Logistics Stories

Khushbu left school with no qualifications, but quickly saw that logistics offered her opportunities that other sectors couldn’t.

“More than qualifications, logistics requires on the job experience to understand it”

Originally from India, her first job in the sector was as an entry level warehouse operative in Italy, which is where she began to see career pathways open up in front of her. She then moved to England, initially with DHL, before going on to work for Kuehne+Nagel.

“Logistics is a universal language. No matter your ethnicity or language, all countries need to move goods. I love that from leaving school with nothing, I’ve been able to become a service manager for one of the biggest logistics companies in the world.”

At Kuehne+Nagel, Khushbu began as a Customs Administrator, but within 11 months had been promoted into her current management role.

“I manage a team of customs specialists responsible for the Groupage side of exports to Europe. My job is to ensure that everyone and everything is aligned with Government guidelines, as well as creating a working environment where everyone feels included and empowered.”

Logistics has the capacity to take you anywhere, from the smallest products needed to stock the supermarket shelves, to some of the biggest events in the world. Those headline projects are where Andy’s role as a General Manager has most impact.

“I currently oversee large scale event involvement, so projects such as the Commonwealth Games, from both an operational and a P&L perspective. I work on business development functions, including tasks like tenders, new client onboarding and contributing to my department’s overall financial position via shared P&L management.”

Many who come to the logistics industry arrive at the destination from their own job search, but Andy was different. He was headhunted by an industry colleague, who saw the potential to contribute his talents and skills to events like the London 2012 Olympics, and the Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Those skills were built from previous experience and education.

“I think the methodological side of logistical planning, hard work and determination came through via my education. I had to work hard in order to achieve relatively good grades and this gave me a solid grounding.”

Andy’s role proves that logistics touches everything. It can be the last thing that those enjoying such enormous events think about, but they couldn’t function without the industry that makes sure the food and drink arrives, that the athletes’ gear turns up on time, and that the show stopping opening and closing ceremonies have everything they need to impress on the day.

Moving careers can be a daunting prospect, but skills and experience gathered from a diverse range of past workplaces can be applied to the logistics industry in all sorts of ways. That’s exactly what Helen brings to her role as a Risk Manager.

“I gained transferable skills through my time in the army, and working for a Local Authority. Prioritising responsibilities, dealing with emergencies, organisational skills, communication, qualifications around training, debriefing, trauma management, and strategic management in emergencies.”

That role isn’t so much about ownership of the risk, as it is about becoming an expert in the subject matter, through facilitation, problem solving and communication – both verbal and written. But it wasn’t a role, or an industry, that appealed at first.

“For my generation, it was never an aspiring career choice when I was at school. Although growing up as a young girl, the idea of being a long-distance lorry driver really appealed to me! Fast forward a number of years and being invited in for an interview I was very intrigued with the industry. I never realised the depth of roles required in logistics.

A whole world of opportunities spread out in front of Helen, offering everything from compliance and regulations, to analytics, project management, training and IT. Day to day, she collaborates with senior managers and business unit managers to keep risk assessments up to date, as well as contributing to education and training. A continuing challenge, but one that uses all sorts of skills for all kinds of rewards.

Rajvir was always interested in corporate sustainability.

“Since my MSc I’ve been interested in the topic, and particularly how companies can be sustainable and still grow.”

Initially, she joined Kuehne+Nagel in a different role, but through her obvious passion for the subject and her proactive engagement with the #BlueforGreen initiative, the management team saw that she’d be ideal for a different role.

“My current role entails leading the company’s sustainability agenda within BU Air, and working with teams to make improvements in buildings and warehouses. I also work closely with the commercial team to assist with customer meetings, and the sustainability team in regards to moving forward the UK sustainability roadmap.”

Rajvir found that her passion for sustainability issues has become increasingly important within the sector.

“Sustainability is a bit of a buzzword, but it’s also complicated. At Kuehne+Nagel we’re looking into things like sustainable aviation fuels, biofuels, and modal shifts as well as staff education around the idea of the circular business model.”

