Welcome to this edition of The Exchange. I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with Dave Bozeman, president and CEO of C.H. Robinson, for a follow-up conversation one year after our last discussion. In that time, the world and the pace of change have only accelerated. Few leaders are navigating this transformation with as much clarity and energy as Dave.
Since stepping into the CEO role, Dave has led a bold evolution of one of the world’s largest logistics companies. With 83,000 customers, 37 million shipments annually, and a global presence, C.H. Robinson is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible by combining AI with operational discipline to deliver at scale.
Our conversation covered a range of topics: from what Dave calls “lean AI” to how operating models must shift to keep up with today’s velocity, to the role of leadership in building a culture of trust, speed, and discovery.
What’s changed at C.H. Robinson in the past year?
In the world that we’re in, speed and velocity are super critical. A year is a long time for us. Last time we talked, we were just entering the early stages of AI. Now, AI is integrated into our most critical workflows, from pricing to execution to exception management.
We’ve compressed tasks that used to take hours or days into seconds. That’s fundamentally changed how fast we can respond to customers. It’s not just a hobby; it has to go to the bottom line. That’s why the operating model is so important. A year ago, we talked about 15 percent productivity gains. Now, we’ve posted 40 percent-plus gains since the end of 2022.
We’ve automated more than three million shipping tasks, built 30-plus AI agents, saved 600 hours per day through our order agent alone, and automated appointments at 43,000 locations. And we’ve achieved eight quarters of market outperformance, even during a freight recession.
What does ‘lean AI’ mean at C.H. Robinson?
It’s our competitive moat. I’ve practiced lean for over three decades, and what makes our AI journey unique is combining lean with AI. We’re not chasing technology for technology’s sake. Every initiative starts with a real customer or employee pain point.
We use Gemba, observe error states, and drive improvement. Every person, every day, is focused on improvement. That puts purpose behind our AI journey.
At the end of the day, we’re a people industry; technology doesn’t take away from that. It supports our people so they can solve complex problems.
How do you define your operating model, and how has it evolved?
We needed a pulse, a rhythm, a discipline, shifting from output-based to input-based. In the past, the industry would wait months to evaluate outcomes. Now, we use real-time KPIs.
If a KPI is off, we don’t prosecute the person; we ask, Why are we red? That’s an opportunity for discovery. The operating model brings speed, execution, and input-based thinking. That’s what drives distance and sustainability.
Can you give an example of how metrics are structured?
We have an enterprise-wide scorecard that cascades into business-level metrics. Some are tracked hourly, daily, or weekly, and they roll up into enterprise KPIs measured biweekly or monthly. It could be win percentages or truckload percentages.
But the key isn’t the metric; it’s the up-front work of selecting KPIs that define your right to win. If they’re wrong, we change them quickly. It’s about execution against the right metrics, not just measuring activity.
What has been the hardest cultural shift?
It starts with authenticity. Culture shifts when trust is built, and that starts with me. I spent time at the desk with employees, observing how work is done. That’s how we make high-judgment decisions.
We were problem admirers. Now, we solve problems fast. I had to lead by example. And we made sure people could show up as their best selves, creatively and authentically, without fear. That’s when you unlock real problem-solving.
What does AI mean for people and leadership at C.H. Robinson?
We start with this: Humans propel at-scale problem-solving. The tech supercharges them. We don’t have a KPI for head count. That’s not how we think.
Take the order-to-cash process; we used AI to make it frictionless. That freed people up to solve problems with customers. Before, a quote could take 15 to 30 minutes. Now, AI does it in 32 seconds, 24/7, with more detail than ever. That same person can now talk to customers and help them directly.
Looking ahead, what’s next for the organization?
The pain point in this industry is visibility and problem-solving. When you deliver frictionless, intelligent, easy-to-use solutions, customers no longer need to run logistics internally.
With partners like Robinson, they gain visibility into their supply chains and can make smarter decisions. It’s about intelligent problem-solving at scale, and doing it faster, better, and more personally.
What excites you most about AI in 2026?
The speed of change is incredible. In the next 12 months, we’ll build something that doesn’t exist today.
We’ve gone from machine learning to generative AI to now agentic AI. That’s the future. Agentic AI can access off-system data and apply reasoning. It brings context and solutions. This opens doors that weren’t even visible six months ago.
That’s why I say the next two years will be more exciting than the last two, and the last two have been pretty damn exciting.
Final thoughts
Dave Bozeman’s leadership continues to offer a master class in transformation, anchored in discipline, driven by purpose, and unapologetically bold.
His approach to lean AI isn’t just a framework; it’s a mindset, one that fuses technology with problem-solving, frontline insight, and operational rigor. At C.H. Robinson, this has translated into real results: a 40 percent productivity gain, 30-plus AI agents deployed, and a culture where people are energized to solve problems at speed.
But what stands out most isn’t just the technology, it’s the humanity. Dave’s deep belief in people, his commitment to authenticity, and his ability to turn complexity into clarity are what power this transformation.
As leaders everywhere navigate the accelerating pace of change, Dave reminds us: This isn’t about chasing the future. It’s about building it deliberately, inclusively, and with the full creative force of our teams.
My thanks to Dave for returning to The Exchange and generously sharing the journey behind the headlines.
David (Dave) Bozeman is president and CEO of C.H. Robinson and a member of its board of directors. With over 30 years of leadership experience spanning supply chains, middle-mile transportation, manufacturing, digital operations, and customer service, Dave has held executive roles at Amazon, Caterpillar, Ford, and Harley-Davidson.
Dave holds an MS in Engineering Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a BS in Manufacturing Design from Bradley University. He serves on the board of directors for 3M, The Brookings Institution, and The Conservation Fund. He is also a member of The Executive Leadership Council, dedicated to advancing Black executives in business and community leadership.
Asutosh Padhi, senior partner and global leader of firm strategy, is responsible for driving the strategic vision, accelerating the firm’s pace of innovation, and strengthening the partnership model for the next century. He was previously the North America managing partner, leading the firm across the United States and Canada, and was a member of the Shareholders Council, the firm’s equivalent of a board of directors.
He is also a coauthor of The Titanium Economy, a book that explores the industrial tech sector and the bright future that it can help create.
Comments and opinions expressed by interviewees are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement.
This interview was recorded on January 14, 2026.
This piece was originally posted on LinkedIn.com on February 19, 2026, as part of Asutosh Padhi’s interview series, The Exchange.