Renata Pinedo: Chief Cheerleader

Renata Pinedo, Körber site: London, United Kingdom

I joined Körber three and a half years ago because I wanted more than a role. 
I wanted to create something. To build. To have a real stake. 

At the beginning, it was just me and a field service colleague in the UK working for Automation in our Business Area Supply Chain. 

The mission sounded: win a project. 

Reality was different. 

Six months in, the strategy shifted. 
New head office. New leadership. New setup. 
From Denmark to Portugal – and me in the UK, starting again. 

So I adapted.

I learned how our teams in Denmark worked. 
Then how our teams in Portugal worked. 
And I tried to take the best of both and make it work for the UK.

Slowly, we started to build. 
First, an additional Field Service tech.  
Then a Sales Manager. 
And last October, after a very long road, we secured our first project. 

What never changed was the support. 

As soon as a project or a customer site required additional support, it was there. 
Engineering hubs worked together to review our offers. 
Experts flew in to fix or advise on issues on existing sites. 

I stood in front of the customer — but I was never alone. 

Since March last year, my role has changed again. 
I was asked to become Managing Director for our new Business Unit Parcel & Automation in the UK. 

Overnight, my responsibility grew from leading three people to heading an organization of around 35.  

It was a big step. 
And a big opportunity. 

What I’m most grateful for is that people believed in me. 
Not because I had done it before — but because they trusted my attitude. 

 “Go for it. If you need anything, call. But this is your business.” 

Now, almost a year later, we’re more settled. 
We’re moving offices. 
We’re hiring. 
We’re executing new projects.

We hadn’t done this in a long time. 
Experience is uneven. 
Some challenges are new for everyone. 

That’s where my role comes in. 

Right now, I see myself as the Chief Cheerleader.

The one reminding the team that we can do this. 
That not having all the answers yet is normal. 
That learning by doing is not a weakness — it’s how we grow. 

I truly believe that if you want people to be committed, you have to be committed yourself. 
If you want people to believe in a project, you have to believe first. 
If you want them to take responsibility, you have to support them, train them, and stand with them. 

I don’t fear failure itself. 
What matters more is whether people believe in the journey. 
Whether they step on the boat with me.  

Change isn’t easy. 
It can be unsettling. 
That’s why creating trust, openness, and a culture where mistakes are flagged early matters.  

For me, this reflects the Körber mindset. 
We are entrepreneurs. 
We build as we go. 
Processes don’t always exist at the start — sometimes that’s the opportunity. 

Körber is a global technology company where you’re still allowed to shape things. 
To put your stamp on them. 
To create — not just execute.