Indeed, it’s the constant drive towards innovation and new solutions that makes her work so engaging and stimulating.

“It’s a subject that keeps evolving – which makes it exciting to learn more about.”

As Operations Manager with the Expo & Event team at Kuehne+Nagel, Julian is a specialist in the “end to end” logistics of live events. Covering events such as concerts, the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, and Motorsport World Championships, he gets to travel the world delivering logistics to people of all nationalities and backgrounds.

“I like the detail, the trying to prepare for the unexpected, and finding solutions. Nothing beats the buzz of being on-site during the build up to a major sporting event and then when the lights go out, the match starts, or the curtain goes up that massive sense of achievement before having to do it all again!”

Having started in logistics straight from Sixth Form as a Trainee Airfreight Export Clerk, Julian recently found himself sitting in the jump seat on the flight deck of a Boeing 747 freighter landing in Melbourne, Australia loaded with F1 cars and equipment. Quite an experience! From his humble beginnings, he gained experience and qualifications on the job, always on the lookout for ways to grow, develop and further himself within the industry.

He spotted his current role on social media, and reached out to a manager at Kuehne+Nagel to start building a relationship. Having spent 25 years with his last employer, Julian felt it was time for a change of scenery and some new experiences.

Without the fantastic, supportive team he works with, and a great selection of clients, Julian wouldn’t get the same satisfaction from the work he does.

“We are such a diverse team and everyone brings something to the table, and everyone is listened to. A simple “thank you” from a client for a job well done is always a highlight.”

Upon leaving college at 18, Sarah secured a job as an export clerk at Clarks, she had no idea what that meant and spent the next couple of years trying to learn the language of logistics.

“Oh how logistics loves an acronym … upon leaving Clarks I joined a logistics company because I thought I knew everything about logistics, oh how wrong was I.”

After more than 25 years in logistics and having worked in the UK, Türkiye, UAE. Sarah has travelled the world in various roles and is still learning. Resilience, adaptability, and problem solving are 3 major skills that come to Sarah’s mind within logistics.

Once she started in logistics, Sarah was hooked. Logistics touches every single industry, every product you see, touch, and use, logistics has played a part. Learning the intricacies of logistics allows you to get to be involved in anything from ensuring products are in the shops for people to buy, medicines and equipment in the hospitals for patients and if lucky even logistics to support those in our armed forces protecting each of us.

Within logistics there is a role for everyone. Whether that be a fixed amount of hours, flexible working hours in a fixed location or flexible locations and hours logistics has it all.

Sarah feels that she has been fortunate that there have been many career highlights but if she has to choose then it was the difference, she felt she made during the lockdown both to the company and our country. Logistics really came to the forefront during the pandemic and for those of us in it, we had to simply roll up our sleeves and get involved in keeping the world moving.

Before starting at Kuehne+Nagel, Holly knew very little about the logistics industry, and has really enjoyed learning whilst on the job.

“It’s an exciting industry to work in, particularly with the rise of e-commerce, and it’s a stable industry too.”

Now, as Reward & Benefit Lead, Holly is responsible for developing, designing and implementing the Reward Strategy across KNUK, as well as coordinating the existing reward cycles and benefit offerings for everyone at KNUK.

“In the logistics industry, we aim to offer market leading benefits. Some of the topics that I manage include our wellbeing strategy, our gender pay gap, bonus, annual salary reviews and private medical insurance.”

Holly completed a graduate scheme in logistics straight from university, which helped her gain the HR knowledge needed to excel in her role. Holly also gained her CIPD Level 5 qualification during her time as a graduate and, after completing the scheme, spent some time as an HR Business Partner, before building her management experience as HR Service Centre Manager.

She’d never considered the area of rewards and benefits before, but when an opportunity came up, she decided to take the leap. The role centres around some of her favourite parts of her work in general HR, making positive change to her colleagues’ lives and supporting their wellbeing. Now, she manages a small team of two Reward Specialists, too.

