Frontline Career

Discovering Passion for Logistics

What first sparked your interest in logistics?

Well, I first got interested in logistics about 21 years ago, when I started working directly on the warehouse floor. At the beginning, it was simply a job, you know, but very quickly I realized how complex and important it really was. Coordinating timing, routes, and teamwork so that products move smoothly was actually exciting to me, and that’s when I started to see logistics as more than "just a job."

Was there a specific moment when you felt, “Yes, this is the right field for me”?

Yes, there was a moment like that. One day I was walking through a store, looking at all the items on the shelves—food, electronics, everyday goods—and it suddenly hit me that every single product had taken a long journey to get there. Behind each item, there were people planning, moving, and protecting it. Realizing that logistics keeps both businesses and communities running made me feel this wasn’t just interesting work, it was the right career for me.

And today, what keeps that passion for logistics alive after all these years?

What keeps me motivated is knowing that our work still has a real impact on people’s daily lives. When operations run smoothly, most people never think about logistics—and to me, that’s actually a sign we did our job well. In some cases, getting the right product to the right place at the right time can even be life‑changing, and that sense of purpose is what continues to drive me, even after more than two decades.

My Career Story

What kind of logistics experience did you build before joining NX?

My career really started on the warehouse floor. I’ve spent over two decades working in warehouses in different roles, including forklift operation, picking, packing, order selection, and administrative work. Along the way, I also worked for several other logistics companies, which gave me exposure to different types of warehouse operations and corporate cultures. All of that built a very hands‑on foundation for the way I work today.

How did those roles shape your approach as a leader today?

Growing step by step from hands‑on roles into leadership taught me a lot about time management, team building, and problem‑solving. I realized that even the most skilled individual cannot succeed without a strong team culture, and that if you don’t promote people from within, it’s hard to keep them motivated and engaged. Because I started on the floor myself, I try to lead in a way that recognizes people’s potential and gives them chances to grow from the inside.

Why did you choose NX among many logistics companies?

When I started looking for my next step, I wanted a place where I could grow long‑term, with real global presence and a strong culture of continuous improvement. The more I researched Nippon Express (NX), the more impressed I was by its long history and global standing as a top‑five logistics company since the 1930s. The Japanese‑rooted mindset of Kaizen and the strong pride in quality matched my own values, and I thought, “This is a company I can grow with in the long term.”

A Day in the Life at NX

To start with, what does your role as a site leader at NX look like day to day?

I’m currently the site leader for NX’s San Antonio warehouse in Texas. I manage both warehouse employees and office staff, and my job is to keep daily operations running safely and efficiently, balance safety, quality, and productivity, and make sure our customers and my team are well supported.

And within that role, what do you find yourself prioritizing the most in your daily work?

Safety is always number one. I want everyone to go home in the same condition they arrived—no cuts, no bruises, no preventable accidents. To make that happen, it’s not just about giving instructions. It also means asking, “How are you doing?” or “Is everything okay at home?” in everyday conversations so I can really understand how people are feeling. If someone is worried about family or health, they can’t be 100% focused on working safely.

Out of everything you do in a day, which moments do you enjoy the most?

The part I enjoy the most is talking with my team. We’re a small group, but we have very diverse backgrounds, and I love hearing different ideas and approaches to problem‑solving. Instead of saying, “This is the only way,” I try to invite feedback and use it to improve our processes together. That kind of open discussion and teamwork is what makes my day enjoyable.

Could you share a recent example of a new challenge you and your team took on?

One recent example is a project to move into a larger warehouse. As part of that, I learned the basics of CAD and used that knowledge together with my on‑the‑ground experience to help design a new layout. It was challenging to balance both efficiency and safety in the design, but it was also a very rewarding experience because we could see how the new layout would help the team every day.

What It’s Like to Work at NX

If you had to describe NX’s culture in just one word, what would you choose, and why?

I would describe it as Kaizen. There’s a strong mindset of continuous improvement—always asking how we can make things safer, more efficient, or simply better, no matter how small the change might be.

