Stuart Leung had occupied the CFO office at Flexport for only a few months when he realized the supply chain management company’s growing margin pressures stemmed not from a single root cause but from many. From pricing misalignment to invoice errors, Leung had compiled a lengthy list of snags. Along the way, he began empowering the people closest to each issue to drive the necessary improvements. By implementing more than 15 “big rock” initiatives—tracked through monthly reviews—Flexport rapidly identified, tested, and refined solutions. This cross-functional, data-centric effort not only began restoring margins but also created a replicable model of continuous improvement.
That turnaround effort, Leung tells us, echoed lessons he learned earlier in his career. As a young analyst at an investment bank, he quickly discovered how fundamental analysis and modeling could uncover hidden risks. Later, private equity taught him the vital link between operational decisions and financial outcomes—a perspective he solidified while leading finance and supply chain for a small consumer brand. When he encountered Flexport as a paying customer, its tech platform simplified his logistics challenges in such a way that he became a believer in its end-to-end visibility vision.
“Seek to understand every aspect of your business and spend time at the front lines and especially with customers. Only then will you understand how to lead it.” —Stuart Leung, CFO, Flexport
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CFOTL: Tell us about Flexport. Many of our listeners likely know something about it, but what type of company is it, and what are its offerings?
Leung: So Flexport is a platform (that is) simplifying global trade. The easiest way to put it is, imagine everything in your room—your phone, your clothes, maybe even the chair you’re sitting on. Most of that was made halfway across the world and had to get to you somehow, right? Roughly 80% of what we purchase and consume crosses a border at some point. So that’s where Flexport comes in. We’re a company that’s all about making global trade easier, smarter, (and) less of a headache for businesses of any size moving goods around the planet.
How do we do that? Well, Flexport is a logistics platform and a freight forwarder—that’s the industry term for someone that coordinates shipping (stuff) internationally. But shipping goods internationally has traditionally been a ‘black box’ for most companies. It’s generally a relay race involving more than (16 to 20) different steps—across suppliers, truckers, ocean carriers, airlines, customs authorities, banks, etc.—all pushing paper and emails around. You don’t know where things are or when they’ll arrive, and with that many handoffs, a lot can go wrong.
Even now, (13) years since we started, Flexport has built a tech platform that uses software and AI to streamline this entire process. Think of us as a control tower for your supply chain, connecting everyone—from manufacturers and shippers to retailers and fulfillment sites. And now (that) we’ve acquired Shopify Logistics (the legacy Deliverr business), we also provide fulfillment services. So our platform can move goods from the factory floor to your warehouse, then deliver them right to the end consumer’s doorstep. That’s our goal: to make supply chains smarter and easier for companies worldwide.
Flexport | www.flexport.com | San Francisco, CA