Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Fund
During the Web Summit event in Lisbon, Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Fund, sat down for an interview with Thorold Barket. The Editor of EMEA of The Wall Street Journal. The conversation centered around the theme “The King of Capital,” where Schwarzman shared insights on the Investment Opportunity at UPS.
Blackstone Fund recently made headlines with its acquisition of GLP. A Singapore-based logistics company with warehouses in urban areas of the United States. This transaction is valued at $18.7 billion and is considered the world’s largest private real estate deal. Schwarzman emphasized that logistics presents a compelling Investment Opportunity at UPS driven by the growing demand for e-commerce. With this acquisition, Blackstone now boasts a portfolio of over 16.6 million square meters of industrial property in the USA, doubling its previous holdings since 2010.
Valuable Career Tips for UPSERS
As the founder and leader of Blackstone. It has assets exceeding $500 billion, Schwarzman was introduced on stage as the “King of Capital.” However, he also acknowledged the challenges facing the American economy, particularly the income disparity and the significant portion of the population with insufficient savings. Schwarzman suggested raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour as a potential solution, which could positively impact around 35% of Americans.
Education
Education was another critical topic highlighted by Schwarzman. He stressed the need for education system reforms. He proposed tax exemptions for teachers to attract more professionals and improve education.
Schwarzman also shared his perspective on the essential qualities of entrepreneurs. He stressed the significance of having an original business idea, displaying an entrepreneurial mindset, building a solid team, fostering a positive company culture, and recognizing the potential of investing in technology companies.
In parallel to the Web Summit event, Correios, the Brazilian postal service, presented new logistics solutions for e-commerce. Correios introduced Correios Log Supri, a dedicated logistics chain service for companies and public agencies, aiming to optimize the management of supplies from collection to distribution. The service offers potential cost reductions and improved efficiency.
Correios also unveiled Correios Packet, an import solution designed to enhance the customer experience when shopping abroad. Through direct partnerships with foreign marketplaces, Correios aims to streamline the delivery process by receiving orders with complete information and reducing delivery times.
Additionally, Correios showcased their ongoing efforts to modernize deliveries. They presented a model of an electric bicycle with a trunk designed to reduce carbon emissions in line with the company’s environmental responsibility. The postal service is also exploring RFID technology, in collaboration with CEITEC, to enhance package tracking and optimize the handling of postal loads.
Overall, the discussions and presentations at the Web Summit and Correios demonstrate the growing importance of logistics in the Investment Opportunity at UPS. The continuous efforts to improve the efficiency and environmentally-conscious nature of delivery services in the era of e-commerce.