Turning Technology into a Maritime Growth Engine

Jürgen Dahl-Skog, Chief Information Officer at Empresas Taylor, leads technology with a clear conviction: digital strategy must be firmly aligned with business strategy and operations to generate measurable impact. His leadership is defined by operational discipline, continuity, teamwork, and a long-term vision shaped by decades of experience.

In 2010, he joined Empresas Taylor as Head of Technological Innovation, Processes, and Systems. His first priority was to fundamentally change how IT was perceived within the organization. Long viewed as a support function, IT needed to evolve into a strategic driver of digitalization, modernization, operational efficiency, and new business opportunities.

To achieve this, Dahl-Skog initiated a cloud-first strategy, migrating the company toward world-class cloud-based solutions using Software-as-a-Service and Application-as-a-Service models. Key platforms implemented included DRP SAP (SAP in the cloud), Appian BPMS, Salesforce CRM, and Tableau for BI. Together, these tools enabled significant gains in process automation and unlocked new business capabilities.

A defining shift in governance followed. Dahl-Skog joined the Senior Management Team at headquarters, participating in weekly strategic meetings with the CEO, CFO, CCO, and other leaders. This ensured tight alignment between company and group objectives, keeping all areas moving decisively in the same direction. His core responsibility? Aligning technology with strategic and operational realities while delivering high-impact solutions.

Changing Mindsets, Not Just Systems

One of the most persistent challenges has been cultural transformation. As Dahl-Skog notes, people are often “allergic” to change and resistant to new ways of working. Addressing this is essential for successful digitalization.

 ​Digital transformation succeeds when every initiative is clearly linked to business strategy, operational improvement, customer value, and risk reduction. Not technology for technology’s sake. 

He consistently advocates adopting modern, web-based solutions—ranging from foundational tools such as email and collaboration platforms to advanced capabilities such as business process management system, robotic process automation, business intelligence and artificial intelligence —each of which plays a critical role. A notable shift in mindset under his leadership is the move away from static, application-bound reports. Instead, stakeholders are given access to Tableau dashboards, enabling self-navigation through data and more informed decision-making.

For Dahl-Skog, leading digital transformation is about people. He emphasizes helping employees embrace change by focusing on benefits rather than obstacles, showing how new systems can improve their professional lives and long-term career prospects.

“Digital transformation succeeds when every initiative is clearly linked to business strategy, operational improvement, customer value, and risk reduction. Not technology for technology’s sake,” he says.

From Internal Innovation to Global Recognition

Beyond improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, one of Dahl-Skog’s most notable achievements was at Smartflux, a new company within the group. This included the development of the first fully automated system for releasing import and export containerized cargo.

Currently operating in Chile and Peru, Smartflux continues to expand its regional and international footprint. Its advanced electronic platform for container delivery orders was recognized among the top three technological developments worldwide in the Port & Terminal Digital Technology category at the Seatrade Awards 2021. More recently, Smartflux became the first Latin American company to join the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), underscoring its strong alignment with global standards for digitalization, interoperability, and data security

Through his leadership and the collective efforts of his team, Jürgen Dahl-Skog has firmly embedded technology as a core enabler of transformation at Empresas Taylor. His work reflects a disciplined, business-driven approach to digitalization, one that continues to support the evolution of maritime logistics in Latin America with clarity and long-term focus.