FedEx way — mellow outside, steely inside

AMCHAM event illustrates how Chae thrives in male environment

By Kim Da-ye

Chae Eun-mi, the head of FedEx’s Korea operation, carefully poured Californian red wine into 10 glasses, starting from the one belonging to the most senior lady on the table, and suggested a toast.

“Be confident, cheerful and cool. And let others win!” Chae said, and the glasses clinked.

“I like that remark, but a salesperson cannot let others win,” one staff member from the sales team joked, and the rest burst into laughter.

Chae was serving her staff members Thursday evening at the seventh CEO Servers’ Night organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM Korea), a charity event whose proceeds support university students from low-income families.

It’s a night when the heads of large American companies’ Korean offices gather, change their business suits for a pristine white apron and bow tie (and neon-pink nail polish for Chae) and serve their family, colleagues and business partners.

Chae chose to only invite her colleagues, symbolic of FedEx’s principle of treating its employees well. The Korean chief is an active follower of the firm’s “People-Service-Profit (P-S-P)” philosophy that places employees as the top priority in order to satisfy them, encourage them to serve customers better and make a good profit as a result.

Chae says her way of pursuing the idea is communication that shows care. And in order to communicate with staff, she tries to spend time in the field as much of the logistics firm’s operation takes place outside the central Seoul office.

“Whenever she comes to the airport, she calls the names of the employees she hasn’t seen for a long time. Because she remembers each employee, the staff are very happy,” one executive based at Incheon International Airport said during the dinner. Chae is well-known for memorizing the names of some 680 employees, many of whom are couriers.

Chae’s communication extends to exchanges of letters and emails, and she says that one young courier sent her many letters and a lot of hardtack while serving in the military. After finishing his military service, he returned to FedEx.

She also makes the most of her gender in the male-dominated industry FedEx belongs to ― at the Servers’ Night, Chae was the only woman among the 13 executives.

Throughout the evening, she chatted with staff members and threw her head back in a big laugh. Like a giddy girl she led her female staff and introduced them to actor Choi Soo-jong and his wife Ha Hee-ra who were also volunteering that evening.

While treating her staff like friends, she often plays a motherly role.

When she makes a toast she tells her guests, “Westerners told me you shouldn’t look at glasses, but gaze into each other’s eyes. This is a good tip for doing business.”

Chae, in fact, has a 22-year-old son, and advises other female staff on how to juggle the roles of businesswoman, wife and mother.

It all adds to a family-like atmosphere in the company which was evident at the Servers’ Night.

With such an atmosphere, it is no surprise that FedEx ranked eighth in the 2011 World’s Most Admired Companies list compiled by U.S. magazine Fortune and that FedEx Korea was named Best Employer for Women in Aon Hewitt’s Best Employers in Korea 2011 survey.

When asked how FedEx treats its employees differently from other companies, Chae says every staff member receives $2,500 a year for self-development.

“Many employees earned masters’ degrees with the fund. One female staffer used it to pay for her English class in which she met her future husband. I teased her that FedEx gave her a job, English skills and her husband,” Chae says.

Stacey Han, the communications manager, added, “This company respects employee’s private lives. If my dog is ill, I can take the morning off and take it to the vet. Of course, I will have to finish my work by staying late. After all, the company is strict about work ethics.”