Panalpina International Women's Day

Panalpina
celebrates
International Women’s Day
Vote 100

8 March 2018

Once upon a time there
were seven women…

The story of Sharon Howard
Health & Safety Manager

Once upon a time a young girl called Sharon
followed her dream by joining the Royal Navy.
When she went off to sea no-one knows
whether the owl and the pussy-cat went with her
in a beautiful pea-green boat, or whether they took
some honey, and plenty of money, wrapped up in a
five-pound note. What we do know though is that
Sharon was one of the first females to serve on
board HMS Illustrious. Very impressive!

This was in the early 1990s and Having joined Panalpina in 1999 as
Sharon was deployed at sea for an Air Freight Import Clerk Sharon is
seven months at a time, working in now the company’s Health & Safety
logistics during the conflict in former Manager. In the UK’s Health & Safety
Yugoslavia. This had previously been industry women make up only 30%
un-heard of for a woman. It was a of the workforce, taking home on
stormy start: every day at sea Sharon average a salary of £10,000 less
had to prove herself as capable than some of their male counterparts
of doing the job and stepping up for the same role. Sharon believes
should there be an emergency on that Health & Safety tends to be
board. She also soon found that she seen as a masculine role, a result
needed a thick skin to cope with of the majority of workers being
some of the sexist and negative ex-construction and armed forces.
comments from her male colleagues.

As part of the Emergency Response
Team Sharon learned quite quickly
to roll her sleeves up and get on with
the job and sometimes to give as
good as she got. It was only after
demonstrating that she could do a
‘man’s job’ that she started to earn
the respect and support from her
male colleagues. Fast forward 25
years and now it’s just the norm for
females to serve at sea. Sharon has
certainly played her part in helping
to change perceptions about women
serving in the forces.

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She is, therefore, grateful for the The position of Country Health,
experiences she gained whilst in Safety & Environmental Manager
the armed forces which have stood came up over a year later and this
her in good stead as preparation time her application was successful.
for returning to work in a male
dominated environment. Sharon is a strong believer in never
asking someone to do something
The respect she has earned led to a you wouldn’t expect to do yourself,
male colleague encouraging Sharon always do your job right and to the
to pursue her career in Health & best of your ability. Both men and
Safety at Panalpina. Although not women should be judged equally on
successful in applying first time their ability to do the job not on their
round, her interest, work ethics and gender.
initiative resulted in the company
investing in her and putting her We’re sure that Sharon will live
through the NEBOSH qualification. happily ever after as she sails forth in
her career with Panalpina.

Sharon says:

I feel that there has been a slow but sure change in
attitude towards women over the years, however we still
have a fair bit of progress to make before we catch up. I
would like to see more women in senior positions and to
remove the gender pay gap.

Women seem to have become more confident in the workplace and are more
likely now to speak up or apply for opportunities. Previously it may have been
assumed that senior positions would be filled by a male counterpart, and
maybe they would, however now it’s more a case of nothing ventured nothing
gained. I think women do still have to prove themselves capable because of
gender, especially in what’s perceived as a masculine role.

I also think women are probably their own worst critics and maybe we feel
that we have to work just that little bit harder to prove a point, but then why
do we feel the need to do this, is it because of gender inequality? I think so, if
the workforce was 50/50 male/female we wouldn’t need to.

Finally we need to remove stereotyping. Just because a female shows
authority it doesn’t mean she is being aggressive. And I hope that when
my daughter is at a working age we don’t need to have discussions about
equal pay for women.

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The story of Bev McCarthy

Warehouse Supervisor

Once upon a time a little girl called Bev felt
drawn to caring and teaching because
working with people was her absolute
favourite pastime. She could often be found
daydreaming of a career that would let her do this.
But alas, this wasn’t to last long as Bev has found
herself working in the logistics industry and is now
right to be proud of her status as the only person in
her circle of friends and family to operate a forklift.
As the first woman working in the warehouse, Bev
is a pioneer among women - bravely treading where
no other woman has trod before her. How on earth
did that happen?

