Find Your Path

I am a logistics degree apprentice at Asda, rotating through various distribution centres to gain a comprehensive understanding of all operations. My role involves learning how to effectively manage colleagues, oversee projects, and explore different departments within the supply chain. Alongside my apprenticeship, I am also studying for a degree in Supply Chain Professional Practice at university, which enhances my practical experience with academic knowledge. My role requires a minimum level 4 in Maths and English and it was advertised on a job site. I was attracted to this position because logistics is an ever-growing sector that plays a crucial role in keeping businesses and economies running. It’s the backbone of every sector, ensuring that products and resources are where they need to be, when they need to be there. The idea of working in such a vital and dynamic field excites me, as logistics is behind everything we rely on daily, from food distribution to retail supply chains. Additionally, I thrive in fast-paced environments where every decision impacts efficiency and outcomes. The constant challenges and the need for problem-solving make logistics an exciting and rewarding career path for me.

During school, my problem-solving and analytical skills stood out. I have always enjoyed breaking down complex situations, identifying the most efficient solutions, and adapting to unexpected challenges. Logistics requires constant problem-solving, whether it’s optimizing supply chains, managing disruptions, or improving operational efficiency. Secondly, I have strong organisational and time-management abilities. Whether it was balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities or managing responsibilities in previous jobs, I learned how to prioritise tasks effectively and work under pressure – essential skills in the fast-paced world of logistics and the demanding aspect of a Degree Apprenticeship.

The best thing about my role as a logistics degree apprentice is the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced and ever-evolving sector, while also studying the theoretical aspects of supply chain management. The rotational nature of my apprenticeship allows me to explore different departments within Asda’s distribution centres, giving me a well-rounded understanding of the entire operation. My biggest career highlight to date has been being nominated for various awards and serving as a Generational Logistics Ambassador. These recognitions have reinforced my passion for the profession and my commitment to making a meaningful impact within logistics.

I lead the operations department at CLOUD NINE, which includes a number of different areas, such as:

Supply Chain: Forecasting, procurement, inbound shipments from the Far East to multiple global locations (UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand)

Logistics: Managing the third party warehouses in UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand for inbound, storage, fulfilment and delivery activities

Warehousing: Managing the onsite warehouse for personalised product and return management

Product: New product development and sourcing as well as continuous improvement of current products

Customer Experience: Dealing with customer queries and optimising the customer purchasing/returns journey

Compliance: Ensuring legal compliance and best practise for all products and operations in all territorie

Sustainability: Ensuring we minimise the impact on the environment

No specific qualifications were listed on the job advert that I applied for, as experience was key, but I am a graduate of the University of Greenwich, where I studied Business, Logistics and Transport Management. I found my role on LinkedIn, where a recruiter reached out to me, and I was attrected to it as it was a larger remit than my previous role but the fundamental basic were the same. I felt this role was the right balance between being confident and using my experience, whilst at the same time growing my experience in other areas, such as customer experience and compliance. My role has helped me to develop my skills in problem solving, data analysis and in developing a continuous improvement mindset.

The best thing about my role is the variety of tasks at hand – one minute I could deal with our supplier in Korea regarding an issue of how to get our product compliant in Saudi Arabia, then the next minute, I have to call a customer in New Zealand because they are unhappy about a delivery and has been escalated it to me, then I jump on a call with a warehouse in Europe to discuss how to label the next order for a new retail client in Germany. This can also be the worst part of my role, when I want to concentrate on one thing, rather than on lots! It is hard to pin down a career highlight…so I’m going to choose two. I created and implemented the first-of-its-kind European two-person home delivery network, with full end to end tracking visibility, for Wayfair. I also extended CLOUD NINEs logistics portfolio from a single UK-based onsite warehouse to a global footprint with third party warehouses located in UK, EU, Australia and New Zealand. A particular highlight of this was the first Black Friday in the UK – the year before it took 10 days to fulfil all Black Friday orders – with a partner in logistics, we managed to have all orders delivered by Sunday!