From Apprentice to Manager – Chantal

From apprentice to manager – nothing unusual at nox.

Chantal began her training as a forwarding and logistics service specialist in 2011 and now she is Sales Excellence Manager. You can learn more about her career path and her work in the following interview.

Chantal, you started as an apprentice at nox and now you are Sales Excellence Manager. How did this quick advancement happen?

My apprenticeship as a forwarding and logistics service specialist was from 2011 to 2014 and after completing my exams I was hired to work in the sales office. Then I did my studies in business administration with a focus on sales and marketing from 2016 to 2019 in a work-study programme. Since then, I have worked in business development and as management assistant, and as chief of staff in Marketing & Communication, Business Excellence & Sustainability, and HR Development. Currently I’m focusing on sales again and on optimizing processes and practises in that area.

You studied Business Administration.
How did that course of studies prepare you for your career?

Business Administration is rather general and gives you a deeper understanding of areas like financing and investment, controlling, micro and macro economy, as well as other essential area like HR, strategic management, and project management. I became acquainted with instruments and methods that I could apply directly in practical work. For example, it made it much easier for me to read and analyse internal finance KPIs. At the same time, this theoretical knowledge helped me understand how practical matters fit together. The last two semesters involved more specialized topics, so I was able to gain more in-depth knowledge about sales and marketing, corporate communications, and online marketing.

Now you are Sales Excellence Manager. What exactly does that involve?

After periods of restructuring and improving efficiency, our company is now focusing entirely on growth. Sales classically plays a central role in that. It is necessary to improve the processes and operations continuously, set benchmarks, and learn from past mistakes to enable the teams not only to reach goals, but clearly surpass them. That’s my everyday work. Are the KPIs we’re using the right ones and sufficient to measure success? Can we perhaps automatize individual processes? One of my goals is to intensify inter-departmental cooperation and constantly to improve it.

Would you recommend a work-study programme to others?

Definitely. A work-study programme is particularly right for people like me who don’t just want to learn theory without getting any practical experience. Of course, in many cases this model is more challenging and requires a high degree of discipline and self-management, because you have to be committed and conscientious at your job, and studying before and after classes also takes time, and then exams need to be taken. But all in all, it is exactly the right thing for people who want to apply what they learn in practical work right away. I worked four days a week and attended lectures all day on Friday and Saturday. Others worked full time and went to classes in the evenings after work. I really respect that, because it requires even more self-discipline. Nowadays there are many different models of how to combine work and studies. Everyone can find one that fits them, particularly since the number of online courses has increased greatly since the pandemic.

You have been at nox since 2011. What do you think makes nox so special?

Basically, the whole transport and logistics branch fascinates me. Organization, getting the right product to the right destination, with the right volume, and at the right time, is simply an extremely exciting challenge. Compared to other CEP service providers, we have a much shorter time frame from pickup to delivery. That means everything must fit together perfectly and run smoothly. What we pick up in the late afternoon today gets to the consignee before work begins tomorrow morning. That everyone here makes that possible every day is incredibly impressive.