Although in her early career Bev One very chauvinistic male would
started to follow her dream job of a never look Bev or any other female
teaching assistant within a special in the eye. She believed that this
needs school the lure of the logistics was because he thought women
industry was just too much for her to were inferior and certainly shouldn’t
fight so she did the right thing and be in the warehouse. She found it
surrendered. particularly challenging when she
was made his supervisor and he
But it took her nine years of working wouldn’t take instructions from her
in the industry before she saw sense or another woman working with her
and joined Panalpina. Even then it because of their gender.
took two long years of temping in
the warehouse before she became Bev is certain that Panalpina is
permanent. At that point there were definitely the place for her. It’s fast
other women working with her, but paced, there are constant challenges
they were office based – clearly not and everyone works together to
as brave as our Bev! These days make the company successful. Like
she feels far less out of place as working as a teaching assistant,
other women have followed her logistics is a tough but rewarding
lead and started to work in the job, although in different ways.
warehouse – definitely a positive
step for womankind. When she made the decision to
join the industry Bev had wanted to
At first the men she worked with do something as a polar opposite
seemed to just see Bev as a poor to what she had done previously.
little woman rather than ‘one of She certainly achieved that and is
them’ and would puff up their chests now living happily ever after in her
to exert their manly status over her. alternative dream career.

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Bev says:

As a woman I just want to be treated the same as
anyone else; there should be no disadvantage or
advantage based on gender. I feel that as a company
Panalpina is very good and supportive with its female
employees and I’ve never personally felt hindered if I
wanted to do something. Accepting a woman as a
worker in the warehouse is positive. I also don’t think
the men had expected that a woman would make a good manager, but
when Rachel led the function she did it well.
However, I don’t think that we’re 100% equal quite yet. I feel that our voices
perhaps are not heard equally and it is still my perception that a man would
be chosen over a woman for a promotion, even if they were both equally
balanced in skills and experience.
Over the last couple of years work has been more challenging, but I feel
that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I feel that I’m fully in charge.
The management style has made the biggest difference, in a good way.

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The story of Yvonne Riley
Project Manager – Cross Trades

Once upon a time there was a little girl
called Yvonne who dreamed of becoming
a beautiful ballerina. But poor Yvonne,
despite being tall with long elegant legs, was far
too clumsy. Luckily, she also quite liked the sound
of nursing. So how did she end up as Panalpina’s
Project Manager – Cross Trades?

When she first left school Yvonne To add insult to injury, poor
got herself a job at the local Evening Cinderella didn’t even get to go to
Gazette in the role of runner. In the ball! One of the most important
those days women did not become annual events at the time was the
reporters - their roles were in industry’s Annual Shipping Dinner to
sales, cleaning or the canteen. which women weren’t invited until
Yvonne found that the way her the end of the 1990s. Even then, only
male colleagues spoke to women a handful of companies allowed their
was often derogatory. They rudely female employees to attend.
nicknamed her ‘legs’ and, when
making conversation, were most Yvonne’s first job in London was
likely to say “go and make us a cup for a cosmetics company where
of coffee”. she dealt with a number of foreign
companies and was generally treated
After a couple of years with the very well. However, those based
newspaper Yvonne’s career was in the Middle East did not want to
saved by her brother persuading her deal with women, despite her boss
to join PSA, the shipping company informing them that she knew far
he worked for. Although she hasn’t
looked back, as a woman the way
she’s been treated throughout her
career hasn’t all been plain sailing.
Yvonne initially replaced another
woman who was leaving to have
a baby, but at the end of her sixth
month contract she was taken on
permanently and stayed for ten
years. Her role involved making
bookings, typing, issuing documents,
but despite doing the same as the
male Shipping Agents she wasn’t
recognised as such, being seen as
‘just a typist’!

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more about the supply chain and work and was happy to take on
shipping than he did. photocopying and similar tasks
as it kept her busy. When Dave
After a short stint as an import Kenton became the new Head of
delivery booking clerk and PA for Oil and Gas he recognised Yvonne’s
the MD at Birkart Yvonne joined potential and in true ‘knight in
Panalpina in November 1997 as an shining armour’ style rescued her
Administrator/HR in Oil and Gas. from these menial tasks helping
She found that her responsibilities, other people and asked her to sort
dealing with logging holiday out a problem account: “Qatar
and sickness, plus travel for the Petroleum”. Yvonne has lived happily
managers didn’t keep her busy ever after.
enough so she asked for extra

Yvonne says:

The difference in the way women are treated in the
logistics industry, from when I left school to now is
enormous and I think it’s generally been slow to adjust
to equality. The government has helped by introducing
laws for equality. You can no longer choose someone just
because they are a man, it is the best person for the job.

Shipping is traditionally a man’s world and when I first joined all
the managers and supervisors were men, but I must say there is no
discrimination now at Panalpina. I feel that the company is going in the
right direction and there are quite a few women in managerial roles. The
first woman to hold a managerial role was Lynne Wilkinson who became Air
Freight Manager around 12 years ago.

We then had a female manager in Oil and Gas, Sharon Keverne, who lost
out on the Country Head of Oil and Gas to a man who was quite new to the
company, even though he had learnt everything from Sharon who was far
more experienced, a very good manager and well-liked by customers.

