Driving Disruption: Mario Veraldo Of MTM LOGIX On The Innovative Approaches They Are Taking To Disrupt Their Industries

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about disruption, our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share the backstory about what brought you to your career path with us?

I grew up in Brazil, and I love swimming and Boy Scouts. At age 17, I went on an exchange student program to Thailand. The year was 1994, and things were very different than today. There was no internet, and phone calls were incredibly expensive. Can you imagine that a one-minute call between Thailand and Brazil would cost you almost USD 100?

I come from a middle-class family, and after returning to Brazil, I wanted to earn a living immediately. So, at age 18, I joined Maersk in Brazil as an office boy. I was the 7th employee in the office. It was a fantastic time to join the company as it expanded massively, and opportunities abounded. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to be in a company like Maersk and how it enabled me to grow.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

MTM Logix is solving the supply chain problem. Our focus is to integrate entire customer ecosystems through technology. Not many people are trying to do that; most are working on small pieces of logistics, demand planning, and transportation. We were born out of the need our own customers have shown us that the problems they face are interconnected. We are confident we can positively impact the company’s results by providing visibility and reaction on the shipments.

One example is saving one of our customers 14% of their total supply chain cost. We did that by looking at the entire chain and providing them with focused adjustments across the different parts of the processes. This is just the first year we have worked with them.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Resilience: The example is to take the job no one wants to do. There is a lot of talk about pursuing your dreams, but I learned that when starting, you must expose yourself to all the possible aspects of the business. Sometimes, this means you will need to take jobs other people do not want, which gives you the ability to learn and excel.

Pragmatism: Since I started in the Boy Scouts when I was 5, it became clear that you can learn much by doing. On top of retaining more, up to 75% of the knowledge, you also gain respect for being practical about everything you touch and become pragmatic.

Be Industrious: When I joined Maersk, I quickly realized I was surrounded by smarter people who had better education than I did. The only solution for me to be able to excel was to outwork everyone. Nothing beats showing up consistently more than anyone else. And if you are resilient and pragmatic, being industrious will amplify those traits.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.

Most leadership decisions at a high level involve working with people. All the most challenging situations will eventually become people’s challenges. I am a true believer that anyone can reach for the stars if they wish. Now, this does not mean that we are immune to our personalities, skills, and abilities, but if you are resilient, pragmatic, and industrious, you can achieve pretty much anything you want.

The more I grew in my career, the more I learned that it was up to each individual to chart their course, but our job as leaders is to ensure they have all the tools and learning opportunities to reach their potential.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. In the context of a business, what exactly is “Disruption”?

As originally coined by Professor Clayton Christensen, this term describes innovations that create a new market and value network, eventually disrupting an existing market and displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances. The key aspect of disruption is not just about technology or innovation alone but how it fundamentally changes consumer behavior, market dynamics, and business models. Disruptive businesses typically start by targeting underserved or overlooked segments, offering more straightforward, convenient, or affordable products, and then gradually moving upmarket to challenge more prominent competitors.

How do you perceive the role of ‘disruption’ within your industry, and how have you personally embraced it? Is it a necessity, a strategy, or something else entirely?

Supply Chain and Logistics have been operating in an archaic way for centuries. After almost 30 years in the industry, it is clear that the disruption will come from inside. Why? Disrupting such an interconnected industry requires expert-level knowledge to create the technology to generate the disruption.

It is a matter of using the knowledge I acquired over the last 30 years and creating a world where more efficient supply chains are available. Those integrated ecosystems are powering massive efficiency gains. If we can save 20% of the waste in global supply chains, saving time, money, and CO2 emissions, we will have a better world for our children and grandchildren in the future.

What lessons have you learned from challenging conventional wisdom, and how have those lessons shaped your leadership style?

Challenging conventional wisdom involves significant experimentation and dealing with failure. If you accept that you need to explore things to find what works, you need to learn how to iterate fast and replicate successes to scale. As a leader, you must bring people on board who are willing to win but can iterate and learn fast. Being resilient, pragmatic, and industrious are essential for oneself and the teams you build.

Disruptive ideas often meet resistance. Could you describe a time when you faced significant pushback for a disruptive idea? How did you navigate the opposition, and what advice would you give to others in a similar situation?

Resistance is rooted in fear. Most people in organizations will not change for fear of an uncertain future. In my professional life, I learned the best way is to iterate with the people in the processes. If they are knowledgeable about their areas, the fear eventually dissipates, and they become supporters of the disruption they are fighting.

Another more problematic issue is when resistance does not come from someone knowledgeable. The ignorance associated with fear becomes a powerful barrier, and these individuals must usually be removed so the necessary changes can occur. It is painful, but in the end, that is a necessary evolutionary step, especially in a disruptive company.