumar has an open and transparent management style, and he is well able to connect to all levels in an organisation.

Under the leadership of Kumar, Al Futtaim Logistics achieved FIDI FAIM PLUS, International Standard Organisation (ISO) certifications for Quality, Health and Safety, Environmental, Supply Chain Security and Food Safety Management practices. The company expanded its footprint outside of the UAE market, including MENA and international markets. The organisation achieved new heights in value added and new service offerings. Cost and Time saving initiatives were enabled and completed in record time attributing to faster decision making, communication and motivated workforce.

As such, the company is today a diversified logistics service provider, whereby it continued to focus on customer experience and operational business excellence. In particular, he has brought a new dimension of customer-centricity with the setup of the client relations department into the core of the company, embedding it as the basis of all its undertakings.

Kumar is also a responsible member of the UAE society, taking great interest in the organisations contribution to the logistics industry. He has supported the nationalisation initiatives of Al-Futtaim Group, Dubai Trade events, Trakhees CSR environmental causes, Middlesex University student development. Kumar is a mentor for the ACCA students (nearly five students in the past three year) for their performance objectives (like thesis) and for the completion of course.

Kumar active participant at the leading International 3PL Supply Chain Summit in Amsterdam, Europe and International American Association Conference in Canada, representing UAE in international forums as logistics hub to channel the logistics opportunities towards the Middle East.

He is a professional member of the International Chamber of Commerce Dubai Chamber, Indian Business and Professional Council, Dubai, Gulf Petrochemical Association, National Association of Freight & Logistics, Supply Chain Logistics Group, Green Freight Asia.

With an impressive track record in revenue and growth to match so far, Kumar has an open and transparent management style, and he is well able to connect to all levels in an organisation. Kumar received the ‘Best Manager Award’ from Gallup for outstanding performance in associate engagement, consistently recognised over 3 waves. Last 3 years, employee engagement score stands at 92.4% consistently higher than benchmark.

Al-Futtaim Logistics achieved outstanding results in all areas of business showing no signs of slowing down. Kumar is a recipient of many awards during career for organisational leadership and making the company successful in multiple transformational areas.