Nicole started her journey at Hellmann in 2019, working her way up from the sea freight pricing team to now Branch Manager of Hellmann Houston. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, Nicole shares her career journey and growth at Hellmann.

Hi Nicole, you joined Hellmann in November. Tell us about your background and your journey at Hellmann so far. 

I am from Hagen, Germany, and got a degree in Logistics, Transportation, and Economics. I have over 12 years of experience in the freight forwarding industry, starting as an apprentice, and working my way up from there. I’ve worked in several different departments of the industry in many managerial roles in operations, tender management, sea product management, and now branch management.

I started in Hellmann as a sea freight pricing desk manager and as part of this responsibility, I relocated the Pricing team from Miami to Houston and led in professionalizing the pricing process and expanding the team. Later, I was promoted to Director, Regional Sea Freight Pricing & Tender Management, and was selected to participate in our company’s 2-year talent development program “Leader Edge.” During this time, I optimized the sea freight pricing procedures by standardizing the regional tender process, automating network requests, and enhancing various Freightos functionalities. I later became the Director of LCL North America and supported product and business development within the region. Now, I am very happy to be the branch manager of our branch in Houston.

Why Hellmann? 

Before joining the company, I was happy with my job and responsibilities, however, I was very open to seeing what Hellmann has to offer because I had heard great things about it from some colleagues in my network who had previously worked here. I was very impressed by the company culture, which was presented in my very first interview. Now, looking back – almost 4 years later – I know that I made the right decision to join the F.A.M.I.L.Y and would make the same decision again. I am very proud of my achievements in my professional career and personal development. Hellmann has provided a lot of good tools to get me into the position where I am at today and I am confident that the company has more to offer for my career path.

What are your main responsibilities in your role? 

Being a Branch Manager requires a lot of skills and situational leadership. While my main task is to move Freight and be profitable, my responsibilities come down to leading and caring for our employees. In general, the job is very diverse, especially since our branch offers Air Freight, Sea Freight, Brokerage, and Warehouse Services.

How has working at Hellmann helped you develop professionally and personally?

Since I started working at Hellmann, I always had good managers, who were also good mentors. In collaboration with day-to-day learning, HR offers a wide range of tools that contribute to our success. These tools are available for all employees and within my team, I always encourage the learning factor.

What is your favorite part of the job? 

Building teams, developing employees with high potential, and seeing them grow in their roles to get to the next level in their professional careers. Besides that, it is very rewarding to grow our customer portfolio and build long-lasting relationships and trust with our clients.

What are your main objectives at your branch for the new year?

For 2023, I would aim to build our local team in Houston and set us up for success, grow our customer portfolio, and while we are doing that: Let’s have fun. I think that will be a good recipe for our success story in 2023.

What do you do for fun?

Trying to convince my friends how fun freight forwarding is and explain my passion for the Sea Freight Containers that we spot on the streets. Besides that, I enjoy traveling and family time with my husband, our daughter, our dog, and our cat. After all, if there is still some free time, I am a proud PELETON-Bicyclist.

Thank you for your time, Nicole!