How is your work‑life balance at NX different from your previous roles?

In a previous role, I managed around 180 employees in a 24/7 operation. Even after going home, I was constantly checking cameras and emails. When I joined NX, I kept that habit and was still working at night, until one day my leaders asked me, “Why are you working after hours? Enjoy your family and your hobbies.” It was the first time I’d ever been told off for overworking, and it really stuck with me. It showed me that work‑life balance is truly respected here, not just talked about.

When you look around your workplace, what does diversity and inclusion look like in practice?

A lot of companies talk about D&I, but at NX I can actually see it in the day‑to‑day environment. In the facilities I’ve visited, managers and staff work in the same space, and people talk across departments and levels very naturally. There isn’t a feeling of “that group is separate, so we don’t talk to them.” It really feels like one team.

And in terms of communication, how would you describe the way people interact at NX as One Team?

Communication is very open. We use Teams, text messages, phone calls, meetings, and face‑to‑face conversations, and people are encouraged to reach out. That openness makes it easier to solve problems quickly and also helps keep morale high on the floor.

Future Goal / Career Path

Looking ahead in your career at NX, what goals are you focusing on right now?

Right now, I’m especially focused on deepening my expertise in automation, because I truly believe automation is the future of logistics. I don’t want automation just for the sake of it, but in a way that really benefits both our customers and our employees, and I’d like to help bring more practical automated solutions into our facilities.

Beyond your own site, how would you like to contribute to NX more broadly?

In a past role, I traveled across the United States visiting different facilities and sharing best practices, and I really enjoyed that experience. At NX, I’d like to do something similar—visit other sites, learn from what they’re doing well, and share what has worked for us here in San Antonio. If we keep learning from each other like that, I think we can raise the overall level of efficiency and safety across the company.

When you think about career development, what kind of environment do you want to build for your team and colleagues?

I want to work closely with HR to build a clear and transparent career ladder. In other words, employees should be able to see which skills, KPIs, and achievements they need in order to move to the next step. When those expectations are clear, people can relax a little, focus on growing, and their loyalty to the company naturally becomes stronger over time.

And looking further into the future, what is your long‑term ambition for yourself and for NX?

Personally, I want to keep growing as a leader. I don’t think there’s ever a point where you can say, “I’m done learning.” For NX as a whole, I’d like to see us move from being a global top‑five logistics company to number one. I’m a competitive person, so I always want to raise the bar, so that the next generation can start from an even higher point than we did.

Message to New Colleagues

From your perspective, what traits or mindsets do successful people at NX tend to share?

In short, they’re competitive and very growth‑oriented. They’re not satisfied with “good enough.” Just like we often say, “Don’t be stagnant. We want to continue to set the bar higher and higher.” The people I see succeeding here are the ones who keep pushing their own standards a little bit at a time.

What kind of teammates do you personally enjoy working with?

I enjoy working with people who are open, collaborative, and solution‑focused. Even if we’re not sure a new idea will work, they’re willing to say, “Let’s try it,” and if it doesn’t work, they’ll sit down with the team to ask, “Okay, why did it stop? What can we change?” When you have people who enjoy that kind of trial and error, it makes the whole team stronger.

What advice would you give to candidates who want to become future logistics leaders at NX?

I would say, think about the best leaders you’ve worked with and what made them stand out. Then take those qualities—humility, empathy, dependability, leading by example—and actively develop them in yourself. If you can align your own goals with the goals of NX and your team, you’ll grow as a person and also become the kind of leader others want to follow.

Do you have a final message you would like to share with future colleagues and candidates?

I often share a scene from Planet of the Apes. There’s a moment when the leader says, “Apes alone weak. Apes together strong.” One stick breaks easily, but a bundle of sticks is hard to break. I tell my team it’s the same for us. Each of us has limits as an individual, but when we support each other, we can be incredibly strong. That mindset has helped our team become one of the top‑performing sites. For people who want to grow, take on new challenges, and aim for ambitious goals together with their teammates, I truly believe NX can be a very rewarding place to build a career.