It was harder for me in Projects, I had to fight and was doing the job for
several years before being given the appropriate job title, while the man
actually holding the title was not doing the job.

Historically women did not want to join the industry, but it’s good to see that
there are now more women in Air Freight.

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The story of Katerina Cosford
Overland/Caspian Manager

Once upon a time a baby girl called Katerina
was born in Russia. As she grew up
and went to school she just couldn’t
decide what she wanted to do with her life. Her
mind was always racing and her dreams just
kept flitting from one career to another until
she eventually discovered and fell in love with
telecommunications.

So Kat set off to worked as a Logistics Supervisor
Moscow to study in Moscow for a customer of
telecommunication Panalpina’s. When Panalpina heard
engineering. She that Kat was on her way to the
also studied English, UK they were determined that she
which wasn’t should join the company, which she
did as soon as her visa and all the
common in Russia boring bureaucracy and paperwork
in those days, but had been sorted out.
this proved to have
been a great idea. Kat was based in LHR for 18 months
Little did she know as sales support and business
that she’d end development, looking after Central
Asia focusing on road freight as she
up marrying her had knowledge of the market locally.
Prince charming, She then worked in Oil & Gas for 18
who would months before the company asked
whisk her off to her to move to ABZ as the Oil & Gas
Northamptonshire. industry was really reactive at the
So romantic…. time. Aberdeen proved to be even
better than Northamptonshire and
Back to Kat’s career story. Because Kat loved living there.
she spoke English Kat was offered
a job as administrator in a logistics Just as we thought this story couldn’t
company. She fell in love all over get better it has! Kat was pleasantly
again! Much to her delight she found surprised when she started working in
that logistics was a large as life the UK as she discovered that women
job which requires quick decision were treated completely equally to
making, thinking and team work men! If women had opinions or views
which Kat absolutely loves. She was men wouldn’t undermine them, they
in her element! would support them and the teams
actually wanted to work for her.
Before setting off on that romantic
voyage to Northamptonshire Kat

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This was so different from her someone who was more senior,
experience in Russia in the 1990s which was always a man. She didn’t
when she’d find that men she spoke find this in the UK and was delighted
to on the phone would just want to to discover that women had better
speak to her manager. They would opportunities and were all able to live
question her ability and her opinions happily everafter.
always had to be supported by

Kat says:

I think that the road and rail industry is very male
dominated as it requires drivers and warehouse staff and
these roles require physical strength which men have
more of. Also, international drivers are away from their
families a lot so it doesn’t appeal so much to women who
often prefer to stay at home and look after their family.
However, it’s good that when women come back from maternity leave their
jobs are there for them and that they can come back part time.

We should try to attract more young people to the industry. Graduates don’t
normally know much about the industry and don’t realise how exciting it
is. Panalpina needs to be more proactive and make more connections with
universities as it is never mentioned. We need a wider network, not just in
the industry, but throughout the country, so people become more aware of
Panalpina and what we do.

The logistics industry probably attracts more men as it’s seen as masculine,
but this is a misconception as women do have equal knowledge for the roles,
which in the majority of cases do not require physical strength.

Finally, I’ve learnt during my years in Panalpina that women communicate
and make decisions based on gut feeling and emotions, whereas men
apply logic as they see things in different ways. It’s important to keep your
emotions to one side so as to think more and not feel as much. We can’t look
back, but instead we have to be more strong headed and apply more logic to
situations. If you have the knowledge, respect of other people and help and
lead people, irrespective of gender, you will succeed.

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The story of Lynne Wilkinson
Regional Cluster QHSE Manager &
Regional Quality Manager North Europe

Once upon a time there was a young
lady named Lynne who wanted to be a
journalist and had been accepted on a
university journalism course. However, much
to her parents’ dismay fate had other plans for
Lynne. Before starting university she thought she
should save some money and found a job with
Every Worldwide. Lynne loved that job so much
she stayed with the company and didn’t take up
the university place. Her parents really shouldn’t
have worried so much - like many people, they just
weren’t aware of the great opportunities that the
logistics industry would provide for Lynne.

