David Abney
11 articles

Growing Global: Lessons Lived and Learned

Companies of all sizes could benefit from riding the e-commerce wave in China.
David Abney | UPS

Fifty years ago, U.S. total trade equaled $50 billion. Today we import and export more than $4 trillion annually in goods and services. A growing percentage of those U.S. exports are bound for China, as the number of Chinese middle-class consumers, along with their interest in U.S. products, continues to grow. In fact, U.S. exports […]

Preserving the Promise of Equal Opportunity

We must all rise above harsh rhetoric and make sure the American Dream is within the reach of every American.
David Abney | UPS

UPS Chairman and CEO David Abney spoke on Nov. 17 in New York at the 60th anniversary of the National Urban League’s Equal Opportunity Dinner, which honored businesses and individuals who champion principles of equal opportunity, civil rights and social justice.    Good evening, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with you. I’m honored to […]

Reason, Reality and the Future of Trade

Candidates’ opposition for trade agreements overlooks their wide-ranging benefits
David Abney | UPS

The following is based on a speech given by UPS Chief Executive Officer David Abney at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s Global Impact Awards event on April 20, 2016. Trade isn’t getting much love these days. Maybe you’ve noticed. I read the other day that trade bashing has replaced kissing babies as the most […]

Playing to Our Strengths

Working together, we can accomplish what none of us can achieve alone.
David Abney | UPS

Adapted from a speech given by UPS Chief Executive Officer David Abney on October 20, 2015 in Houston at the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service. At UPS, we have a pretty good view of the world. We see it from ground level, where our people work hand in hand with businesses and […]

“Time for Business to Step Up”

World-changing forces threatening our people and our planet demand a strong and urgent response. The job is one uniquely suited to business.
David Abney | UPS

As valuable as different perspectives are in any meaningful discussion, there has never been a greater need to see the world through a common lens. That’s because we have never been subject to more world-changing forces coming at us from more directions and at greater speed. Everything from connecting technology to diminishing resources, from diverging […]

Real Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Fly into Trouble

In every crisis there’s an opportunity – and it’s often the very leaders who throw themselves into a sticky situation who emerge with a new way forward for the company.
David Abney | UPS

You see it all the time in sports: An underachieving team gets hot and goes on a winning streak, leaving its long-suffering fans to believe this could be the season it finally wins a championship. Attendance soars, as even the most casual fans suddenly want to share in the experience. But just as soon as […]

State of Logistics

Why global e-commerce could be the next frontier of shipping.
David Abney | UPS

My first job at UPS in 1974 was sorting packages part-time at a small facility in Greenwood, Mississippi. In those days, my goal was simply to make enough money to help pay for college and to have a little left over to take my girlfriend on dates. If I ever thought about the future of […]

Ending Poverty Through Trade

How free trade can bring prosperity to people across the world.
David Abney | UPS

The playwright George Bernard Shaw once wrote that poverty is “the greatest of evils and the worst of crimes.” While Shaw penned those poignant words more than a century ago, the reality is that too many people still lead lives filled with hunger and hardship. Most unjust is the number of children who grow up […]

Global Demand Needs Global Supply

Making the case for freer trade.
David Abney | UPS

Six years ago, Lara and Joe Francisco achieved what amounted to a medical breakthrough for the men and women who work in healthcare: the California couple developed a line of hospital scrubs and lab coats that not only resist bodily fluids and stop bacteria from reproducing – but also are far more stylish than traditional […]

Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure

We're not living in 1950, so we need to stop planning our infrastructure like we are.
David Abney | UPS

Unless we start to invest in transportation infrastructure, there will come a time when huge snarls of traffic choke our nation’s economy. Years of political infighting and not investing holistically will constrict America’s growth potential. And worse, while our transportation system deteriorates and freight delays increase, the rest of the world will have kept investing, […]

The Consumer-led Revolution

How social and mobile media are shaking up retail.
David Abney | UPS

It’s interesting how phrases from the pioneering days of the retail industry have stayed with us. Well over a century ago, Marshall Field said: “Right or wrong, the customer is always right.” R.H. Macy added: “Be everywhere. Do everything. And never fail to astonish the customer.” Neither could we have known how literally those statements […]