Road Network Academy - the path to a career in international logistics

In the world of international logistics, where competence development determines competitive advantage, Raben Group is focused on investing in people. The first edition of the Road Network Academy is not just a series of training courses - it is a strategic step in building a team of experts ready for the challenges of the global market. Participants in the programme have gained practical knowledge, experience and skills that are already strengthening the operational foundations of the company and will enable them to co-create a new quality of logistics in an international environment in the future.

At Raben, we have always believed that growth drives success. We create an environment where curiosity, commitment and the courage to seek new solutions go hand in hand with knowledge and experience. In November 2025, we completed the first edition of the Road Network Academy, an internal development programme created for people who want to expand their knowledge of logistics and transport, gain operational competences and gain the opportunity to work in the international environment of Raben Group. 

Who is the Academy for?

Raben Group has more than 12,000 employees in 17 countries and the Academy was a natural step towards building a strong international competence base. The programme is designed to support the development of individuals who are ready to implement group standards, participate in international projects and work with teams from different cultures and operational backgrounds. This is particularly important in the context of the company's dynamic growth - building a permanent competence base has a real impact on the ability to make flexible operational decisions and ensures a high level of substantive support for Raben Group's depots in individual countries.

Seventeen people took part in the programme and successfully passed the recruitment and competence verification stage, out of more than 60 employee applications. Participants in the academy included those with the operational knowledge to develop competence at the advanced level, building on the expertise already acquired within the company structures. 

New dimension of development - benefits for the organisation

The first edition of the Academy produced tangible results for the company. The programme created a strong foundation for building a strong international operations team, which in the future will support Raben Group companies during, among other things, the implementation of new improvements, process optimisation and knowledge transfers.

The programme systematised the approach to developing internal competencies - enabling the identification of talent that will play a key role in implementing group solutions and increasing operational efficiency across the organisation in the coming years. Importantly, the training was led by top executives, which further emphasised the exclusive nature of the programme and allowed participants to learn directly from those responsible for strategic business decisions.

Anna Olszanska, Group Road Network Operations Manager, said: “The importance of the Academy to the Group is immense. We have trained experts who - after an intensive training cycle - have gained practical competence and skills in operational data analysis, process optimisation and understanding the specifics of logistics processes. Shifting the perspective from a local to a group perspective was one of the most important objectives of the Academy and it has been achieved.”

What did the participants in the first edition gain?

The Road Network Academy proved to be a unique opportunity for employees to develop professionally - not only by gaining knowledge, but above all through practical experience. The participants:

• learned about the key operational processes in national and international transport,

• learned how to monitor and optimise the transport network in the various Raben Group countries,

• took part in implementation simulations that make a real difference to service quality,

• gained the opportunity to work in an international environment at the interface of different operational cultures.

Through numerous meetings and workshops, they built the operational competences that are so important in day-to-day international cooperation. Contact with trainers in top positions at Raben Group allowed them to understand the differences in approach to processes, communication and work organisation - and this knowledge is invaluable in an industry operating in multiple locations simultaneously.

Stronger team - stronger organisation

The completed Academy has created a solid foundation for a team that will be a real support for Raben Group depots in the coming years. Participants gained the necessary competences to lead implementations, support operations and implement group standards taking into account the specifics of each market.

The programme also proved the importance of investing in talent development - especially in the logistics industry, which is constantly changing and requires flexibility and the ability to look at processes from a broad perspective. 

The academy was established in response to the organisation's current competence needs. When designing the concept and recruitment process, the focus was on identifying talent within the company. It was not only their motivation for development that was assessed, but also their soft competences - communication, proactive problem-solving, teamwork and leadership skills - which are key to successfully leading Road Network projects. The programme has been designed to respond to dynamically changing market challenges and organisational needs.

What's next?

Raben Group is growing rapidly and business needs are growing with it. Participants will soon have the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained in practice - first projects and cooperation in an international and intercultural operational environment lie ahead of them.

We expect the assignments to Raben Group countries to give them an even better understanding of the diversity of approaches to processes, work and communication. This will enable them to increase operational efficiency while strengthening consistency and standardisation of processes across the Group.