BIFA Awards
Thriving on the variety of logistics
Charmaine Anderson’s apprenticeship in logistics was disrupted by COVID-19 early on, but she took another opportunity at Blue Water Shipping and has not looked back. She was named a fi nalist in BIFA’s Young Freight Forwarder of the Year Award 2024
Young Freight Forwarder Award
Virgin Atlantic Cargo is proud to sponsor BIFA’s Young Freight
interesting to work in a different city or country. I’d like to see different cultures and processes.” Enthusiastic not only about her work but also about the strong customer relationships so vital in logistics, Charmaine is con fi dent that she has selected the right career path, and is looking forward to many exciting years ahead in freight. 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. 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
L ooking back on what brought her to freight, Charmaine Anderson said: “My dad was in the logistics industry and used to tell me about it. It sounded like it was interesting and no two days were the same.” She found the potential to grow in different areas a big attraction, too. She has completed dangerous goods training for air, road and sea transport, for instance, and enjoys learning about all aspects of the sector. Multi-tasking “We do everything here at Blue Water Shipping, so I don’t want to stick to any one thing,” she said, noting that being able to handle a shipment from start to fi nish helps keep freight moving smoothly
“ It would be interesting to work in a different city or country – Charmaine Anderson
when team members are away. Another element of logistics Charmaine enjoys is its global nature. “It allows me to interact with various cultures, understand international rules and adapt to ever-changing circumstances,” she explained, adding: “It would be
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“Logistics is a great industry. All the planning that goes into it is extraordinary, and I want to learn more,” said Iwan Williams. Already, Iwan has made substantial contributions to UWL. He created a supplier database to track key details like payment terms and discrepancies. This “allows managers to see everything in depth, at a glance”, Iwan outlined. “It enables us to optimise payment schedules and improve supplier relationships.” The highlight of his career so far? “Well, now, it’s being a finalist in the BIFA Apprentice of the Year Award! Our company also won the Extra Mile Award so
it’s been amazing. Career-wise, doing
management accounts every month is a big role for someone my age; I prepare preliminary reports and summaries that my senior accountant can review and finalise.” Iwan also enjoys helping to develop others. When a new member joined the team, he created a detailed training manual and spent additional time each day ensuring they understood UWL’s
systems and processes. “This not only helped my new colleague to become more productive faster, but also strengthened our team’s overall performance. And our team doesn’t end with the department; it’s about the whole company,” he added. Iwan’s goal is to complete his AAT Level 4 apprenticeship and then move on to his ACCA qualifications.
18 | July 2025
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