The logistics industry never stops moving. Whether you’re planning routes, maintaining trucks or managing teams that negotiate with customers, everyone has a contribution to make and a success story to inspire. In March, the world is paying attention to women who inspire others, push boundaries, break barriers and set new standards through their leadership. And so today we invite you to get to know our colleagues Beata, Julia and Liza, who are showing that logistics is no longer just a “boys’ club” and that there are opportunities for everyone who is willing to discover them.
Yanjing Guo (Lisa)
Do you remember the beginning of your journey in logistics? What was it like?
JULIJA: I started working in logistics 8 years ago – it was an unexpected turn in my career. After my medical studies, I was working in a hospital, in the emergency department, and due to circumstances, I had to take the decision to change my area of work. My husband was working for a logistics company at the time, and he suggested I try a job in logistics. I went for a job interview with my colleagues in the Excise Department with excitement in my heart. Then I joined Everwest Group, where I started to learn the basics, starting with the differences in ref, the paperwork and other things that seem basic nowadays.
BEATA: I have gained quite a lot of experience in logistics over the last 16 years. And it was very simple to start with, I just came with a desire to get into a dynamic environment. I wanted to be in a business where nothing stands still, and logistics is primarily associated with travel. All our customers are spread across the Eurasian continent, and we transport their goods over impressive distances, from China to Europe.
LISA: I joined Everwest Group in spring 2022. This is the first logistics company I am working for. I used to work in the public sector, in an embassy, a consulate, where I had to deal with air or sea transport of various shipments, but not on the road or in trucks. When I came here, I was like a blank sheet of paper, and I started to learn from the very basics of logistics. And once I started to understand how logistics processes work, the serious work with clients started. It was not easy, but my character is such that if I want to do it, I will give it my all, endless effort and strive to win at all costs. Without this, I wouldn’t have achieved such results.
What does your workday look like?
BEATA: I spend most of my day focusing on people, working with my team and interacting with my clients. It’s a time when I can be useful to my team, solve problems, work on strategies and explore new paths in the wide waters of business.
JULIJA: Every day is designed to give me time for everyone, both clients and team members, so it’s a pretty intense and busy day. I have to admit that having a full daily schedule helps me to focus and work efficiently. At the moment, I’m mainly working with clients in Central Asia, there is a time zone difference, so the first part of the day is mostly spent communicating with them, and then I spend time with the team.
LISA: I love my job. Every day I’m interacting with clients, and there are always challenges and problems that need to be solved right here and now.
What is the hardest part of your job?
LISA: The work is very interesting and intense, not only communicating with customers, solving problems with their loads and orders, but also preparing and checking a lot of documents. And this has to be done very carefully to avoid mistakes.
JULIJA: First of all, the most challenging part of our business is today’s global challenges, the uncertain and ever-changing international situation, political decisions, sanctions, regulations from different countries that we cannot foresee in our long-term strategies. And when it comes to working with a team, we are all different with unique experiences, so here we complement each other. I am a very responsible person, and I often want the whole team to see the situation as I do. I want us all to do things responsibly. Not necessarily that everything will turn out perfectly, but it’s important to do it responsibly.
BEATA: When it comes to work, I like challenges and dynamics. I’m the kind of person who can challenge not only myself, but also others. When things become normal, people forget that there can be challenging times, and then things become difficult. But when you get used to it, when you have new challenges every day, it doesn’t seem so daunting. That’s a quality that comes in very handy in the business development field where I work. Our team has to look forward, to the future. We cannot live with today’s issues, with the usual things. We create forecasts for the future, chart new business directions, bring innovation to the organization and bring in new customers.
What fascinates you most about logistics?
LISA: Volumes! Huge orders where we offer a good price to the client and sell transport services that require 100, 200 trucks. I like the dynamics of the job and the fact that you can get quick results.
JULIJA: Every day in logistics is challenging, you can’t know everything, so you can learn something new every day. I have often complained to my family that I am tired, that I don’t want to do it anymore, but their answer is that you can’t sit still with your hands folded. That’s when I realized that logistics would probably be about me.
BEATA: Logistics reminds me of the body’s circulatory system, with blood vessels connecting all businesses. Because without the whole supply chain in place, without that simple driver behind the wheel, driving the truck and getting the goods from one point to another, practically everything would stop. Sometimes it seems to me to be even more important than the Internet, without which the modern person cannot imagine a day.
So it is fascinating to me that logistics plays such an important and all-encompassing role in the world of business – after all, thanks to logistics, each of us can get a parcel from a Chinese e-shop straight to our mailbox, businesses deliver their goods to their customers, by road, by sea or by air. Can you imagine the size, the distances, the people involved? Some people are fascinated by these things and others are perhaps even intimidated.
You work with international clients. Could you share a memorable project that you are proud of?
JULIJA: We often value more what we don’t have today. The trust of big global companies creates an inner sense of value. But working with smaller customers also creates an equally strong sense of appreciation, when customers with a small amount of freight put 70% of their freight flows in our hands. The trust of such customers is proof that we are doing something right, because our mistakes would cost them a lot.
