The Logistics of Logistics Revolutionizing Freight Forwarding Using Tech with Lionel van der Walt
Lionel van der Walt and Joe Lynch discuss revolutionizing freight forwarding using tech, which is exactly what Raft does. Lionel is the Chief Growth Officer of Raft, an intelligent logistics platform that automates AP invoices, customs, shipping documents, and pre-alert workflows significantly reducing manual work while increasing accuracy and compliance for freight forwarders and customs brokers.
About Lionel van der WaltLionel van der Walt is currently the Chief Growth Officer at Raft and an industry thought leader on sustainability in supply chain with over 20 years of international executive leadership experience. He began his career in the South African Air Force and later spent more than a decade with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where he held various leadership positions in South Africa, Spain, and the United States, including President of Cargo Network Services Corp., IATA's U.S. cargo subsidiary. Lionel served as Chief Executive Officer at the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC), then as President and Chief Executive Officer, Americas, followed by Global Chief Commercial Officer at PayCargo. He has also been a member of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association and PayCargo's Board of Directors. Lionel holds an MBA in Strategy and General Management from Milpark Business School in South Africa and has also qualified as an Air Traffic Controller and Aircraft Maintenance Technician.
About RaftRaft is the intelligent logistics platform that's rewriting the technology playbook for freight forwarders and customs brokers in the automation era. They empower their customers to drive efficiency and deliver more value to their end-customers by automating and orchestrating the entire shipment lifecycle—from operations, finance, customs, and sales to visibility and emissions reporting. Raft combines the power of unified data, communications, and workflows with the speed and scale of AI and third-party connectivity, freeing up teams to focus on higher value work while reducing costs and driving profitability. Founded in 2017, Raft serves 60 freight forwarders in 30+ countries globally, including several of the A&A's Top 25 Global Freight Forwarders List, and is used to manage over 300k shipments per month, saving its customers up to 2 hours on every shipment.
Key Takeaways: Revolutionizing Freight Forwarding Using Tech- Lionel van der Walt is the Chief Growth Officer of Raft, an intelligent logistics platform that automates AP invoices, customs, shipping documents, and pre-alert workflows significantly reducing manual work while increasing accuracy and compliance for freight forwarders and customs brokers.
- In the podcast interview, Lionel and Joe discuss revolutionizing freight forwarding using tech.
- Raft is a technology company that specializes in AI and machine learning
- The company was founded in 2017 by co-founders James Coombes (CEO) and Nisarg Mehta (CTO)
- Raft's mission is to transform global supply chain execution with AI
- Raft helps key players in the logistics industry apply AI to their daily tasks and customer interactions
- Raft's intelligent logistics platform is used to manage 300k shipments per month, saving its customers up to 2 hours on every shipment
- Raft serves more than 60 freight forwarders in 30+ countries globally, including several of those featured in the A&A's Top 25 Global Freight Forwarders List
- The company is headquartered in London, and also has offices in Chicago and Mumbai