She started off working in air the management team. Despite
exports, where all the managers being conscious of being the only
and supervisors were male, despite woman on the team Lynne never felt
the workforce being made up of discriminated against in this role and
60% women. Although she wasn’t thought of her MD as a mentor.
aware at the time, looking back
Lynne realises that there were So how did Lynne become a female
instances where men were favoured pioneer? Could she be the ‘iron lady’
over women for these roles, even of logistics wielding
though the women often had more an all-important
experience and knowledge than their handbag? Her
male counterparts. strong character
certainly seems
When, after a couple of years of work, to have helped
her office was closed Lynne once to prevent her
again considered university. But by male colleagues
then logistics was in her blood so she seeing her as a
decided to stay in the industry. pushover. She
remembers that
Lynne joined Panalpina in March people used to refer to her
1996 and hasn’t looked back! During as a hard or tough manager but is
her 22 years with the company she sure that, had she been male they
has made history, by becoming the would have described her as ‘strong’
first female manager in the London instead. These days she assures us
office and the first woman to join that she’s mellowed and become

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more flexible, maybe because she’s Once she’d looked after General
‘been there, done that and got the T Exports for a couple of years, Lynne
Shirt’ to prove it. wanted to do something different, so
pestered her Business Unit Manager
Lynne was clearly destined for for an alternative job. She was given
stardom. When she joined Panalpina, a new role for Compliance Training,
she was employed as a clerk, and then after a few months she was
as the department and workload asked to head up the Oil and Gas
grew she approached the manager exports on an interim basis. She
to suggest that he needed an didn’t want to do this permanently
assistant manager. Lo and behold, as it was too similar to the role
she was given the job! A woman! she had done previously. It wasn’t
Clearly recognising her potential her long before the Head of BPT role
manager was very supportive and became available, which Lynne was
put Lynne forward for a Women in given, at the same time joining the
Business course. management team. And now we
expect her to live happily ever after.
She was also given the role of
Air Exports Manager, despite her
competition for the role being male.

Lynne says:

We need to understand why not many women put
themselves forward for the Country Management
Team and why Panalpina has only ever had one female
Business Unit Manager.

Generally men seem to look at job descriptions and look
at the things they can do while women look at the things they can’t do. I’m
guilty of that myself. Luckily I was approached to apply for my current role.
Had it been advertised I may not have applied as I didn’t know how to do
everything on the job description.

I think that we’re moving in the right direction at Panalpina, but a mentoring
process would be helpful. We should also consider asking people who we
would expect to apply for a role but don’t, why they didn’t consider it.

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The story of Rachel Wilton
Country Head of Marketing & Sales

UK & Ireland

Once upon a time a young lady called
Rachel loved caring for people and aimed
to become a nurse when she grew up as
s he loved the idea of working in the medical
world. However, she wasn’t to become Florence
Nightingale the second as Rachel realised that the
reality of working in the medical profession might
not live up to her childhood dreams.

Instead, Rachel joined the logistics and then sending the information
industry at age 24 and hasn’t looked to the drivers. The management
back since. Her first role was with a agreed, but the drivers and office
same day delivery company based staff weren’t happy about a woman
in Bristol, made up of a group of doing this role, making comments
self-employed drivers who were such as “a woman can’t handle
sent jobs by the office to manage directions”, “women don’t know
incoming delivery requirements how to drive”, “women can’t handle
from banks and solicitors. She had stressful situations” etc. Rachel took
previously worked in a bar where this in her stride, never taking the
the drivers and office staff regularly insults personally as she was sure
went for lunch and asked about any that if any other woman were to do
jobs they had. the role she would receive the exact
same reaction.
Rachel started doing part time
admin work in their office post room. Always one to rise to a challenge,
This was before email (remember these reactions gave Rachel more
that?) so there was a high volume of motivation to do the job and to make
paperwork. She really enjoyed the sure that she excelled at it. She went
job, finding it to be fast moving, very
black and white and simple but also
very high pressured with challenges.
She also remembers it being a totally
male dominated environment, from
drivers to top management.

After working there for a while,
Rachel asked if she could train
to be a controller, which involved
jobs coming in from customers

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in at 6am each day and studied all first time ever. Today she believes
of the routes to make sure that she there are six women – she says that
wouldn’t make mistakes and to earn she knows that’s not a lot, but it’s
the company more money. And all a start and something she’s proud
the hard work she put in quickly paid of. The language has definitely
off, with Rachel soon becoming the improved since the women started
drivers’ favourite person, to the point and the company has now installed
that they were upset when she was a female toilet in the warehouse -
eventually promoted and left that role. there had never previously been a
need for one!
Rachel stayed with this company for
nine years, moving on into a sales Rachel has clearly enjoyed her
role before managing the whole career so far and is proud of what
Bristol branch, then the company’s she’s achieved, against all odds. Her
newly opened Cardiff branch. When personal satisfaction is a lot higher,
she left in 2004 there were still very having started from the bottom
few women even though it was and working up. She says that, like
becoming more acceptable for anyone she has bad days of course,
women to work in this environment. but ultimately she loves the industry
with its constant changes and
In 2006 Rachel joined Panalpina’s challenges.
sales team. But her heart still
belonged to the operations She fell into logistics as a career
department as she loved the and she is certain that the
challenges that attracted her to the satisfaction she gets from working
logistics industry in the first place. At in an environment that is incredibly
no point has she felt that Panalpina challenging and generally male
wasn’t encouraging her in the role, dominated that has taken her out of
likewise there was never a question her comfort zone is so much greater
that a woman should be in this than she’d get caring for a thousand
role. However, in both internal and patients. The only thing that has
external meetings she was always worried Rachel was business travel
the only woman. Just like Snow on her own. As a woman she felt
White and the dwarfs… more vulnerable than a man normally
would, especially in countries where
While working as the organisation’s the laws are tougher against women.
first Country Head of Logistics
for UK & Ireland Rachel was She would definitely not change her
responsible for bringing women into career and expects to live happily
the warehouse workforce for the ever after in this amazing industry.

