Warehouse - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

Association News 3Founded 1944The United KingdomWarehousingAssociation,418-422 Strand,London WC2R 0PT.Tel: (020) 7836 5522Fax: (020) 7438 9379Web: www.ukwa.org.ukEmail:dg@ukwa.org.ukMission StatementThe UKWA provides a serviceto Logistics Service Providersby helping to establish afavourable operatingenvironment, by providing aforum for discussion onnon-competitive issues and byproviding information toassist them in theirbusinesses.Management BoardStephen Basey-FisherNigel CookDerek CooperPhil CullingRichard DaviesJoanne DolanDouglas FearnleyKeith ForsterSteve GauglerMel Grainger, Vice PresidentMike HodgeAndy LawrenceJulia LucasJohn Maguire, ChairmanTony Mohan, Vice ChairmanDuncan Pannell, Vice PresidentDerrick Potter, Vice PresidentMike PottsAlan PowellGwynne RichardsDavid ScottDale StokesIain Speak, Vice PresidentCharles WattEDITORIALRelease thepotentialI represented UKWA recently at theEverywoman in Transport and LogisticsAwards in London. It is a regular eventand does much to highlight the femaletalent in our industry. In September2013, Everywoman is holding ameeting of its Transport &Logistics Leadership Academy.It is dedicated to developingthe leadership skills of women inthe industry and particularly:• Women with aspirations to developtheir career in transport & logistics;• Future leaders in an organisation;• Middle managers who wants tomove up to an executive level;• Women managing a small team.All good stuff, many of you will say.But is it necessary? Should we be takingseparate routes to develop our talent.One for the young? Another forthe mature? A third for women?Perhaps a fourth for different ethnicgroups? Doesn’t potential talent shinethrough whatever the gender, age orethnicity?Well, the facts about women inindustry, and our industry in particular,are stark. Logistics employs 1.55 millionpeople in 192,740 companies. Ofthose people 24% are women. Take alook at the Boardroom, and the percentageof women plummets.Does it matter? I think that is for thereader to decide and I would welcomeyour views. Our industry is conservative,andmale dominated.It’s equallytrue to saythat ourArmedForces areby natureconservative,andthey arealso maledominated.However,that doesn’tpreventwomen commanding ships, flying strikeaircraft, serving on submarines, andleading men.Could we do better? Well thereality is that the Logistics sector isfacing a labour shortage in thecoming years, and faces skills gapsnow, especially among the SME’swhere management skills are often“inherited”, and developed in an adhoc and unstructured way. What wemust do is to identify, nurture andrelease the potential we have in ourindustry, whatever the gender, ageand ethnic background.Everywoman is doing its bit.Perhaps they are offering a modelwhich the men could follow?EDITOR: Lloyd Arkill Tel: +44 (0) 1923 777897 ADVERTISING SALES: Daren Thomas Tel: +44 (0) 771 974 0736 Email: daren@ukwa.org.ukUKWA publications are printed by the bartham group media ● design ● printtel: 01582 573471 www.barthamgroup.comwww.ukwa.org.uk May 2013