Interview: SOS Global’s Michael Tenenbaum on facing logistical challenges, the need for flexibility and why it’s important to have fun

Tenenbaum: ‘Every project is different, and the job can be demanding, but it will certainly never be monotonous’

Michael Tenenbaum, managing director of worldwide logistics and transportation service provider SOS Global, reflects on a decade of supporting some of the biggest sporting events on the planet and looks ahead to what the next 10 years might hold.

Congratulations on your 10-year anniversary. How has SOS Global been marking the milestone?

Thank you very much. Although time flew by, it has been a decade filled with fantastic memories, enriching experiences and the opportunity to grow closer to amazing people on all five continents.

Unlike other SVG Europe members, we are a non-asset-based service company; our only capital is our people. Anyone can ship an air or sea freight… but the real difference is made before departure and after arrival. That can only be achieved with a service-minded team. And that is how we like to mark our milestone; by celebrating our crew who are the ones responsible for solidifying the position of SOS Global during the past 10 years.

A lot must have changed in the past decade. Tell us about some of those key changes

As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said; “The only constant in life is change.” The big difference with previous eras is that change comes much faster nowadays.

From a general perspective, public health might become a recurring subject, as the COVID-19 pandemic revealed. Those years taught us important lessons in how to tackle issues as a global society. It also showed us how rapidly changes can happen and trained us to become even more flexible and creative to keep our business afloat in such complicated environments.

Michael Tenenbaum, SOS Global

In the logistics market, one of the big changes has been the buying-up of many traditional freight forwarders by big transport corporations; narrowing more and more the options for shippers around the globe. Many buyers neglected after the acquisition process to keep the success formula of these smaller forwarders alive; the very essence that led to their accomplishments. A few others understand, support and foster these philosophies.

The logistic field is also impacted, like many other sectors, by the lack of workforce. Carrier customer services have been severely affected by it, making the booking, handling and monitoring of shipments more complex for forwarders. Particularly for SOS Global, the shortage of qualified personnel has been an important issue to tackle, because as a service company we are only as good as our weakest link.

How has SOS adapted and evolved over the years to meet those challenges?

As in many situations in life the key to success is maintaining a proper balance. It is fundamental to constantly evaluate what traditional and successful procedures are worth sticking to and achieve a healthy combination with new measures that are required by the sign of the times: being open to change but not constantly changing just for the sake of it.

One feature that has remained an absolute term to us is flexibility. It is very much required in our times, but especially if you work in event logistics. We are fortunate enough that clients in the industry seek and value this skill that SOS Global has fostered since 2013. It helped us with the handling of our projects, it helped during the pandemic, and it continues to help in the current constantly changing work environment.

For example, we are approaching the before-mentioned lack of trained and skilled freight professionals with a demanding and comprehensive in-house training programme for new staff. We are fortunate enough to keep finding people with the right mindset, willing to go the extra mile.

SOS Global also makes sure that our team invests enough hours in personal interactions, something that in times of remote work is not guaranteed anymore. This has a profound impact on team spirit and quality of work. 

Are there any projects on the sports side that have stood out for you and if so, why?

There have been many throughout these 10 years. Of course, we have to mention Olympics and World Cups; always challenging endeavours. We have approached them with the same philosophy every time from the very beginning: by understanding the basic demands and cultural nuances, preparing effectively and being flexible enough to properly react to unforeseen circumstances.

But also, tennis tours like ATP and WTA are very interesting since we must accurately plan the tour that will touch all continents during a whole year.

Tenenbaum: ‘Our crew are the ones responsible for solidifying the position of SOS Global during the past 10 years’

WRC events have been special since the overseas races take place in some challenging and exotic locations. The same applies to cricket projects; many of them are held in countries where customs regulations are complex and exigent.

But we love those challenges, that is what sets us apart from general cargo freight forwarders. Every project is different, and the job can be demanding but it will certainly never be monotonous.

What do the next 10 years hold for SOS and the world of logistics?

Hopefully new opportunities to keep meeting more amazing people, to continue creating special memories and having fun as we do. We believe that those are the real achievements.