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 held at the London Marriott Hotel on 21 June.

FTA’s 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.”

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 the 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.

Photo: Woman of the Year Julie McCaffery receives her award from David Wells

Nominate someone for next year’s competition

FTA everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards are sponsored by the Freight Transport Association but are run by ‘everywoman’, an organisation established in 1999 to promote the advancement of women in business. The competition is open to all transport companies in the UK, not just FTA members, so if you know someone who you think is making an exceptional contribution in the transport industry why not nominate them for next year’s competition? You could even nominate yourself!

To find out how visit www.everywoman.com