Blog/Meetthewomenleadingthelogisticsindustry

The logistics industry needs progress

Did you know that only 19% of logistics workers in the UK are women?

The logistics industry as a whole lacks representation from women at all levels, and, at Zedify we are at the intersection of 3 male dominated spheres: logistics, cycling and tech.

73% of women in cities don’t cycle. There’s a tonne of research now which shows the impact of teams and sectors that don’t attract and retain women. That means there’s a huge missed opportunity that has all kinds of negative impacts on companies, families, and communities in general up and down the country.So, we thought: there’s something that can be done here. We don’t have to sit back and accept our misfortune. But just what? Well, tomorrow evening we’re taking one of our first major steps towards unlocking our riding roles for more women with our event, ‘Women delivering the future’.

To set the scene for our event we spoke to two incredible women who have risen through the ranks in operations, logistics and supply chain to essentially glean ‘How can we do it, too?!’

We spoke to Amy Allen, Head of Supply Chain, Selfridges, about her experience of rising through the ranks in the world of logistics.

1. What’s the best thing about working in supply chain?

The diversity of the role is one of my key favourite things about working in supply chain. I find that no one day is the same and I can be involved in such a variety of things. Supply chain tends to be at the centre of most businesses – especially in retail – so I get exposure to all areas of the business. I love collaborating with buying, merchandising teams, finance, retail teams right through to customer service teams getting involved in projects that span from creative experiences through to the nitty gritty of spreadsheets and planning.

I think it’s an area which operates off strong relationships so I love the people elements of the inhouse teams as well as the collaborations with partners and suppliers.

2. Where did you start out/ how did you get into supply chain?

I was fortunate enough to be accepted on to a course at Nottingham University which allowed for working full time, alongside completing a degree in Business Management. This was a rare concept at the time; but similar to the apprenticeship schemes that are available today. I secured my placement with Boots the Chemist; and they placed you within a function based on some core competency evaluations. I had ambitions to do something “cool and trendy” like marketing, but I was placed in Supply Chain. It was clear once I got started I wouldn’t have had the creative flair to be successful in a marketing role. I am much more focused on numbers, operations and people leadership and it seems they were right to place me in this area and haven’t looked back. I worked for 3 years in Boots moving across a number of supply chain roles which gave me great exposure across the supply chain landscape.

3. What advice do you have for others who are starting or thinking of starting their careers in supply chain? For example, do you think there are particular things that you’ve done in your working life which have helped you progress?

If you love people, have good critical thinking, problem solving skills, enjoy numbers then you could be a great fit for supply chain. My advice would be build a strong network because within the supply chain world there are some strong technical capabilities you may not have and you may need to lean on suppliers or networks to support you on your journey. To support your progress, my advice would be; don’t wait for the opportunity, but try and create it yourself. If you see a gap or work that needs completing step up or into that space rather than wait to be asked to pick up something new. I typically was the first to have my hand up for opportunities.

Next, we chatted with Jess Farrell, Head of Logistics at HelloFresh.

1. What’s the best thing about working in logistics?

Definitely variety, there are never 2 days the same. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, something else will pop up that you have never had to deal with. It’s also a team effort environment and requires you to work with multiple stakeholders, so you get to meet lots of new people across businesses and internally.

2. Where did you start out/ how did you get into logistics?

I, like many people, went to university as i was unsure what I wanted to do post A-levels. As part of my degree I had the opportunity to spend a year out in industry between my 2nd and final year. I applied and joined Morrisons (the supermarket) on an undergraduate industrial placement scheme, whereby I worked within supply chain, and there I got my first insight into forecasting, demand planning, store deliveries etc.

After my 1 year scheme came to an end, I stayed on at Morrisons working part time whilst completing my final year at uni and I joined their newly curated online delivery team – back when online grocery delivery was just starting out! This was my first introduction into home delivery and managing a 3PL even at very junior level. Post Morrisons, I joined Dunelm on a graduate programme and jumped into their supply chain working within 3PL online fulfilment, in house final mile 2person home delivery networks, customer care projects. i then landed a role after the grad scheme as a supplier manager, whereby my team and I managed all 300+ of their online direct to customer suppliers with a 99.8% availability and delivery OTIF objective. I absolutely loved that role and my team! Post Dunelm I joined the final mile powerhouse of EVRI  and joined in a much more commercial role managing top UK retailers accounts. This allowed me to visit so many retailers DCs seeing lots of automation and how top uk retailers manage their ecom operations which was invaluable insight. Post EVRI I joined Hellofresh!

3. What advice do you have for others who are starting or thinking of starting their careers in logistics? For example, do you think there are particular things that you’ve done in your working life which have helped you progress?

Get as much experience across the industry where possible, lots of networking at conferences and events, ask questions and seek out mentors who can support. Never say no to the next opportunity even if you arent 100% on it as its the only way to learn and gain new experiences . Find your people who will guide you. I’ve been very lucky to have some amazing managers & senior colleagues who I didn’t always appreciate at the time (tough love!) but were exactly what I needed to develop and progress, so never be afraid of feedback and coaching.