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Logistics is more than a mere career to Tan Ching Siow – it’s a natural calling. Long before he took up the role of Vice President, Contract Logistics, Pacific Cluster of DSV Contract Logistics APAC, his first ever formal work assignment was working in a warehouse. Later, he made van deliveries during his university holidays. Even during his national service appointment, he found himself in a logistical role.
“I have always had a connection with logistics,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “With all my jobs linked in this way, it seems like somehow it’s fate.”
So it’s perhaps no surprise that when he came to take up his current role at DSV Contract Logistics, a company where he had already made an impact early in his career, Ching Siow says it felt like coming full circle.
“The most important thing I learned about responding to all these changes was to stay agile, to have the curiosity to learn.”
After eight years away from contract logistics, taking up management roles in both ocean freight and air freight business units in the same company, he returned to a very different operation. Although the customer profile remained much the same, the way the company was doing business had dramatically evolved.
“When I left contract logistics eight years ago, we were still at the very early stages of adopting automation. At that time, we only had basic automation such as conveyor systems, sortation lanes and automated printing of shipping documents,” he recalls.
“Since then, the industry has advanced significantly. We have doubled down on automation, embedding it at the heart of our operations – we now have two fully automated warehouses.
“We just launched the RedLion2 Warehouse earlier last year, which is even more advanced, where we now deploy sophisticated automation systems such as the AutoStore and automated guided vehicles in the storage and movement of cargo.”
Having successfully implemented these advances, the company is now exploring AI and working out how to best integrate this evolving technology into its operations.
“The most important thing I learned about responding to all these changes was to stay agile, to have the curiosity to learn,” he says. “I think that’s very important.”
While the next few years will see DSV focused on strengthening its capabilities through innovation and technology, another area will shift to the forefront – environmental stewardship.
“It’s not just the customer’s responsibility, it’s also ours,” Ching Siow says. “As a logistics company, we’re dealing with the movement of cargo, so we are a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. We take this responsibility very seriously.”
“In contract logistics, it’s not an individual race – it’s a team event.”
The decision to invest in AI, automation and robotics not only builds a smarter and more resilient operation, according to Ching Siow, but helps reduce DSV’s environmental impact.
One example of how it is achieving these dual-pronged benefits is its ‘energy positive’ building approach.
“This is pushing the limit of what the local logistics service providers are able to achieve,” he says. “We are taking a leadership position in this and aligning ourselves with the future growth of Singapore.”
The last year has also seen DSV’s acquisition of DB Schenker, including its Asia–Pacific operations, in a transformative deal that was finalized on 30 April 2025. The transaction made the combined body the largest logistics company in the world and significantly strengthened DSV’s presence in the region.
With DB Schenker traditionally very strong in the tech, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and semiconductor industries, the deal aligns DSV perfectly with the goals of the Singaporean government as it seeks to grow the local economy.
“We certainly need to align with what the government is moving towards,” Ching Siow says.
A growing involvement in its customers’ supply chains is also part of the future plan with many outsourcing secondary manufacturing processes to DSV.
“We are embedding ourselves deeper into our customers’ supply chains by offering such services,” he says. “And then we are able to upskill our staff, as these processes demand greater expertise.”
In terms of skill set, DSV caters to a diverse cluster of markets. While Singapore is at the forefront in terms of knowledge and skill, Australia and New Zealand are also very advanced. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Indonesia are developing with knowledge being transferred from other areas of the business.
“Singapore has a more advanced journey in terms of automation,” Ching Siow says. “That’s how we could also add value to countries like Australia and New Zealand, where they face a similar high-labor cost situation. So this is how we are positioning ourselves for the next three-to-five years.”
Partnerships are a fundamental part of the business outlook, with Ching Siow stressing that the businesses it works with are long-term, “all-weather” partners. Among these are Mapletree Logistics Trust Management, Swisslog Malaysia and Soilbuild Group.
The longevity of these relationships is crucial in an industry where a vision can take many years to realize.
“That’s why it’s important for me to communicate a very clear vision,” he says.
“In contract logistics, it’s not an individual race – it’s a team event. It’s not about a superhero, one person, who achieves everything. Even with a superstar, you are only as strong as your weakest link, so it is very important that you empower your team.”
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