LISA: There are significant cultural differences. Europeans can learn Chinese, but when you work with clients in China, you also need to learn the cultural aspects, how to approach a client, how to negotiate. Sometimes you can talk and negotiate for an hour or more, but you don’t get a contract, and sometimes you can just talk for 15 minutes, and the client says, ‘I want to work with you, and I will send you an order for 50 trucks. This is where my previous experience in the diplomatic sector comes in very handy.
It has the greatest volumes, not only in China or Europe, but globally: 40-50 loads a day in high season and 10-20 trucks a day in low season. That is a lot.
Beata Užienė
Julija Jastremska
Logistics is often referred to as a men’s industry, a kind of ” gentlemen’s club”. How do you feel, is this a real situation or just a stereotype that has been circulating for ages?
JULIJA: Although I have often heard the phrase that “beauty” came to the negotiations, I think that the view of the male industry is outdated and has become a cliché. Modern logistics companies look at both men and women equally and, in our organization, I think the gender distribution is even and we have a number of female colleagues who are in leadership positions.
BEATA: The idea that logistics is a “gentlemen’s club” is, in my opinion, an outdated myth that has long since been dispelled. I’ve never felt that I cannot do something because I’m a woman. To begin with, we are all human beings with some sort of talent. Each of us contributes our own experience as well as mindset to the company we work for, which contributes to the business achieve excellence.
LISA: Before I started to work in logistics, I considered this market a very strong area. I would even call it a male market, though we do work on trucks. Before I started working, I was hesitating, would I be suitable for logistics? However, after giving it a try, I discovered that I was not just appropriate, but excellently suitable. It fulfils my need for a speedy result and demonstrates my strong personality. Therefore, I would advise you to consider how much the profession matches your character and whether it fulfils your unique needs rather than limiting yourself to a specific gender.
Where do you find inspiration and motivation? What leaders inspire you?
BEATA: My team is an inspiration to me. I enjoy working with my team, and the outcomes eventually reflect that. My ability to lead and have faith in others enables me to attract the most talented individuals to the team. For me, it is equally crucial that my management and the organization trust me and my team. For me, trust is a crucial component of the corporate culture.
JULIJA: My husband is always on my side. He has been telling me since day one that I am capable of more than I thought. He recognizes and encourages me to strive for greater because he has experience in logistics himself. Over a long period of time, I have developed a motto in my life that it is better to try and make sure that I fail. If you don’t try, you won’t get any results.
You mentioned that the work is very dynamic and often stressful. Do you have any hobbies, passions, or rituals that help you recharge your energy and relax?
JULIJA: Like many others, I enjoy travelling, but I rarely have enough time to do it. Instead, I frequently take quick weekend trips to get a change of scenery and visit nearby places like the sea or the outdoors. The majority of my weekends are spent with my closest loved ones because I have a big family and several dogs. Additionally, I occasionally just take some time to read a good book or spend time on my own.
LISA: I try to exercise every day, or at least every other day. I do yoga and pilates. It helps to move my body, which gets stiff after a long day at the office. When the weather is nice and I have free time, I like to go for a walk in the woods.
BEATA: I spend a lot of my spare time on the road, travelling, and driving cars. Meanwhile, I enjoy time when I can strategize, make plans, etc. Thus, I blend both of them in one of my hobbies. My husband and I participate in regularity rallies, which are extremely accurate drives that follow a road book and require us to reach the check points indicated on the route in a matter of seconds. As a navigator, it is my responsibility to determine the average speed of the route so that we can reach the destination on time.
So it’s only natural that my body rests when I’m exercising and my mind when I’m calculating. I don’t know how to rest in any other way, so a holiday in a hotel by the pool where everything is included is not for me.
Can you imagine the future of logistics?
JULIJA: We operate in a fast-paced, innovative business environment. From the perspective of the Everwest Group, I think we have space to grow and will be transporting products to places we currently have no idea about. The Everwest Group will eventually have its own fleet of vehicles and, in my opinion, be able to operate its own aircraft fleet for transporting cargo. There are many opportunities and destinations ahead, and we will see which ones our organization chooses.
BEATA: Everything we are doing now at Everwest Group can be described as an industry-wide shift – today we are competing not only with our direct competitors in road transport services, but also with other logistics industries, such as air and maritime transport.
We see that business is changing globally. Customers are differentiating risks and choosing alternative delivery channels. Time is becoming more valuable than money. What does this mean? Manufacturers are investing their money in production.
Until they reach customers, their money is frozen until the products are sold. So fast delivery saves money for manufacturing companies. So, money is a precious resource for our customers, but time becomes an even more precious resource for our customers. Especially for those who are interested in long-distance freight transport, such as from China to Europe. So, while customers used to ship in 60 days by sea, we can deliver in more than three times that time by truck, which is certainly a big advantage. So I can see today that in the future the speed of delivery, the dynamics of the business will only increase, the business will move faster.
LISA: The world of international business is heavily influenced by politics and international relations. Our business is being held back by the political propaganda, rules, and limitations imposed by politicians. Our outcomes would soar if there was world peace and nations did not impose restrictions on one another. However, the modern world is a little different. I’m hoping that logistics and our company will grow rapidly and achieve new business milestones.