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Rachel says:

The supply chain organisations within healthcare etc. used
to be hugely male dominated. As a woman I was never
threatened or intimidated by this but it was very visible, and
I often felt different and the odd one out. Throughout my
career I’ve felt the need to demonstrate that I can work hard
and get my hands dirty by unloading trucks etc. but this is a
part of me and I would have done this regardless of other people’s opinions.
One of the reasons I joined Panalpina 12 years ago was because there was
a female CEO and I thought that this was very unusual. Now I feel there is
less female representation at the top but there are far more women at the
higher end globally. Panalpina has more progressive attitudes towards women
in logistics than in my previous companies and I can see that the logistics
department is more male/female balanced.
We are lucky that there are good female role models in Panalpina and with
more women in higher positions others should be motivated to achieve the
same.
To attract more women to the industry we need to represent it as fast moving
and exciting, rather than being about trucks and warehouses. It’s about
showing them how important our industry is to the healthcare and retail
environment and that it’s about problem solving and making things better, not
just about manual work.
Young people generally, not just women, need to be made aware that there
is a structured career ladder and that people can progress quickly and make
an impact if they work hard. We also need to let them know that there are
opportunities to move around the world and learn about different cultures.
The difference a supply chain can make to a business and everyday life
proves you don’t have to be a doctor or lawyer to make an impact.

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The story of Bobbie Penfold, Air Exports

Customer Services Co-ordinator

Once upon a time there was a little girl called
Bobbie who loved animals, especially dogs.
She dreamed of one day being a vet, but when
she found out how long she’d need to study before
qualifying she quickly changed her mind to working
as a kennel maid, surrounded by dogs. Doing this, she
might not be a medical saviour, but she would certainly
be able to save the dogs in her care from Cruella De Vil!
Colonel, Captain and Sergeant Tibbs wouldn’t be
needed while Bobbie was in charge, oh no.

But this wasn’t to be! Bobbie joined a that shared a building
manufacturing company when she left with Panalpina. When
school and found herself working in an their office was closed
office until she took a career break to she boldly knocked on
bring up her children. Panalpina’s door and
asked if they had any
Bobbie’s first job in the freight jobs. This was in July
industry was in the 1970s, once her 1982, when Panalpina
children had started school and she consisted of a small
was looking for a part time job near office with four people in imports, four
home. In those days there were lots of in exports and someone in accounts.
forwarders around her home and they All the managers were men, women
always advertised jobs externally. She earned less money and were expected
was quickly snapped up by a savvy to make tea as this was seen as a
company and given a temporary role ‘woman’s job’. She was taken on
as typist/import clerk. immediately as a clerk/typist and,
despite the lack of dogs at work, has
After six months Bobbie was offered lived happily ever after.
more money by another company

Bobbie says:

I think women are treated well at Panalpina, we now have
women in managerial positions and it definitely isn’t a ‘man’s
world’ anymore.

In terms of flexibility at work, when I worked at MSAS I was
allowed to take my children into work if they were off school.
On a more negative note, I found that the people I dealt with in
the Middle East could be very abrupt, but I think that it is just
their way and although it took me a while I just got used to it.

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Move over Spice Girls, the Panalpina Girls
have much more girl power

Sharon Howard, Health & Safety Manager..................................................2
Bev McCarthy, Warehouse Supervisor.........................................................4
Yvonne Riley, Project Manager – Cross Trades............................................6
Katerina Cosford, Overland/Caspian Manager............................................8
Lynne Wilkinson, Regional Cluster QHSE Manager &
Regional Quality Manager North Europe....................................................10
Rachel Wilton, Country Head of Marketing & Sales, UK & Ireland.............12
Bobbie Penfold, Air Exports Customer Services Co-ordinator..................15