CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ series illustrates the wide range of careers that exist within the air cargo industry. A relatively new area that existed pre-pandemic, but really gained traction during it, is that of online booking platforms. As the air cargo industry advances on its digital transformation journey, third party digital marketplaces are providing opportunities for greater market reach and simpler transaction processes, and are developing their products to best serve both freight forwarders and their airline partners. Julien Triay (JT), Commercial Vice President for Airlines and Payments at WebCargo by Freightos, takes us through his responsibilities, experiences and thoughts on the industry.
CFG: What is your current function and company? And what are your responsibilities?
JT: I am the Commercial Vice President for Airlines and Payments at WebCargo. My primary responsibility is to bring new carriers onto the WebCargo platform for eBookings. However, WebCargo is much more than just a booking solution. Together with my team, we showcase the full range of our offerings: Interlines, Payment Collection/Checkout, Dynamic pricing, Trucking, and our Sales Portal.
Additionally, I lead the commercial development of WebCargoPay, which enables non-IATA/CASS freight forwarders to book directly with our airline partners.
CFG: What does a normal day look like for you?
JT: I try to start my day early to get ahead of any issues that might have occurred overnight in the western U.S. or Asia – it’s important to resolve those before everyone else starts their day. I usually have several internal meetings with colleagues across different departments, as well as calls with potential or existing customers to present our solutions.
If there’s one routine I try to protect, it’s my lunch around 12:30 – although living in Spain, that’s not always easy!
CFG: How long have you been in the air cargo industry, and what brought you to it?
JT: WebCargo was actually my first job after business school, and I’ve now been here for over 12 years. I started in January 2013.
At the time, it was a tough job market – Spain was still deep in the subprime crisis, with unemployment at 25%. Just before I was about to leave Barcelona, I replied to a job posting. The next day, Manel Galindo, WebCargo’s founder, got back to me. We interviewed on Friday, and I started on Monday. I’ll never forget that moment.
CFG: What do you enjoy most about your job?
JT: No two days are the same – that’s part of the beauty of it. I also love that we’re helping to transform an industry and improving the daily lives of so many people. Feeling like your work has a positive impact is incredibly rewarding.
CFG: What do you see as the greatest challenges in our industry?
JT: One of the biggest challenges is the number of stakeholders involved. From a digitalization perspective, each organization has its own systems and standards, so getting them to “talk” to each other is incredibly complex.
And of course, change management is a challenge on its own – changing habits or systems is never easy.
CFG: What advice would you give to people looking to enter into the air cargo industry? Any particular training they should aim for?
JT: First: they’ll love it! You’ll never get bored, and you’ll work with truly amazing people.
In terms of preparation, I’d talk less about specific training and more about the mindset. Being close to your customer is essential – customer centricity is key in this industry. That’s where they should focus.
CFG: If the air cargo industry were a film/book, what would its title be?
JT: I’ll go with an easy one: Mission: Impossible.
Many thanks for your answers, Julien!
If you would like to share your personal air cargo story with our CargoForwarder Global readers, feel free to send your answers to the above questions to cargoforwarderglobal@kopfpilot.at We look forward to shining a spotlight on your job area, views, and experiences.
