Bulky goods logistics relies on precision, digital technologies and, above all, on people who coordinate complex processes. In our new profile series, we introduce colleagues from different areas of the company and diverse professional backgrounds. They all contribute their expertise and experience to ensuring smooth processes and satisfied customers. We begin with Yvonne Edler, Division Manager HUB & Transport Management.
“When everything runs smoothly on our end, our customers benefit immediately too.”
Yvonne Edler is a logistics professional through and through. She manages our locations in Löhne and Ansbach and has been with the Hermes Group for 24 years, including ten years at the Hermes Furniture Delivery Service. With foresight and empathy, she leads around 400 employees and is responsible for approximately 65,000 truck transports and 20,000 swap body units each year.
Her career began in parcel logistics, with roles in transport logistics, last-mile logistics and HUB operations. Moving into bulky goods logistics was a logical next step: “In my current role, I can draw on all of my experience, which makes the work particularly exciting.”
What drives Yvonne is the direct impact of her work: “When everything runs smoothly on our side, our customers benefit immediately.”
Leadership Means Taking Responsibility
Yvonne’s day-to-day work is shaped by organisation, communication and close collaboration with the team: “My focus is on creating structures that provide guidance and acting as a link between different areas and responsibilities. At the same time, it is important to me to leave enough room for personal responsibility and further development.”
For Yvonne, leadership above all means taking responsibility for decisions, people and collaboration. “Behind everything I do is the desire to make the world, both professionally and personally, a little better.”
Yvonne also regularly reflects on her own approach and her work: “Whether you are an experienced professional or just starting your career, we should all keep moving forward. What matters is keeping the goal in sight and moving in the same direction as a team.” As a leader, this means remaining open, listening and actively incorporating different perspectives.
Diversity as a Key Success Factor in Bulky Goods Logistics
For Yvonne, diversity is not a goal, but a mindset. It starts with the way we think and, for Yvonne, is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable success. “Working with colleagues from 34 different nations shows me every day how much potential lies in different perspectives.”
Yvonne particularly encourages women to confidently take their place in logistics: “Women and men have different approaches, and that is exactly what companies should make use of. As a woman in what is still a male-dominated industry, I may bring different perspectives to the table, and that is a good thing.”
Yvonne’s advice to colleagues and those considering a career in logistics: “Follow your own path with confidence and be open to listening to others. Logistics needs women who can lead without having to be loud. Women who listen and make decisions. And who are ready to actively shape the future.”
Technology Meets Teamwork: Digitalisation with a Human Focus
One project that Yvonne is currently particularly focused on and enthusiastic about is the introduction of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in intralogistics. It is a technically complex project that also brings change for the workforce. “We involve our colleagues at an early stage. This helps us build acceptance of the technology and create a shared understanding.”
For Yvonne, it is clear that demands for speed, transparency and flexibility will continue to increase. Today, digitalisation affects almost every area, from network planning and intralogistics to internal communication. “The future belongs to companies that find the right balance between people and technology, and between speed and quality. This makes it all the more important to involve the team from the very beginning and empower them through training to use and actively contribute to new technologies. This is how real change happens, and it is the only way to unlock the full potential of digital technologies.”
Would You Like to Help Shape the Future?
Become part of our team. Discover our current vacancies in the career portal.
