One keynote in particular stood out at the ACHL/Aviation Connect conference in Copenhagen, on 15OCT25: ‘Future-proofing air cargo handling’. Arpad Szakal, Partner at Cormis Partners (specialized in international executive search and talent mapping for global aviation and civil aerospace) shared his insights and views on the industry’s current readiness in facing the disruptions and challenges of a future that is already happening. Automation, digitization, e-commerce, sustainability and new generations with different expectations when it comes to work and career progression, are all changing how we work and demanding a mindset shift when it comes to ‘future-proofing’ our companies. What does that mean? Where is the real skills gap? What is the new leadership playbook and what mistakes are being made in leadership hire? These are some of the questions that Arpad Szakal addresses in his guest piece for CargoForwarder Global:
Beyond Automation: Building the Leadership That Will Transform Air Cargo.
Spend enough time speaking with senior figures across the air cargo handling ecosystem, and you start to notice a pattern. Everyone is talking about ‘future-proofing’ – but ask what that really means, and the answers become vague. For many, it’s about digitization, automation, or sustainability. But after dozens of conversations with CEOs, COOs, HR leaders, and digital transformation specialists, one thing is clear: the real challenge of future-proofing isn’t technological at all. It’s human. It’s about leadership.
Future-proofing means building the leadership pipeline – not waiting for it to emerge
Disruption is no longer something on the horizon; it’s already embedded in the day-to-day work of this industry. E-commerce has transformed the cargo landscape. Automation is accelerating. The pressure for greener, smarter operations is relentless. Yet despite this, too many organizations are operating with fragile leadership pipelines.
Everyone acknowledges the talent gap, especially around digital fluency, but few are taking decisive steps to close it. The leaders who can connect operational realities with technological innovation are in dangerously short supply – and they’re being poached by sectors that tell a more compelling story. The irony is that air cargo has a great story to tell: it sits at the intersection of global trade, technology, and logistics resilience. But it’s not telling that story boldly enough to attract the next generation of leadership talent.
The real Skills Gap
When I ask executives where their most pressing capability shortfalls lie, the answer isn’t just ‘digital skills’. It’s digital literacy at the top. Many leaders can hold a conversation about AI, automation, or blockchain – but scratch the surface, and understanding thins out quickly. Sustainability follows a similar pattern: the language is there, but the applied knowledge isn’t.
Equally worrying is the growing deficit in people management skills. AI can take over process work, but it can’t motivate, coach, or retain. And in today’s job market, where digitally skilled professionals have choices, leadership that inspires and develops people is the single most decisive differentiator. As one HR Director told me recently, “We’re not losing people to better companies – we’re losing them to better managers”.
The new Leadership Playbook
The leaders who will drive this sector forward are already starting to look different. They combine operational acumen with digital curiosity and the courage to experiment. They can connect the technical with the human – understanding how automation or AI fits into operations without losing sight of the people who make it work.
The playbook for leadership has changed. Hard skills now include digital fluency, integration experience, and cybersecurity awareness. But the real edge lies in soft skills – critical thinking, ethical judgment, creativity, and emotional intelligence. The irony is that, as the industry becomes more automated, the qualities that matter most in leaders are the most human.
Where organizations keep getting it wrong
Here’s the uncomfortable part – many companies in this space are still making the same hiring mistakes. Too many leadership searches are built around narrow job descriptions that prioritize industry experience over adaptability. It’s a formula that feels safe, but it’s also how transformation stalls. The best future leaders might not come from air cargo at all; they might come from logistics tech, retail, or manufacturing – sectors that already think digitally and move at speed.
Another recurring issue is that executive search is still treated as an emergency measure rather than a strategic process. Too often, leadership hiring happens reactively, when it should be part of a deliberate, long-term talent pipeline. By the time companies pick up the phone to start a search, the problem is already acute.
Then there’s the candidate experience. In a small, interconnected market, how you treat candidates matters enormously. Every conversation shapes your employer brand – and top talent will remember whether they were treated as a number or as a person. Add to that the growing gap between compensation expectations and industry reality: air cargo can’t outbid tech or finance, but it can outshine them in purpose, complexity, and global impact. The problem is, the industry isn’t selling that story nearly well enough.
Building a workforce fit for the future
Future-proofing the workforce starts with broadening the target pool. The next generation of cargo leaders may not come from within the industry – and that’s not a weakness, it’s a strength. Bringing in talent from sectors where innovation cycles move faster injects the kind of perspective this industry needs.
Organizations also need to rethink how they assess potential. Hiring shouldn’t just reward years of experience; it should value learning agility, adaptability, and resilience. The leaders who will thrive aren’t necessarily the ones who’ve ‘done it before’ – they’re the ones who can learn, pivot, and lead through uncertainty.
The Leader of 2030
So, what will the air cargo leader of 2030 look like? Based on the hundreds of conversations we’ve had with leaders across the industry, the profile is starting to take shape. They’ll be digitally fluent but commercially grounded, sustainability-minded but pragmatic, and capable of blending data-driven decision-making with human empathy. They’ll lead across borders, generations, and technologies – not just managing disruption, but turning it into an advantage.
They won’t be asking how to survive the next wave of change; they’ll be asking how to use it to win.
Raising the bar in Leadership Hiring
The smartest organizations in this sector are already moving. They’re working with search partners to identify emerging talent before they’re needed, not after. They’re using assessment tools to measure leadership potential rather than just experience. And crucially, they’re treating every search as a brand moment – an opportunity to demonstrate what kind of organization they are.
Future-proofing the industry won’t come from systems, sensors, or automation alone. Those are enablers. The real differentiator will be leadership – leaders who can integrate technology, inspire people, and carry the sector forward with conviction. The future isn’t coming. It’s already here. The only question is whether the industry’s leadership is ready for it.
Arpad Szakal