The autonomy to drive change within the organisation is one of Holly’s job highlights, and one of her proudest achievements so far has been introducing a colleague forum with the Kuehne+Nagel management board, giving colleagues a voice on topics that matter to them.

“Thanks to the colleague forum we have introduced volunteering days, enhanced our life assurance policy, and implemented a hybrid working approach.”

As a Freight Settlement Specialist, Marie manages various customer accounts to ensure their freight charges are settled in full. It’s not always as straight forward as that, it’s very mentally challenging and every day is different!

Her role didn’t require any specific qualifications. Marie learned about her current role through internal recommendation. After looking into the role and its requirements she decided it was the right fit for her and applied.

She came into the industry as she knew people already working within it. This helped give her the knowledge and confidence to enter logistics.

An amazing thing about Marie’s role has been that her management team have been a big support for her. “They support you to become what you wish to become.”

Two big career highlights for Marie have been the charity work she has been involved in and being promoted from her previous role.

Mark notes emotional intelligence, empathy and energy as key skills in his work in Sea Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel. He looks after a team of 35, providing them with the right support, leadership, and resources required to provide operational excellence, and best-in-class temperature controlled sea freight solutions.

Working his way up from an intern position in 2015, Mark has been able to work in a variety of positions for Kuehne+Nagel, starting in the UK, and moving to Paris in France, and then Bremen in Germany. From there, he secured the role of Manager for the Central America and Caribbean Region in Costa Rica, before moving to Panama, and in 2021 he was offered the job as Sea Logistics Reefer and Healthcare Director, reporting to the Head of FR Sea Freight.

Mark says that, more than any qualification, his skill in “getting comfortable with the uncomfortable” has really bolstered his success:

“This is our daily logistics life! Solving issues for our customers, adapting to constraints in order to help people.”

Mark believes his team have been central to his rise to Reefer Sea Freight Manager at such a young age. He really values their trust and support. Working with what he considers to be the best, most dedicated and passionate people is what makes his job so enjoyable.

Account Management is all about being a focus for customers, and Dominika’s role operates as the main point of contact for those she manages. That means customer well being and satisfaction is her responsibility, requiring a broad array of skills from communication to problem solving.

“I provide quotes, find solutions, keep in touch with clients, manage orders and provide the best customer service I can. I also schedule regular meetings to review and assess future opportunities.”

Dominika found out about her initial role with Kuehne + Nagel from her college tutor, progressing to Internal Account Manager from a Sales Apprenticeship and Customer Service Specialist role.

“What attracted me to the role was the opportunity to further develop my knowledge and skill set. It’s my first Account Manager role, so I was keen to embrace the challenge – especially building on my experience in the logistics industry.”

The best thing about Dominika’s role, she suggests, is that unpredictability – the new challenges she faces every day. There’s no time for boredom or stagnation. And those challenges result in a fulfilling career.

“I’m really proud of being a respected team member and employee, who can be trusted and is thought of highly by colleagues. I’ve received some great feedback from my management team and customers, which is very rewarding.”

Ryan knew he wanted a fast paced career, but he wasn’t sure exactly where that would be.

“I never wanted to go to university. After college I got a job as an Assistant Manager at Costa Coffee, and this meant that I would end up speaking to my current employer (Kuehne+Nagel) on a daily basis to place orders. I began to think that logistics might be a good career option for myself”

He didn’t have any industry experience, but secured a Bid Management Apprenticeship with Kuehne+Nagel, which then led to a full time position and ultimately, to an exciting new opportunity in Australia.

“I came across a job listing for an Excellence Manager with Kuehne+Nagel Australia and reached out to express my interest. I had a job offer within three weeks and moved to Melbourne within six.”

Ryan’s role entails supporting Account Managers with tender management, continuous improvement, business reviews and other tasks on behalf of customers. Even though his role would normally require a degree, because he had completed his apprenticeship and also had a Level 3 BTEC he was deemed to have the required credentials. Which proved to be a good call:

“I was recognised in the Multimodal 30 Under 30 Awards, and given the opportunity to be a guest panellist at the Multimodal Convention at the NEC. It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to share my passion for the industry with such a large audience.”

