Interview with Jihane Abi Khalil

  On March 13, Jihane Abi Khalil will be conducting a one-day training on Logistics. We sat down with her to get to know her better and discover the complex world of Logistics with her guidance.

If you are interested in attending the training, headover to Ihjoz to book your ticket

Jihane Abi Khalil is the Managing Director of Adelmar logistics - a company offering third-party logistics and freight forwarding services, based in Mar Michael - 
 Beirut. She is also a Lecturer at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and Sagesse University in Beirut.

 Question 1: How did you get interested in logistics?

The reason why I decided to pursue a career in logistics is simply that my parents worked in shipping and logistics. I come from a family that has worked in the shipping field for a long time. Since my childhood, I’m used to hearing things about vessels, logistics and shipping terminology. So somehow I felt involved in a way or another in this field so I decided to continue my path in the logistics industry. In the beginning, I started working with my dad who runs a ship management company. Later on, I established my own logistics company.

Question 2: How do you stay updated on changes in trade regulations?

There are different ways to stay updated in trade regulations. First of all its very important to keep checking recent articles about international trade, about the import and export regulation of every single country, check updated editions of logistics and supply chain books. And of course based on my experience in the field and the daily challenges we face day by day we learn new things about the field. In addition to that since I teach at the university, I always have to be up to date.

Question 3: What are the biggest challenges in today’s world in logistics?

There are several challenges facing the logistics industry. One of the main challenges is that everyone is seeking quick delivery of products. The transport providers are always trying to provide the quickest service possible to people working in the field. In addition to that, they are asking for the efficiency and reliability of service at a very low cost. Basically, all those requirements are stressing transport providers to deliver an added value service to the customers, the importers and the exporters. We should not forget also globalisation. The whole world is like a small city and because of that we are always trying to improve the logistics sectors and the information technology to meet this challenge in the market

Question 4: What can we expect from the training?

Based on my experience most of the people working in shipping and logistics have extensive experience in the field but they lack academic background. This training will combine experience and academic insights. We will be talking about international regulation, referring to maritime and logistics books, and more. We aim to motivate people to develop their skills to have a competitive advantage in this market.

Question 5: Why is the logistics industry so important?

The reason why the logistics industry is so important is simply that we cannot enjoy other countries’ innovation without reliable logistics services. It has proven to be that logistics has a positive impact on the financial performance of the company. As much as we improve our supply chain management and our logistics services as much as we will have a positive impact on the financial performance of the company. We are focusing on it either by outsourcing the logistics to a specialised company or creating a dedicated department in house. We are lucky that we are located next to the sea because we can easily import and export with high accessibility and at a lower cost.