The team is everything

People first, numbers second: Allyssone Fontiny is clearly well-versed in both. The 45-year-old from Pas-de-Calais in northern France studied management sciences with a focus on finance. After earning her master’s degree, she went on to do a dual work-study program in “management techniques for small and medium-sized businesses.” In 2011, she joined DACHSER as a controller. Today, she manages the branch in Avignon, France—and does so with great success and empathy.

“Our customers are satisfied because all the branch’s departments perform well and are committed to a common cause,” says Allyssone Fontiny, whose leadership concept centers on people: “They are the pillars of our organization.”

In keeping with this ethos, it’s always been clear to her that she doesn’t want to view finance as a numbers game untethered to real life. “My father was a craftsman,” she says. “An accountant would come to our house regularly to take care of the financial side of things. I wanted to take a different approach, one that would bring both these worlds together. This pushed me toward management in my finance education.”

After studying for five years, Allyssone Fontiny earned her first professional stripes as a controller for various transportation companies and quickly took to the industry. “Eventually, I wanted to take the next step and work for a global yet family-like company. And so I joined DACHSER in 2011.”

Her plans worked out. “As regional controller, I was involved in a number of projects that gave me a holistic perspective on DACHSER as well as on national and international projects,” she recalls. When DACHSER offered her the opportunity to become branch manager in Avignon, she didn’t have to think twice: “The move aligned perfectly with my desire to progress, push things forward, develop and implement solutions, and help shape branch strategies,” she says, adding: “Our French management was also very supportive of my move, as was the regional manager and my team. I am very grateful for that.”

A holistic perspective

“Our team in Avignon consists of 23 colleagues and works for and with customers from the departments of Vaucluse, Gard, Drôme Sud, and Bouches-du-Rhône. We mainly warehouse and transport products for them like personal protective equipment, bathroom fittings, and industrial cooling systems,” Allyssone Fontiny says. For her as a manager, it’s especially important to always let employees know the purpose and the importance of their tasks.

“Customer satisfaction is our top priority,” she says. “This means that everyone on the team must know the full scope of activities going on in the branch and how it’s all connected. Every position, every task is important.” For Allyssone Fontiny, logistics may employ state-of-the-art technology, but it is always done by people for people: “If we want to be successful, our team has to be as close to our customers as possible. We have to listen to them carefully—that’s the only way we can recognize or even anticipate their needs and offer them tailored solutions.”

Looking back, she views her own career path from controller to manager as a series of incredible opportunities: “DACHSER relies on its employees’ skills and fosters their development within the company. This allowed me to continuously expand my range of skills and responsibilities.” DACHSER’s unique culture of mutual trust and appreciation makes the company a reliable partner for both the employees and the customers. As Allyssone Fontiny puts it, “It’s my job and my duty to represent and practice DACHSER’s people-oriented culture and to help employees experience it, too. That’s what motivates me and what I enjoy doing on a daily basis.”