Elizabeth started at Kuehne+Nagel straight out of University, taking up a Graduate Internship on the recommendation of a family member:

“I was always quite analytical and organised, with a keen interest in politics – which might not sound like something you associate with logistics, but actually proved incredibly useful for customs in navigating changes to the market brought about by Brexit.”

Elizabeth worked through a number of different roles at the company before settling into her current role as a Customs Implementations Manager.

“I’ve loved working for the business ever since I started. My current role involves implementing new customs brokerage contracts, liaising with customers, data gathering and ensuring smooth handovers into our operational teams.” 

“I started my maternity leave at the end of March 2022 and was out of the business for a total of 9 months. I was initially nervous at taking so much time out. However, my management team have been incredibly supportive to ensure my smooth transition back into the business. It is definitely a struggle to find a new balance between working full time and caring for a little one at home, however I am really happy and proud to be reclaiming my working identity.”

Her career highlight was a successful Brexit Implementation Project, which helped the whole Keuhne+Nagel EU-UK adjust to a post-Brexit working model.

Ellie graduated from a marketing degree in 2020, but after landing a graduate job in Spain, her start date was delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her drive to push forwards in a graduate role she felt passionately about, and in one which offered stable employment, led her research to logistics, and to the selection of schemes on offer at Kuehne+Nagel.

“Kuehne+Nagel had different graduate programmes that I could apply for, and after reading all of the information, Contract Logistics appealed to me the most- so that’s what I applied for.”

Now on placement in Belgium, Ellie leads Continuous Improvement projects for the company’s Toyota contract, and has really enjoyed the opportunities she’s had to meet new people and visit new locations.

On her return to the UK, she’ll be working alongside the Operations Manager within the Kuehne+Nagel Pharmaceuticals warehouse, helping with day-to-day operations, customer retention and continuous improvement projects, with a focus on sustainability.

When asked what skills she brought to the job to help her excel and grow, Ellie says her communication skills and her experience of presenting have set her up well, alongside the interpersonal and problem solving credentials she continues to develop on the job.

“My role is an exciting one, in which I get the opportunity to work alongside some of the largest retailers in the UK, and support them with ways to improve their International supply chains.”

Lee’s focus is on understanding those retailers’ needs, then looking into the data, working with internal and external stakeholders, and project managing, before presenting solutions and tracking the benefits. His role demands a variety of skills, including consultative selling, problem solving, data analysis and visualisation, as well as both account and project management.

Lee worked his way up to his current role from trainee planner, and he values analysis, problem solving, logical thinking and a drive to deliver as his strongest professional assets.

When the job came up internally, Lee was quick to jump on an opportunity to learn and develop within the Sea Logistics International Supply Chain team. His main attraction to the role was the support he could give customers with their goals and targets, helping to solve problems that are causing them to lose sleep at night.

“I left college with not great A-levels and went straight into manual labour. I ended up working on a land based drilling rig. Working in this environment taught me a level of resilience, and problem solving – even though it wasn’t through data – was still massively present. On the rig with limited resources it amazed me that if something broke down, certain members of the team could fix it to ensure the job continued – through their experience and knowledge.”

It wasn’t until working in the office on that rig that Lee learned what logistics was. The logistics lead took him under their wing to show him how things worked operationally, and the rest is history.

Growing up in a rural community, Lee was always searching for opportunities to discover and learn new things. He’s forever grateful for the doors logistics has opened for him, and the ones still up ahead.

“Every day is so different, and I get to work with amazing colleagues, and customers who provide challenges for us to solve collaboratively.”

Following a product’s life cycle, and its journey from an order being placed, to that product being produced on the other side of the world, shipped, and then transported to the warehouse, is something Lee is fascinated by: “How we can influence the end customer experience by changing something 5,992+ miles away is incredible.”

Lee was part of the Regional Talent Programme at Kuehne + Nagel, and was one of 100 colleagues across Europe identified for their high performance.

“This was something I never thought I would get to take part in as I have never seen myself as a high performer. I just love the world of logistics!”