Mr. Nice

Michael Stockdale loves fast cars and rides a Harley. But he says he is one of the good guys.

Michael Stockdale, General manager, Al Futtaim Logistics

In his spare, almost Spartan, Al-Futtaim Logistics office in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Michael Stockdale comes across as a regular bloke from Sydney – the type who says “G’day, mate!” to strangers.

“Around here, I’m just one of the good guys,” he qualifies. “Al Futtaim Logistics has the best people in the logistics industry – not just here in the region but possibly in the world.”

Stockdale has reason to be proud. Since he took on the challenge of growing the 3PL business of Al-Futtaim Group in the UAE in 2003 he has expanded Al-Futtaim Logistics by six-fold. And this year the company is expected to yield more than 55% growth.

In the upcoming Second Middle East Logistics Awards the company has nominations in more categories than any other entity, including Best Innovator of the Year, Best Importer, and Best Logistics Provider – 3PL. If this was the Oscars, Al-Futtaim Logistics would be Lord of the Rings.

And Michael Stockdale would be Peter Jackson. The supply-chain expert himself is a nominee in the Logistics Personality of the Year Award – Land Transport Industry category.

“Being nominated for the MELA 2007 is good news for both Al-Futtaim Logistics and me,” he says. “But the better news is that the quality of the competition is extremely high. This is good for clients in particular and the region’s economy in general.” Two years ago, when asked about the future of the logistics industry in the region, Stockdale predicted that the growing demand of quality logistics will eliminate the “bad guys” from the market, a trend he says he is seeing happen.

“The current players are trying to outdo each other, not just in terms of size and business volume, but more in the provision of services of consistently high quality.”

“What we constantly try to do is not be like the competition,” he smiles. “The motto of the Company is ‘Grow by being the Best in Service, Quality and Efficiency’.”

Stockdale insists on hiring only the best. “We would rather leave a position vacant than fill it up with someone who is not perfectly suited for the job.”

“The logistics industry is my life,” he admits. Apart from being General Manager of Al-Futtaim Logistics, he is also a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Logistics Association of Australia, and the Consultative Committee of the Supply Chain and Logistics Group, UAE.

And what is he when he is not being a “logistics person”? “I don’t really know,” he muses. He looks genuinely confused by the question. “I’ve been doing this for so long – and loving it – that I can’t really see what else I would be.”

And then his eyes light up. “I love to ride my Harley. The roads in the UAE are great, and when the weather is good the sound and the power of the machine let you forget everything. And the CART and AUSCAR races in Surfer’s Paradise in Queensland drive me wild …”

Michael Stockdale may not be such a “good guy” after all.

Mike Ortega interviewed Michael Stockdale at his office in the Jebel Ali Freezone