BIFA Awards
Thriving under pressure
Young Freight Forwarder Award
Virgin Atlantic Cargo is proud to sponsor BIFA’s Young Freight
Cheryl Sullivan discovered a passion for project cargo after exploring various aspects of logistics. Reaching the fi nals of the BIFA Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award 2022 was a highlight of her career so far
perspective, each can line is a football stadium’s worth of cargo,” Cheryl said. Besides the day-to-day excitement of her career, Cheryl also moved from her home town in Essex to run UCargo’s Manchester branch. Having taken the plunge, she has not looked back. “Life is short, so I decided to try a new adventure,” she said, adding, “I want to grow the branch to a point where projects run themselves, so that I can concentrate more on business development.” 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.
H aving originally chosen HR and law, Cheryl Sullivan found this path lacked the fast pace she craved. “I enjoy being under pressure – which the shipping world certainly has been in the last two or three years,” she said. “At UCargo Paci fi c Logistics, we were at our busiest ever during the pandemic; manufacturing kept going, and so did we.” High pressure Project cargo in particular brings more than its fair share of challenges, suiting Cheryl down to the ground. “This sector is very high pressure,” she noted. “If you
“ I enjoy being under pressure – which the shipping world certainly has been in the last two or three years
guarantee a service, you have to make sure you follow through.” Her biggest project so far involved the movement of four can lines for one of the largest packaging sites to be built in Europe. “To put this into volume
Hooked on logistics
Apprentice of the Year Award
something new to my colleagues as well as myself,” he said. Clearly still hooked on logistics, Jacob joked: “I tell my friends, ‘I sell empty space’ – but of course it is so much more than that.” Once fully versed in exports, he will move to imports and then perhaps into sales, where his talent for building relationships with customers should set him up for more success. Seetec Outsource Training & Skills is a leading provider of innovative training, education and recruitment. Seetec Outsource has delivered thousands of successful programmes to a range of small and large organisations nationwide and helped many people into employment. Seetec Outsource provides apprenticeships and traineeships on a range of subjects at various levels.
Jacob Kennerley has always been interested in logistics. Having made the fi nals of the BIFA Apprentice of the Year Award 2022 , he is convinced he made the right career choice
Jacob Kennerley left his warehouse job in 2021 for an apprenticeship in freight forwarding that would push him to learn something new every day. “When I started at Cargo Overseas I worked mostly on European road transport, as well as other modes,” he said. “The international side of freight is my favourite part of the job: you come into contact with different cultures, and learn about different countries, regulations and laws.” Jacob also enjoys overcoming obstacles. “Being a freight forwarder means that you are the person a customer comes to when there is a problem or a query; that is what you are there for. The relationship with customers,
providing good service and
testing your own knowledge and skills to find the best deal for them – it is like a Rubik’s Cube.”
Jacob completed his apprenticeship with distinction. Since then he has also completed a ‘Responding to problems in logistics operations’ course, which he believes will be very useful – and not just for his own work. “I wanted to bring
18 | October 2023
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