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Former Australia Post chief highlights regional Australia’s economic role during Shepparton visit
Team Global Express chief executive and former head of Australia Post Christine Holgate visited Shepparton on Friday with key members of her team.
“We’re out visiting one of our local business partners, Scott (Fisk),” Ms Holgate said.
“It’s terrific to be out on the ground with somebody who’s done an incredible job.”
Ms Holgate said that with a career in the industry spanning nearly four decades, Mr Fisk had been a vital partner to TGE, recently transitioning to a local agent role.
She said this shift allowed Mr Fisk to offer customers a more extensive range of services and become an integral part of a network of agents who had an in-depth understanding of regional customers.
She also highlighted the pivotal role of local agents in connecting the company with the community.
“What that gives us is an army of people across regional Australia who really understand customers locally,” Ms Holgate said.
“Like all of us, we buy from people we trust, we respect, and we know, and that’s what these local agents are.”
In addition to discussing business strategies, Ms Holgate imparted wisdom and encouragement to the next generation of industry leaders.
“My advice to any young man or woman would be to just believe in yourself,” she said.
“I say that because I think our own fears are our biggest barrier.
“Don’t let other people define you; look at the person you want to be and stay true to that.”
During the visit, Ms Holgate acknowledged the historically important role of local post offices as servers of the Australian public for over 200 years.
“It’s really important that we all get behind those post offices and help keep them vibrant,” she said.
“We would love to be able to work with them, and we’ve asked Australia Post for permission to do that.”
Her visit to Shepparton, which she described as the “backbone of the country”, underlined her commitment to recognising regional Australia’s economic contributions, which she said accounted for around 42 per cent of the national economy.
Shepparton local and TGE managing partner Mr Fisk reflected on the company’s journey, attributing its success to Ms Holgate’s visionary leadership and support.
“I’d like to thank Team Global Express for their management, support and tools they’ve provided us with,” he said.
“To have Christine’s leadership is amazing — she’s caring and especially cares about regional communities.”
He also acknowledged the contributions of Ms Holgate’s advisor, former DHL Express chief executive Ken Allen, referring to him as an “international rock star in the industry”.
“I’ve got a lot of experience in international parcel business and e-commerce business and, I think, Christine’s agenda is an all-growth agenda,” Mr Allen said.
He highlighted Ms Holgate’s “charismatic” leadership and growth-focused strategies, which he believed would help TGE expand and better serve Australia’s diverse regions, mirroring the success he achieved with DHL Express.
Mr Allen also noted the untapped potential in Australia’s e-commerce market, which at 10 per cent of retail sales, lagged far behind Europe’s 30 to 40 per cent.
It is a gap he believes presents an exciting opportunity for TGE and for every Australian entrepreneur.
Mr Allen said by focusing on improving domestic infrastructure, the company aimed to make Australia more “attractive” for inbound material while also providing a platform for local entrepreneurs to reach a broader international market.