Global GSA Group (GGG) went completely local on the evening of 20NOV25, as representatives from its 47 countries around the world, descended upon Amsterdam to celebrate a unique milestone: 30 years of success, growth and – listening to its 85-year-old founder’s heartfelt speech – defying the odds. At the time of its launch in 1995, the rest of the Schiphol Airport community had been very skeptical of what it considered an unusually diverse little team. Yet, what began as a grass roots project, has flourished into an international network where people not only come to work, but also to stay. GGG is the exemplary proof that Cargo is truly a People Business.
The atmosphere was buzzing, food and drink plentiful, and the many guests – among them Global GSA Group employees, long-standing customers, and Aerion representatives, including ECS Group and CargoTech members – were engaged in animated discussions all around the Mondi Skybar on the 9th floor of the Corendon Hotel near the airport (an unmissable fact, given the brightly decorated Boeing 747 parked up around the back of the hotel). For some, it was actually the first time they were meeting people they otherwise knew from emails and phone calls. In fact, it was the first time in the company’s history that everyone had come together to celebrate an anniversary. A point that Zafer Aggunduz, Global GSA Group’s Chief Commercial Officer, urged to change, in his address that evening: “It took 30 years to throw a party like this – don’t wait another 30 years!”
The right people at the right time
“What does this 30th anniversary evening mean to you?” I asked Ismail Durmaz, Chairman, Global GSA Group. “We survived!” he laughs. “I have delivered a healthy company to Aytekin [Saray] as our new CEO. It has been a happy adventure and a success. We brought Global GSA Group to a certain level and have become part of a bigger organization [Aerion]. All the people on this journey are still here, still part of it and have a future in this company,” he emphasizes. And those people have built the company – beginning with company founder, Jos Busscher, who, aged 85, drove 200 km to Amsterdam to participate in the celebrations. “My first boss, my mentor, and my other father,” Ismail explains. Jos tells me “I saw the potential he had – everyone, men and women, enjoyed working with him.” A fact that Ismail consciously nurtured to everyone’s advantage over the years: “When I look back, I really started from zero. I didn’t have an air freight industry education.”
Ismail began working in a warehouse, back in 1988, building pallets, offloading trucks, delivering documents. “During that time, I was very social,” he said, talking about a network of friends he built up, who did similar jobs for different companies. As his career grew, so did those of his friends and they supported him as the GSA took shape. “I put a lot of energy and friendship in people around me, who helped me,” he continued, emphasizing social skills and the importance of relationships. “You always need to not only look up to people but also care about those below you in the hierarchy, because those people will become the managers of the future.”
Jos Busscher’s initially “crazy idea” in 1995, of “putting a Turkish boy [Ismail Durmaz] and a Chinese girl [Kitty Liao]” in a small team with a GSA vision, very quickly bore fruit. Within the year, Turkish Airlines – now a leading carrier – and key Chinese carriers were on Global GSA Group’s customer portfolio: one that today numbers 62 airlines.
Secrets of success?
“What advice would you give to other GSAs or air cargo businesses striving for similar growth and resilience?” I asked Ismail. “If you are number 15 today, and you do the same as everyone else, you will always remain number 15. To become number 1, you need to think differently, find new growth areas and innovation. If you follow, you will always be behind. You have to find a shortcut!” he underlines.
“And, if your budget was limited to investments in just one area, which of the following would it be and why? Sustainability, Digitalization, Network expansion, People?” I wanted to know. “Always People!” he immediately responds “because all the other points require people. The right people to fix, bring, develop or explain. I put a lot of energy into social skills. The people who are here tonight – most of them are with me from the beginning. That has everything to do with the social value that we have and we invest in. I give as a human, pay attention and am there when needed.”
And they give back. During the evening event, every staff member came up to Kitty and Ismail and presented them each with a flower by way of a Thank You for their three decades of dedication to Global GSA Group. Talking to individuals during the evening, many have been with the company for more than 15 years. “We really are like a family!” I am told on more than one occasion. Another tells of Ismail’s easy-going attitude to empowering his team to try out new ideas: “If it works, great! If it doesn’t, we at least tried,” she says.
A fresh start and modern outlook
“Pride, joy, and love” are the three words Aytekin Saray, CEO of Global GSA Group since MAY25, replies to my question of what the evening’s event means to him. “I am proud to be part of this company for 28 years,” he expands. “We built a network from scratch, with just 3-4 people. And now we have almost worldwide coverage, and I have written something on every page of our story.” He lauds the great, experienced team that he has spent much of the past half year visiting at their locations, in his new function. “It has been a rollercoaster, but a lot of fun,” he admits, talking about the busy travel schedule. “Now, I am steering the company, and I want a fresh start. I want to do things differently, more modern, expanding the network further for true worldwide coverage.”
Among his plans are combining the company’s human touch with today’s digital opportunities. He mentions working with the sister company, CargoTech, to find ways of making life easier with digital tools and customized solutions, likely also using the potential that AI has to offer when it comes to email management or claims handling, for example. Network expansion areas of interest are the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East, and South America, where Global GSA Group may double or even triple the number of countries in each case.
Sustainability remains a priority in all its facets, he says, illustrating the many ways in which Global GSA Group acts sustainably – from paperless working to EVs, better lighting, ensuring suppliers have similar values, various forms of green energy, and charity work. The latter is demonstrated that same evening at the event. Zafer Aggunduz mentions the 1990s photobooth (a great success – where people could dress up as gangsta rappers, complete with bucket hats, glasses and gold chains), and a wandering polaroid camera, and states: “For every picture pinned onto the canvas [positioned in the room], €20 will be donated to the Rainbow Foundation [https://stichting-rainbow.com/]” – one of a number of charitable causes created by Jos Busscher, which supports underprivileged children in third world countries.
A new logo in a new color
The 30th anniversary event is also used as a backdrop to unveil Global GSA Group’s new logo and corporate identity. Zafer Aggunduz introduces the topic with a corporate video that starts with 1995 and speaks of ‘one vision, one team, one legacy’, highlighting Global GSA Group’s attributes: trusted expertise, global reach, proven performance , the strength of its people. With the words: ‘the world changed, so did we’, the formerly blue corporate color changes to a deep Bordeaux red, as the video then talks of ‘adapting, innovating, delivering’, illustrating the necessary changes to remain ahead in today’s air cargo industry: digitalization, high value partners, and people who grow and make the difference. The video ends with the new logo impressively unfurling across the large screen: three solid, interlinked letter Gs, in red and white. ‘New symbol, same strength,’ is the video message, and a motto accompanies the image: ‘Excellence in motion’.
“GGG – three letters, all linked,” Zafer Aggunduz explains. “Every G symbolizes something – our team, our partners, our services – all seamlessly connected. Bordeaux symbolizes the loyalty of 30 years’ heritage, the trust in our industry, and the quality of our service. Our new slogan: ‘excellence in motion’, gives two messages: 1) the quality of the service we provide and 2) that we are not stopping there. We are committed to developing our services further, and then there is the energy of our staff – in action, every day.”
Congratulations, Global GSA Group!
Adrien Thominet, Chairman, AERION, summarizes the significance of the 30-year milestone: “30 years in this industry is not a given. Congratulations on what you have done. And you are unique. When we invested in this group, we really discovered people values,” he says in his evening address. Global GSA Group stands out, he tells me. It is dedicated to each of its customers on an emotional level. “Ismail’s own personality represents these values,” he says, “and Aytekin is maintaining them. Performance and excellence in motion.”
