EES Shipping managing director Brian Hack speaks candidly about working in a family business and 40 years in the game of freight forwarding
I started part-time in my parents’ freight forwarding business in 1998 after leaving school while studying IT at university. I had already been helping out in different ways throughout my teenage years, so the industry felt familiar from an early age.
Like many people who entered the industry back then, I started at the very bottom as a document runner, walking around Fremantle lodging paperwork with shipping lines, Customs, transport companies and other suppliers.
From there, I moved into accounts, then into Customs operations, exports, transport and eventually management. Working across so many areas of the business gave me a deep understanding of the industry and helped shape how I lead the company today.
What I enjoy most is the people I work with. We genuinely have a great team, so coming to work never feels like a chore. I especially love the networking side of my role and being involved in industry groups, where I can help be a face and a voice for our industry.
Working with Glenn and Shaun is incredibly rewarding. We each drive the business from different pillars – I’m operational and IT focused, Glenn loves the marketing, research and legal side, and Shaun leads our sales and accounts teams.
Working with your brothers can definitely come with challenges, but we’re honest with each other, we push one another, and we all strive to be the best versions of ourselves for the business.
We’ve always wanted to leave the industry better than it was when we first started in it.
We are part of a fantastic global network called EGLN, which we meet with annually at an international conference. Through this network, we promote what Australian businesses can achieve globally and help our clients access trade lanes they never thought were possible.
We’ve just celebrated our 40th anniversary this month, which is a massive achievement for us. We’re always looking to expand into new markets and form strong local partnerships.
With my IT background, we also focus heavily on staying at the forefront of new technologies. We continue to invest time and resources into innovation because there are some major changes coming in this space, and we want to be part of that evolution.
My parents spent a lot of time travelling the world when we were kids to ensure our global network was strong, and many times we travelled with them. That has continued into my adult working life.
I feel very fortunate to have visited over 40 countries across five continents. I was in Yantian [Shenzhen] more than 20 years ago while the port was still being built, and the scale of it was absolutely mind-blowing. I’ve also made lifelong friends around the world who I stay in contact with regularly.
We’ve had some very interesting experiences – some we can’t even talk about. We’ve imported entire planes, exported a helicopter, brought in carnival rides, intercepted contraband, and helped shape parts of the industry along the way.
One personal surprise for me was becoming involved in media. Being on camera, on radio and in print was never something I imagined myself doing, but it happened naturally through wanting to keep clients informed and contribute positively to the industry.
I love watching sport – footy, football, basketball and cricket. Getting out with mates and cheering the lads on is always a highlight.
I also really enjoy spending time with my kids. They’ve grown up so quickly, and that time is incredibly precious.
Treat the company’s money and your clients’ shipments as if they were your own. If you do that, you truly understand what they mean to people.
This article appeared in the February | March 2026 edition of DCN Magazine