In global trade today, logistics has moved from the background to the centre of business strategy, shaping how companies scale, compete, and respond to disruption. From geopolitical tensions to the rapid rise of e-commerce, supply chains are under constant pressure to be faster, smarter, and more resilient.
Against this backdrop, Kami Viswanathan, president of FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, is navigating one of the most complex operating environments in the industry.
Here, she shares how FedEx is redesigning its network for a world of continuous disruption, the evolving role of logistics in driving growth, and what it takes to lead in a sector that is rapidly redefining itself.
As a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated industry, what advice would you give women entering logistics today that goes beyond work harder and be resilient?
In an increasingly fluid global business environment, supply chain resiliency is becoming more critical than ever. Logistics is no longer a back-end function; it is central to how businesses grow and compete. That shift alone makes this one of the most exciting industries for women to step into today.
As the backbone for global trade and commerce, logistics offers many opportunities for career growth. Be intentional about where you place yourself. Choose organisations where performance is rewarded, where leaders invest in people, and where you are given the space to lead early. Organisational culture will accelerate or limit your trajectory far more than any single role.
Second, don’t self-select out of operational or technical roles. Some of the most influential positions in logistics sit at the intersection of operations, engineering, and decision-making. Women who lean into these spaces early build disproportionate credibility.
Third, build your voice, not just your capability. In a complex, fast-moving industry, asking the right questions and challenging assumptions is often more valuable than having all the answers.
And finally, think of your career as a portfolio of experiences, not a ladder. Don’t be risk-averse in taking on new projects. Logistics offers exposure across markets, functions, and technologies. The more deliberately and boldly you navigate that breadth, the faster you move from participant to leader.
Supply chain shocks have shifted from rare events to a recurring reality. How is FedEx redesigning its network and decision-making processes to operate in a constant state of disruption rather than reaction?
Disruption is no longer episodic; it is structural. The real shift for us has been moving from a model of recovery to a model of continuous adaptation.
At FedEx, resilience is engineered into both our physical network and our decision-making architecture. Our multimodal network across air, road, and ocean ensures we are not dependent on a single corridor or geography. Investments such as our hub at Dubai World Central, the Middle East Road Network, and expanded presence and connectivity in Saudi Arabia are designed to increase route density and give us options when conditions change.
In recent months, disruptions across parts of the Middle East have required rapid adjustments to traditional air and ground corridors. At FedEx, this has meant activating alternative gateways and strengthening regional road connectivity to ensure shipments continue to move across markets.
What truly changes the equation is data. Tools like FedEx Surrou and SenseAware allow us to predict risk, not just respond to it, particularly for high-value, time-sensitive shipments.
The outcome for customers is simple: earlier visibility, more routing choices, and the ability to make better decisions ahead of disruption, not after it.
E-commerce competition is increasingly defined by delivery experience. How is FedEx helping retailers turn logistics into a competitive advantage rather than a cost centre?
Across the Gulf’s fast-growing e-commerce market, logistics is becoming a key driver of conversion and customer loyalty. In many ways, the delivery experience is now an extension of the brand experience.
The delivery journey plays a critical role in shaping customer trust and repeat purchases. Factors such as shipping costs, delivery timelines, and clarity on duties and taxes can directly influence buying decisions and overall satisfaction.

At FedEx, our focus is on helping reduce this complexity through integrated, digitally enabled solutions. Services like FedEx International Connect Plus are designed to offer a balance of speed and cost efficiency for cross-border shipments, while our digital tools provide greater transparency on duties, taxes, and delivery timelines upfront.
The post-purchase experience is equally important. Digital capabilities such as FedEx Delivery Manager and Picture Proof of Delivery give consumers greater control and confidence, while seamless returns solutions help retailers close the loop and encourage repeat purchases.
Increasingly, customers are not looking for standalone services, but for integrated, end-to-end solutions that support the entire e-commerce journey.
SMEs are central to economic diversification across the Gulf and emerging markets. Where do you see the biggest logistics gaps preventing SMEs from scaling internationally?
As Gulf economies accelerate diversification, SMEs are playing a central role in driving cross-border trade.
While small businesses are often competitive on product and innovation, expanding globally introduces additional considerations such as regulatory requirements, customs processes, and limited shipment visibility. These can make planning and scaling more challenging.
Fragmentation can further add to this, as SMEs often work with multiple providers across transport, clearance, and last-mile delivery, increasing coordination efforts and costs.
The opportunity, therefore, is simplification. At FedEx, our role is to bring these elements together through an integrated network and digital platform, so businesses can access global markets without having to build that infrastructure themselves.
When logistics becomes seamless, SMEs can focus on what they do best, building and selling great products, while scaling internationally with far greater certainty.
For many SMEs, the challenge is less about opportunity and more about navigating the systems around it.
Sustainable logistics often comes with higher short-term costs. How do you balance environmental commitments with commercial realities?
FedEx has a long track record of managing environmental impacts, and we’ve made significant progress growing our business while reducing our emissions in our operations. Efficiency is often overlooked as a key driver while other innovations mature and costs normalise. In logistics, efficiency is the foundation of any sustainability initiative, particularly in markets like the UAE, where sustainability is increasingly a national priority.
Every improvement in route optimisation, fleet modernisation, or facility design helps reduce emissions while also enhancing operational efficiency. This principle underpins how we invest across our network.

At the same time, we take a measured approach in our transition to zero tailpipe-emission vehicles to ensure the technology meets the demands of our operations. The deployment of electric fleets in markets such as the UAE and investments in more fuel-efficient aircraft are all part of building a lower-emissions, higher-efficiency network. Facilities like our hub at Dubai World Central further reinforce this approach through sustainable design, energy efficiency, and renewable energy integration.
Tools like FedEx Sustainability Insights (FSI) are another important level. FSI provide customers with greater visibility into the environmental impact of their shipments, enabling more informed decision-making.
Ultimately, sustainability at scale is most effective when it is embedded into how the network operates, rather than treated as a parallel initiative.
With regional champions and digital-native logistics players gaining ground, what truly differentiates FedEx today: network scale, technology, reliability, or customer experience?
What differentiates FedEx is not scale, technology, or reliability in isolation, but how we integrate these capabilities into a single, connected operating system for global trade.
Across the industry, players bring different strengths. At FedEx, our focus is on connecting more than 220 countries and territories through a unified network that brings together our physical infrastructure with real-time data intelligence.
Our hub at Dubai World Central and Middle East Road Network illustrate how we seamlessly integrate air and ground operations to enhance both speed and flexibility across the region.
At the same time, the scale of our network, moving approximately $2tn worth of goods annually, generates rich data insights. Through FedEx Dataworks, we use this data to continuously optimise routing, improve performance, and strengthen reliability.
The result is consistent, predictable outcomes at scale, which ultimately define customer experience in logistics.