Post by Jean Muls

This weekend, the world lost an iconic entrepreneur and visionary — Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, passed away at the age of 80. I had the privilege of welcoming him to the TNT global air hub at Liege Airport on Wednesday, April 18th 2018, as we were finalising a major overhaul of the TNT sort system and the broader Liège Hub Competitiveness Improvement Plan. He arrived that morning aboard the company’s Learjet, coming from Sweden, where he had visited one of our partners the night before. His journey had started the previous day in Memphis. When the aircraft engines stopped and the door opened, I stepped on board to greet him. “Welcome to Liège, Mr. Smith,” I said. He smiled, reached for his signature purple FedEx Cares cap, put it on, and shook my hand. We then toured the site and presented the project’s progress and results. What struck me most was his attentiveness — genuinely curious, razor-sharp despite the jet lag, and quick to grasp the complexities and impact of the work my team had delivered. At the end of the visit, he approached me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and simply said: “Son, you did a great job.” I was 58, he was 73. A brief moment of recognition for my team — but one I will never forget. A leader who built a global logistics empire, yet stayed close to the people making it work on the ground. Rest in peace, Fred Smith. Your vision reshaped global logistics and continues to inspire generations of leaders. My sincere condolences to his family. (From left to right) Matthew Berardi, Patrick Donlon, Eduardo Lopez, Miguel Cortes, Rock Sherman, Eliana Invernizzi, Richard W. Smith, David Canavan, Markus Huber, David Binks, Matthias Barbian, Bert Nappier, Bart Desiron, Rudi Loontiens, Jorn Van De Plas, Roel Staes.