Daniel Cohen: A Dynamic Business Leader, Streamlining Cross-border Logistics With Innovative Solutions At Exelot

Leading by example and paving a path to outshine in the Cross-Border Logistics, Daniel Cohen -CEO, Exelot. As a former VP at Israel Post, and a VP of business development and marketing for high technology Israeli companies with vast experience of implementing projects internationally, Daniel Cohen dominates as an industry leader and as a man heading a global multinational corporation uniquely to make international logistics smoother and affordable. His ultimate goal is to eliminate the challenges of traditional logistics solutions to increase customer satisfaction and give sellers a more affordable way to handle shipping in cross-border markets and grow sales.
Exelot is an eCommerce logistics provider with innovative technological solutions to support online sales. The advanced digital solution from Exelot is a complete package for handling e-commerce B2B2C shipments. All steps of the international logistics chain are covered, including support for shipping via land, air, and sea and returns service.
While talking about his inspiration behind the initiation in logistics, Daniel shared, “I realized the tremendous need to ship faster and more accurately e-commerce goods, especially in the B2B2C market, and the need to combine new logistics technology with the past traditional ways.”
Exelot, Going Beyond Logistics
Established in 2016, Exelot gathers logistical data on shipped items, delivery specifications, and multiple private logistics providers from countries all along the supply chain, including pickup companies, air, ocean, and ground shippers, agents brokers, cargo terminals, and distribution companies.
The Exelot platform was built from the ground up to be cloud-based. It uses Amazon’s AWS cloud architecture and microservices technology, based on Izack Varsanno’s (our amazing CTO) significant experience in designing such systems since the early 2000s.
The Exelot platform also facilitates the automatic collection of foreign VAT, which has become a hot topic in the e-commerce world in the wake of Brexit and the new European trade rules set to take effect in 2021. Due to the system’s robust performance and ability to compare, optimize and outperform the average speed and quality of the private vendors – forwarders, air cargo terminals, customs brokers, and delivery entities (typically arriving within two to eight days, depending on the country of origin), it can track and trace delivery routes as effectively as leading couriers, and logistics shippers and e-commerce outlets are more likely to use the Exelot system for deliveries.
During these times, with our platform, distribution routes become visible and efficiently controlled in previously unseen ways. Exelot managed to ship e-commerce goods in multiple ways from multiple origins while optimizing their shipping, customs clearance process, distribution methods to end customers, even though the air transportation industry was virtually shut down, airlines and planes were grounded, and traditional logistics companies were struggling to ship goods.
Resolving The Logistics Headache Of Clients
The Exelot team serves various segments directly or indirectly through other integrators: Giant marketplaces such as Alibaba, Amazon, eBay; small-mid marketplaces such as Banggood, Shiptanbul and others, leading online shops such as iHerb from the USA or Shein from China, ecommerce platforms for brands, such as the successful one Global-e, and many logistics integrators.
By providing an uncompromising solution, very accurate data, high visibility, and control on each master airway bill or every package, along with the alternative to control the goods also when they are stores in a fulfillment warehouse, and with their return service, Exelot resolves the logistics headache for the customers and enable them to focus on growing sales in international markets.
The Journey
Daniel with his team has started from low volume and few customers, in order to minimize their mistakes while developing the Exelot platform. They were very strict in supervising each and every package in terms of speed and quality of service and paid much attention to buyers’ high satisfaction. He is quite confident that this combination together with the best technology to manage the data and workflows led them to achieve growing volume and to reach this success with Exelot’s customers.
Creating A More Balanced And Equal Industry
Daniel thinks that the future will take the industry to specializations. There will be more categories in the final mile, including diversification between home or work delivery, pick up shops, and automatic lockers, and later in the near future also drone services and the first services by autonomous vehicles. He also thinks that vendors who will be able to present the contribution to the environment – such as fewer carton or plastic packages, less fuel, and more environmental solutions in the final mile will gain an advantage.
What’s Next?
“We generally plan to implement our solution on the growing number of destinations. We’ve already begun to do so in the USA, UK, Turkey, and are completing our new lines in North Europe. Next year will take us also to India where we have already begun to build our network, and probably also to other countries in Southeast Asia”, shared Daniel when asked about his future plans.
“2022 will be a great year for the implementation of the new modules of our platform, especially for optimization along with advanced capabilities for our customers to compare online remotely between the various shipping methods”, he further added.
Daniel’s Daily Routine & Hobbies
Generally, Daniel’s day begins at 5:30-6, and he goes to sleep between 11:30 pm to 00:30. His daily schedule is split between internal management meetings, meetings outside or zoom meetings, and time for emails. Daniel keeps every week at least 2.5 hours for planning ahead.
He leaves his driving time for phone calls, especially for those which are not urgent or very important.
He loves spinning (Cycling), jogging in the forest near his home place, and finding quiet time during the weekend for 1 -1.5-hour walking with his wife on the beach or in the forest.
Favourite Book
I always go back to one of the very elementary and known books for business and management of Stephen R. Covey: “The 7 Habits of highly effective people” and I find some pronciples or habits that I can still improve in my life or in doing business generally. I like the fact that it involves also paths with fairness, integrity and dignity and I try to bring these fundamentals and methods also to my team managers.
Awards And Milestones
With its current technological capabilities, Exelot has become the best end-to-end B2B2C e-commerce logistics platform in Israel and is probably also one among the top 5-10 all over.
From The Daniel’s Desk
I’m excited each and every day about the way we’ve already done it and the path that we are going through to fulfil our vision. It’s great when you see your vision come true, and more strongly when the industry recognizes and appreciates it. I’m also excited when members of my team come up with new ideas to improve our solution in many different aspects, which I haven’t imagined in our start (start??)
A Piece Of Advice For Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs
You can do that no less than men do! Just be courageous and follow your dream or vision. Daniel believes that in different aspects women can lead and manage the same or better than men. He refers to the recent case of Angela Merkel as a German and European leader. So, if you present well your ideas and plans, investors and partners will appreciate it and will join your way or enterprise.