Three women from global logistics and technology business EV Cargo have reached the final of the prestigious Amazon everywoman in Transport & Logistics awards.
Danielle Owen, Jo Duncan and Kate Lovatt have all been recognised as leading women in the UK transport and logistics sector, which employs 17 million people in the country.
Danielle is in the running for the Freight Award – Above & Beyond honour, while Kate has been nominated for the Tech Innovator Award and Jo is in the final of the Freight Award – Leader category.
The everywoman awards celebrate the vital contribution women make to the transport and logistics sector and have a special significance this year. For the first time – thanks to the knock-on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic – there has been an increase in the number of women entering the industry and Danielle, Jo and Kate are seen as inspirations to others in a sector where essential workers helped distribute critical supplies, food and everyday essentials during the lockdowns.
Danielle is head of marketing and communications and was at the forefront of the pandemic response, creating and managing a nationwide digital marketing campaign after freight volumes fell dramatically when the first lockdown was imposed. Her swift actions helped volumes not only recover but saw them rise to record levels. She also led the rebranding of five EV Cargo divisions – all while home schooling her young son.
Jo has been recognised for her work during an unprecedented year. She is the general manager of the Express division’s Palletforce SuperHub, in Burton upon Trent, which deals with 24,000 pallets of freight, delivered by 500 trucks, every night. Her work ensuring that freight kept moving, while also looking after the physical and mental health of her team and helping to keep the 500 daily visiting drivers safe, has singled her out as one of the industry’s star performers.
Kate has spearheaded the development of EV Cargo’s award-winning technology, which has been instrumental in the company being able to handle the record volumes of freight in the past year. She helped introduce artificial intelligence technology to improve service and sustainability, while at the same time boosting contactless delivery to keep workers safe during the pandemic.
EV Cargo chief executive Heath Zarin said: “EV Cargo believes that being a diverse, equitable and inclusive industry is key to our success. It’s incredibly important to encourage women to enter the sector and to provide opportunities to rise to the levels that their talents deserve. Thanks to their leadership, ingenuity and professionalism, Dani, Jo and Kate have reached the finals of these prestigious awards and we wish them the best of luck for the final.”
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: “In our finalists we see the passion, dedication, skills and leadership that has kept transport and logistics dynamic and resilient and that kept the country moving in the most unprecedented times.”
The winners will be announced during an online ceremony on 8 July.
