Purpose and strategy
Our purpose ‘We move for all to grow’
Movement is a natural part of who we are. From the first four companies that came together to found DFDS, to our activities today of travel and transport – we are all about moving. Moving people, moving goods, but also moving mindsets and new, important agendas.
We value diversity and inclusion and work every day to continuously create a space where everyone can realise their true potential - safely and confidently. We move with our customers and with our colleagues. We move forward; we move as one. We move for all to grow.
Our ambition
In a world facing complexity, instability and the scarcity of resources, the need to find sustainable ways to operate our business is pivotal to our continued success. We have established ourselves as a trusted transport and logistics provider characterised by great people – who make our network come alive.
Our ambition is to become a greener and more digital business, for the sake of the planet, our customers and the communities we are a part of. We care for, support and develop our colleagues to reach their potential. When we stand together, we are thousands of colleagues with the passion, skills and commitment to succeed and continue to grow sustainably.
Our strategy: Moving Together Towards 2030
In the past years, we have grown and expanded not only our geographic network but also our range of services. The expanded network and capability upgrades have enhanced our customer relevance and ability to engage in more extensive customer partnerships.
With our Moving Together Towards 2030 strategy we will unlock the value of our strong network through organic growth by pursuing five strategic pillars.
"The world is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, but our strategy is clear. Building on our rich history, we aim to unlock greater value from our expanded ferry and logistics network through organic growth. As we journey towards 2030, we'll focus on increasing profitability, fostering simplicity, embracing digital, prioritising sustainability, and continuing to build DFDS as a great place to work. We know that we can make an impact in the communities and markets we serve, and with the role we play in the world. Together, we will move towards a more sustainable future."
— Torben Carlsen, President and CEO
Protect and grow profits
We have grown in both size and revenue, and we will now unlock the value of our expanded network and drive scale benefits. We will accelerate organic growth by leveraging our comprehensive product range and bundling of products to meet customer demand. We have expanded geographically and are present in more than 20 markets, and we will benefit from new growth markets while we continue to develop our strongholds across Europe.
In sum we will do this, by:
- Driving organic growth with broader geographic and product reach
- Enhancing a competitive cost base
- Benefiting from high-growth markets
- Continuing to develop strongholds
Standardise to simplify
In recent year, we have grown and expanded our network, and with growth also comes complexity. We will streamline and simplify the way we work and operate and continue to grow our business in a profitable way. With standard processes we will have better data transparency across our network which is a prerequisite for digitalisation – this will help us improve our workflows, scale benefits and become more efficient.
In sum we will do this, by:
- Standardising our operating procedures to enable data-driven decisions and automation
- Reducing complexity to secure efficiency and enable future growth
- Ensuring local commercial autonomy supported by globally aligned products and back-end services
Digitise to transform
We will accelerate our digitalisation to meet customer demands through digital self-service and providing more transparency on our sea and land transport. We will optimise our work processes through optimisation, enhanced planning and prediction capabilities while also adopting faster to new technologies.
In sum we will do this, by:
- Transforming the way we connect with our customers
- Reshaping the way we operate
- Deploying a future proof technology platform
Moving to green
We will achieve our short-term climate plan targets through route optimisation, technical upgrades on our vessels, improving terminals’ and warehouses' energy efficiency and implementing zero-emission solutions for road transport. We will also begin preparing our green ferry newbuilding program and continue to develop partnerships to increase supply of green fuels.
In sum we will do this, by:
- Prioritising decarbonisation initiatives according to long term impact
- Implementing agreed initiatives to reach 2030 targets
- Continuing rollout of e-trucks; launch green vessels
- Developing Green commercial products
Great place to work
We want to develop DFDS as an even greater place to work in the future. Our employees must feel secure and protected from work-related injuries and we also want to have a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and perform and where leaders support our people to reach their full potential.
We will do this, by:
- Being a safe place to work
- Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion
- Ensuring engaging leadership
We move for all to grow
We move freight and passengers reliably and efficiently
We care about the safety of our passengers and employees, and about minimising our environmental footprint
