BIFA Awards
Pursuing opportunities to make a difference
shipments by sea rather than air or using rail rather than road for fi nal- mile delivery. cargo-partner offers CO 2 emissions tracking, and we can recommend carriers that use acknowledging the bad press the garment industry has received in recent years. Getting involved modern planes, which cut emissions,” she pointed out, Georgia has already travelled extensively within Europe and is keen to visit Asia, whose large export markets will be “eye- opening”, she believes. One aspect of travel that she values is the chance to meet different people and build relationships. Closer to home she is part of the BIFA Young Forwarder Network (YFN), which she described as “a great experience”. She chaired the network’s North West region in 2022-23. Having since passed on the baton, she advised other young people to make the most of the opportunities that arise. “Get involved in everything – fi ll your diary!” And Georgia has certainly done that. Besides becoming the youngest business development manager at cargo-partner, and participating in the YFN, she has completed sales and Customs courses and intends to do further sales training at cargo-partner’s headquarters in Vienna. Public speaking She also spoke at Multimodal 2023 on the topic of ‘networking with the next generation’ and was a panelist at the Future of Logistics event held by Seetec Outsource at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, where she discussed her personal experience as a woman in logistics. “I disagree that freight is a male world,” she said. “Women are as much of an asset as men – and at cargo-partner there are more women than men. “There is a lack of women on boards though; the industry becomes more male dominated the higher you go. But it is up to us to make a difference. Getting women onto boards should not be about ticking boxes.”
Georgia Gibson was highly commended in the BIFA Young Freight Forwarder of the Year category for 2023. Top of her agenda are sustainable logistics and the role of women in freight
O riginally, Georgia Gibson was interested in a career in fashion buying, but chose a logistics-related degree at the University of Hudders fi eld. She said: “Bethany Windsor from the Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport came and spoke at the college where I was studying. She explained the supply chain route, from factory floor to consumer door, and suggested the Business with Supply Chain Management course would be perfect for me, given my interest in purchasing – and that I would come out with an actual job at the end of the course.” Industry introduction As part of her degree, Georgia spent a year working at Kuehne+Nagel. “My placement was a very helpful introduction to the industry. It really made me want to get more hands-on,” she said – and before she graduated with her First Class Degree in Business with Supply Chain Management, she had a job lined up at cargo- partner. While her dissertation related to pharma logistics, Georgia’s role at cargo-partner is connected with her initial area of interest. “I have gone down the fast-fashion route, importing clothes from southeast Asia and the Far East,” she said. “It is quite niche, but I have taken to it because I love fashion and I can relate to the people I deal with in this vertical. “There is a massive push on sustainable solutions in fast fashion now, such as sending
Above: Georgia enjoyed a tour with Virgin. Below: Speaking at Seetec Outsource’s Future of Logistics event.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo is proud to sponsor BIFA’s Young Freight Forwarder Award to recognise and encourage the next generation of industry leaders. As well as rewarding the progress of the best young people, this award helps to highlight the vital role freight forwarders play in the growth and development of the industry. VAC recognises the importance of developing and retaining talented young people and is confident this award will help to attract more recruits that want to build a future career in a sector that is so important to the economy and international trade. Young Freight Forwarder Award
18 | April 2024
www.bifa.org
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker