DHL Global Forwarding appoints Maja Smidt as Chief Information Officer for MEA

DHL Global Forwarding has appointed Maja Smidt as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Middle East and Africa (MEA), as the logistics company advances its digital transformation and business process optimisation agenda across the region.

Smidt will join the company's regional Management Board and oversee Information Technology and Business Process Optimization across MEA.

She brings more than 20 years of experience spanning logistics, operations, process excellence and technology leadership. 

She has spent the past 15 years in leadership roles at DHL Global Forwarding in the region, most recently serving as Head of IT & Business Process Optimization Gulf.

In that role, Smidt led initiatives focused on improving operational efficiency, streamlining processes and supporting business transformation.

"Maja combines a deep understanding of our business with extensive experience across operations, process optimization and technology," said Tobias Maier, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa. "She has built a strong track record of delivering transformation and driving collaboration across teams and functions."

Smidt said technology can help improve customer and employee experiences when it simplifies processes and enables people to work more effectively.

"I'm excited to build on the strong foundation we have across the Middle East and Africa and continue to enhance the way we work together and serve our partners through digital innovation and collaboration," she said.

Her appointment also means women now account for 50 per cent of positions on DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa's Management Board. The company said the milestone reflects the growing representation of women in leadership roles across the region, including country management positions.

Smidt began her logistics career in Croatia before moving to the Middle East in 2011. Her early experience included customer-facing logistics and service operations. She holds a master's degree in organisational and business psychology from the University of Liverpool.

The appointment comes as digital capabilities become increasingly central to DHL Global Forwarding's Simply Grow strategy, which focuses on profitable growth, customer-centric solutions and productivity improvements.

The company said technology, process optimisation and data-driven decision-making will continue to play a role in improving customer experience, operational efficiency and supply chain resilience across the Middle East and Africa.