Soft-spoken Jean-Claude (JC) Delen is one of the most gracious gentlemen working in transportation today.
He is a determined, tenacious, indefatigable personality; a fist in a velvet glove; a one-man FIATA force field.
     As the historic IATA FIATA cooperation agreement was announced at the FIATA Airfreight Institute’s 90th meeting in Dublin, Ireland, in October, Board Member JC Delen (who also serves as current FIATA Treasurer) noted:
     “From inception, this project has received strong support from FIATA’s Presidency.
     “The IFACP delegates have always displayed a strong commitment to craft and to implement a new global program aligned to the objectives of partnership, mutual benefits, and reflective of today’s forwarder-airline relationship.
     “This gigantic breakthrough was formally agreed upon in July 2016 and we signed the document to give recognition to those who made this agreement possible,” Mr. Delen said.

Man With A Plan

     One needn’t dig deep to find that JC was the steady hand that brought the IATA/FIATA idea to fruition. Back when it looked like it might end up parked permanently on the street of broken dreams, JC, along with others from both sides, brought it back to life to see the landmark agreement fulfilled.

A Lifetime of Service

     JC served as Chairman of the Belgian Air Freight Institute.
     Later, as Chairman of the Belgian Forwarders Association, the link was made with FIATA (1992) and JC moved as a member of the (FIATA) Air Freight Institute.
     JC served as Chairman of the FIATA European Region, entering the Presidency of FIATA in 2002.
     One could say that his office as President of CLECAT (the European forwarders’ federation) between 2005 and 2009 paved the way for his election as FIATA President in 2009, where he served for the traditional two-year term.
     Ask JC “Why FIATA?” and his answer is immediate and without qualification.
     “There is only one FIATA and in transportation FIATA is the network of the real professional,” JC declares.
     “The FIATA network does not exist anywhere else.
     “FIATA includes associated members by countries and also close to 6,000 individual members from all over the world.
     “If you take all the associations and the people who work for them, that number escalates to more than 10 million people,” JC Delen said.

Power In Numbers & Purpose

     “Not many people realize that this organization is so strong.
     “In my mind FIATA is one of the best-kept secrets.
     “Part of that is because FIATA has been conservative throughout its 90 years of existence.
     “But today that changes a bit as the reality of 2016 and the IATA accord drives FIATA to share what we are doing with everyone.”

Training Is Key Activity

     “For example, our training program for transportation is second to none and perhaps the strongest in the world.
     “The FIATA Institute offering is quite wide and varied.
     We train the trainers and conduct the classes and have moved along with a varied and complete menu of online remote programs as well.
     “Our FIATA Academy offers courses that go all the way up to a Masters Degree that is presented to various universities.”

Why Join FIATA?

     “FIATA is the most important network for freight forwarding in the world.
     “I served as CEO of DHL Global Forwarding. Across the board there are big forwarding companies, but FIATA offers the connectivity, clout, and opportunity for the small and medium forwarder to compete by joining a global network.
     “With FIATA, you gain agents in other countries with first-hand knowledge of how things work with various authorities, like customs in Zimbabwe or specific shipping rules enacted by the government in Myanmar, for example.
     “FIATA brings all of that home.
     “We have the knowledge and the connections, and we share,” Jean-Claude Delen declared.

About Jean-Claude

     Jean-Claude Delen began his career in 1965.
     “I’m a dinosaur,” he smiles.
     “I began just after my military obligations [in Belgium] were completed.
     “My army job was logistics, so I suppose my connections in this business predate my joining it,” JC said.
     “Out of the army, a friend came by and said: ‘By the way, there is an American company called AEI (Air Express International) setting up in Belgium and looking for people. Are you interested?’
     “So I joined AEI and was mentored extensively by the President, Guenter Rohrmann.
     “In fact, for a long time I carried an AEI business card stating that I was one of ‘The President’s Men.’
     “We still, thankfully, have occasional contact today,” JC recalled.
     “I stayed with AEI until the company was taken over by Deutsche Post, becoming Danzas AEI and then DHL, where as mentioned I served and ended my career as CEO for DHL in Benelux and France.
     “I thought I would stay in and focus on FIATA, but got a call from the CEO of Brussels Airport who declared that he was ‘not ready to say goodbye after my serving Brussels Airport for more than a half century.’
     “‘Don’t you want to have some fun anymore?’ he said.
     “‘Fun, yes,’ I replied, so I joined Brussels Airport.
     “Now, I can’t say that 2016—all things considered—was much fun, but it certainly was challenging.”

Some Things Never Change

     “The management team of Brussels Airport is really first rate,” JC shares.
     “Life is the greatest education.
     “When I was at the wheel of DHL and other places on the way up, we would come up with an idea and it would be put into action.
     “Now in the gateway mode, opportunities present themselves that take some months, if accepted, to implement.
     “Somewhere in between both experiences I am also living in the steadily advancing transportation force known as FIATA.
     “Although I am the older guy in the room now, through it all my daily experience feels fresh and challenging.
     “I think with better cooperation and understanding, there are good things ahead.
     “I have more to give and that makes every day all right with me,” Jean-Claude Delen concluded.
Geoffrey