Celebrating the 100th anniversary of
International Women’s Day
By VICTOR DEYGLIO
April 27, 2009
One of The Logistics Institute‘s mandates is to define career mobility and sustain human resource development through competency standards and workforce strategies in supply chain logistics. As a result, the Institute focuses on human capital and talent development by delivering competency-based supply chain logistics training and, through the P.Log. designation, building a professional global community.
Over 2,300 logistics practitioners have earned this designation through the Institute and, with annual registrations averaging from 1,200 to 1,300, growth steadily continues. Now there are over 750,000 Canadians employed in logistics, one of the country’s largest labour groups.
Since 1997, the Institute has conducted studies of the Canadian logistics labour market. Through these annual studies, these trends have emerged:
• The majority of logistics practitioners are male employed primarily in management and executive positions.
• Women, new Canadians and ethnic Canadians are employed in most of the clerical, frontline and supervisory jobs.
• Logistics careers demand highly diverse skills and competencies to cope with emerging technologies and a global marketplace.
• Awareness and understanding about career opportunities in supply chain logistics needs to be promoted.
Due to a significant shortage of women in logistics, the Institute’s board of directors created a Women in Logistics Task Force in 2006. With the mandate to explore options and create awareness of women’s contributions in Canada’s supply chain logistics, a series of events was scheduled across Canada, which attracted over 600 participants, both men and women. As a result, a Women in Logistics “community of interest” was formed that now totals over 1,100 members. See www.womeninlogistics.com.
By 2007, the task force had established a national executive and developed a strategic plan that led to the permanent establishment of Women in Logistics as a core initiative of the Institute. As this initiative continues to grow in Canada, a wide ranging international network of women in the industry is emerging. Among these are California’s Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies, the Wisconsin organization Women in Trucking, and the United Kingdom-based Women’s Institute in Supply-Chain Excellence, which specializes in international humanitarian logistics.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, I am pleased to showcase the accomplishments of these four exemplary women in supply chain and logistics:
• Michele Bunbury, manager, trade management services group, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Ottawa, Ont.
• Heather Cartwright, CEO and consulting services leader, Logixsource Consulting Ltd., Georgetown, Ont.
• Vanessa Head, manager, Farrow International, division of Russell A. Farrow Limited, Windsor, Ont.
• Denise Messier, founding partner, Wheels Group of Companies, Mississauga, Ont.
Their stories follow. Women in Logistics is an idea whose time has come. With talent like this, how can we not succeed on the international stage as logistics professionals?
Victor Deyglio is president of The Logistics Institute, a Toronto-based non-profit organization that provides training for supply chain logistics professionals.
Michele Bunbury
Manager, trade management services group
UPS Supply Chain Solutions
Background
With 19 years of experience, Ms. Bunbury is a subject matter expert in a variety of customs initiatives including Customs Self-Assessment, Advance Commercial Information, Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, Partners in Protection and other regulatory affairs. Her skill in process improvement projects has minimized the risk of penalties and maximized customs initiatives for importers and exporters. She provides training and logistics expertise and serves as advisor to many of North America’s importers and exporters.
Credentials
Professional certification: Certified Customs Specialist, Canadian Society of Customs Brokers; Professional Customs Status, Canada Border Services Agency; Certified Customs Specialist, National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America
Education: Customs and Immigration Program, Loyalist College, Belleville, Ont.
Career journey
Early stage: Five years as customs technical representative
High growth: Nine years in management
Maturity: Five years in corporate consulting
Critical moments: Family obligations
Entrepreneurial vision: Synchronizing supply chains by offering a global network for all transportation modes; single source solutions for total logistics needs; expertise in international commerce and real-world strategies
Challenges
• Contract negotiations
• Work-life balance
• Travel schedules
Success factors
• Lifelong learning
• Association memberships
• Flexibility
• Executive support
Heather Cartwright
CEO and consulting services leader
Logixsource Consulting Ltd.
Background
With over 20 years of experience, including 10 years consulting to Fortune 100 organizations such as CGI and Ernst & Young, Ms. Cartwright led many operational change management and transformation projects for clients. She develops operational strategies and supply chain plans, including continuous improvement, program management and partnership implementation. Prior to consulting, she held senior management positions with a consumer goods industry leader where she improved sales profitability, reduced costs and established strategic partnerships with leading organizations. She is a senior facilitator in supply chain logistics for The Logistics Institute.
Credentials
Professional certification: P.Log., Logistics Institute; Certified Management Consultant, Canadian Association of Management Consultants; Project Management Professional Certification, Project Management Institute
Education: BA, Economics, York University, and business management, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Career journey
Early stage: 24 plus jobs in eight years with preference for high tech and manufacturing
High growth: 10 plus years in consumer products, manufacturing and retail
Maturity: Five years of consulting in IT outsourcing and ERP systems
Critical moment: Re-invention as entrepreneur with founding of Logixsource Consulting in 2001 followed by eight years of success in operations and system control language consulting
Entrepreneurial vision: Help clients develop and implement operations and leadership capabilities to support profitable growth and continuous improvement
Challenges
• Time management
• Networking
• Belief in self
Success factors
• Ongoing education
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Marketing skills
• Connecting dots
Vanessa Head
Manager
Farrow International, division of Russell A. Farrow Limited
Background
Ms. Head began her career as a corrections officer for the Ontario Ministry of Corrections. In 2000, she returned to college to study international trade. After graduating first in her class, she began her logistics career in warehousing and distribution. After four years, she expanded her skills, took on new challenges and, in 2005, became manager of Farrow International where she handles transportation of freight in all modes.
Credentials
Professional certification: P.Log., Logistics Institute; Certified Customs Specialist, Canadian Society of Customs Brokers; Cargo Security Coordinator, Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association
Education: International trade, Fleming College, Peterborough, Ont.
Career journey
Early stage: Career in law enforcement
Critical moment: Career change to international business and trade in 2000
Growth: Three years in management and lifelong commitment to education
Entrepreneurial vision: At Russell A. Farrow, a family-owned brokerage and trade business for nearly 100 years, personal relationships are the cornerstone of success
Challenges
• Time management
• Networking
• Work-life balance
Success factors
• Commitment to ongoing education
• Focus on career goals
• Relationship building
• Supportive employer
Denise Messier
Founding partner
Wheels Group of Companies
Background
Ms. Messier started out as traffic manager for a large Montreal food broker. From that experience grew her understanding and appreciation of third-party logistics within the supply chain to bring goods to market. Moving to Toronto, she worked for a third-party transportation provider, focusing mostly on rail, as a stepping stone to a logistics career. With customer focus on just-in-time transport delivery, she saw the opportunity for a one-stop shop offering rail, truck and ocean. In 1988, Wheels International Freight Systems was formed, evolving into the Wheels Group of Companies, one of the leading third-party transportation suppliers in North America.
Credentials
• Member of Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario
• Entrepreneur
• Mentor and coach
Career journey
Early stage: Traffic manager, food industry, Montreal
Growth: From frontline to executive, from operations to administration, now partner and owner
Critical moment: Moving from Montreal to Toronto, meeting future partners and starting Wheels.
Entrepreneurial vision: Your name and your integrity are what matter most
Challenges
• Create safe work environment
• Build energetic, entrepreneurial, family-oriented, fun culture
• Work-life balance
Success factors
• Hire people smarter than you are
• Recognize weaknesses, but leverage strengths
• Always remember it’s a small world, but even smaller industry