Jun 25, 2025
What does a company look like through the eyes of a CEO when he disguises himself as a regular courier? Miloš Malaník, CEO of DPD, describes what the role of "Secret Boss" taught him about operations and people, why employees need to experience a day in the depot, and how they built a company culture from the ground up that works. He believes that success does not start in spreadsheets, but in how the company thinks about respect, collaboration, and customer experience.
Watch the interview on YouTube:
In the company's leadership, everyone thinks they know the operation. But once they go through an entire shift in the sorting facility or delivery route themselves, their perspective on reality changes. This is exactly what happened to Miloš Malaník, CEO of DPD, when he immersed himself in the operations of his company as "Secret Boss" for several days. He returned not only with experiences but also with concrete changes – such as a new delivery policy for safe places that arose from the real demand of customers and couriers.
"Since then, I make sure that even people from the offices go into operations. It is not enough to know things from behind a desk," he says. Company culture is the key to his success, and it should not just be about values on the wall. At DPD, they built it from the bottom up – through workshops with employees, from which five key values emerged: teamwork, quality, flexibility, respect, and enthusiasm.
To ensure that the values are not just words, they are reflected in real situations – for example, in annual employee evaluations or in resolving conflicts. DPD's management also upholds a simple rule: "What we tolerate becomes the standard." And that is why they openly address even instances of disrespect, even if it’s just about the tone of an email.
With the vision of "becoming the most admired parcel carrier," DPD focused not only on customers but also on employees, partners, and even its foreign headquarters. Everything is measured – from employee satisfaction to customer NPS and surveys among external carriers.
How to convince subcontractors of the importance of customer experience? DPD created an interactive video that put couriers in front of specific decisions from their everyday practice – wait a little longer at the door or leave? Leave the package with a neighbor or go back again? The video was so successful that the company implemented it in other countries in its region.
And what about the integration of the competing company Geis Parcel during the pandemic? Although it was completely online, DPD managed it without external consultants. "We received the Company of the Year award from our parent company. They said they didn’t even notice that any acquisition had taken place. And I consider that the greatest success."
What else will you find answers to in the podcast?
What does "comfort" in company culture mean according to Miloš Malaník?
How exactly did the merging of companies take place during the pandemic lockdowns?
How does DPD set KPIs for "admiration" from employees, clients, and the parent company?
Why must even the invoicing clerk understand her role in the customer experience?
And what should companies do if they want people to truly believe in their values?