Frederick W. “Fred” Smith, a pioneer of FedEx and a key figure in the transformation of global logistics, passed away at the age of 80. He passed away on June 21 at his family home in Memphis.
Smith founded the Federal Express in 1973. When he adopted how much time the post office was spending (sorry, I really couldn’t help myself)! He then came up with some crazy ideas. Overnight delivery service built around hubs and spoke models. Starting with 14 aircraft in 25 cities, it has grown over the years to become one of the most important logistics providers in the world. Today, FedEx operates in over 220 countries and territories, moving over 16 million packages every day.
In a statement, FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam said:
“Fred was a visionary leader, patriot and a philanthropist who built one of the most acclaimed and respected companies in the world. He urged FedEx’s over 500,000 team members to continue to focus on delivering outstanding purple promises for every FedEx experience.”
Smith served as FedEx CEO for nearly 50 years before resigning in 2022. He continued as an executive chairman, leading the company’s long-term strategy and innovation efforts.
The former US Marine officer took two tours in Vietnam and was awarded Silver Star, Bronze Star and Two Purple Hearts. His military discipline and strategic thinking shaped his style of business leadership.
The FedEx concept was famous for coming from a paper I wrote while attending Yale University, and proposed a reliable overnight delivery system for emergency delivery. The idea was hardly enthusiastic at first, but it became the foundation of one of the most successful logistics businesses in history.
FedEx paid tribute to Smith’s leadership not only changed the way packages were moved, but also encouraged growth in e-commerce, just-in-time manufacturing and global trade. He was also known for his advocacy of veteran causes, support for education, and involvement in civic initiatives. Fred Smith’s legacy is woven into the infrastructure of global business evidence that one bold idea can change the world.
