Twelve of the most inspirational female role models in the UK’s transport and logistics industry received prizes at the 2017 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards.
The awards celebrated their 10th anniversary with a glittering ceremony at the London Marriott Hotel. FTA Chief Executive David Wells, who presented the prizes, said: “These awards celebrate the wealth of female talent in a traditionally male-dominated sector. Logistics is one of the UK’s most important industries, employing more than 2.54 million people and ensuring that all aspects of our economy continue to work as efficiently as possible.
“At such a time of great change and economic uncertainty, we need to inspire young people and showcase aspirational role models. The teenagers of today are the transport managers and logistics directors of tomorrow and these awards help us to raise the profile of our sector throughout the country.”
The awards programme was launched to raise awareness of the varied opportunities within transport and logistics, while creating visible role models to inspire and encourage more women to pursue a career in the industry. Judge Michael Dunn from DHL said they promoted “opportunities for talented and successful women in the sector”.
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, commented: “The role models celebrated, ranging from women excelling at the beginning of their career to those well-established in their journey, are a reflection of the many rewarding opportunities within the transport and logistics industry. We are proud to recognise individuals who are transforming the industry through their tenacity, passion for innovation and commitment to mentoring the next generation.”
The winners were recognised as the finest in their field, from individuals making significant improvements to road and rail infrastructure to those renovating intricate warehouse logistics in organisations including Sainsbury’s and KPMG.
As well as 12 category winners, one overall winner was identified as Woman of the Year. This went to Julie McCaffery from Grangemouth Stirlingshire, Change Manager (Scotland) at Asda, who was recognised for contributing to the increasing success of the organisation after she led numerous colleague engagement and continuous improvement projects. These initiatives improved the site’s overall safety, customer service and reduced colleague underperformance costs by 70% over the last 12 months alone.
However, Julie’s tenacity is not limited to the workplace. Since 2010, she has worked on a part-time basis as an Associate Lecturer at the University of West Scotland, delivering the MSc program to Quality Management, Project Management and Logistics and Distribution students. By sharing her personal and professional experiences, Julie uses this platform to encourage and inspire students, particularly female students, to venture into the industry.
The category winners for the 2017 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards are:
The Freight Award – sponsored by Eddie Stobart – Awarded to a woman demonstrating how she is innovating in the sector.
Above and Beyond • Tracy Ward, Contract Manager, PD Ports
Leader • Jannette Wallace, Runcorn Depot Manager, CM Downton, from Runcorn, Cheshire
The Passenger Award – Awarded to a woman demonstrating how she is improving the customer experience.
Above & Beyond • Victoria Garcia, Accessibility and Communities Officer, Brighton & Hove Buses, from Brighton & Hove
Leader • Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Midlands, from Lincoln
The Infrastructure Award – Awarded to a woman demonstrating how she is improving road or rail infrastructure.
Above & Beyond • Caroline Milnes, Programme Manager, Tesco, from St Albans
Leader • Sue Kershaw, Managing Director, KPMG, from London
The Supply Chain Award – sponsored by DHL – Awarded to a woman demonstrating how she is improving processes within supply chain.
Above & Beyond • Jeny Hanvey, Customer Service Manager, Kuehne + Nagel Ltd, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Leader • Gillian Joyce, Former National Fleet Manager, Post Office Ltd, from Manchester
The Warehousing Award – sponsored by Amazon – Awarded to a woman demonstrating how she is innovating and improving warehouse operations.
Above & Beyond • Claire Davidson, Senior Project Manager – Logistics Implementation, J Sainsbury’s Plc, from Rugby, Warwickshire
Leader • Angela Howard, VP Operations – Retail, DHL Supply Chain, from Rugby, Warwickshire
The Industry Champion Award – sponsored by Asda Logistics Services – Awarded to one individual only, male or female, demonstrating the impact that they have had on attracting and retaining women in the industry.
• Jacqueline O’Donovan, Managing Director, O’Donovan Waste Disposal Ltd, from London
Notes for editors
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The Freight Transport Association can trace its origins back to 1889 and is recognised as the voice of the freight and logistics industry, representing the transport interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air. FTA members operate over 220,000 goods vehicles – half the UK fleet – consign over 90 per cent of the freight moved by rail and 70 per cent of sea and air freight.
