Trailer Bridge’s Female Leaders Weigh in on Key Topics from the 2024 Women in Supply Chain Forum

Supply chain leaders from across North America recently gathered in Atlanta for the third annual Women in Supply Chain Forum, hosted by Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive. The annual event fosters an environment where leaders can dive into key topics to move the industry forward while celebrating the accomplishments of female leaders who are driving change in the male dominated industry.

Trailer Bridge’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications Whitney Ennis and Vice President of Employee Services, Kacy Swanson, were named 2024 Women in Supply Chain Awardees and attended the event. We sat down with the two leaders to get their insights on key topics discussed at this year’s event.

The transportation and logistics industry is a historically male-dominated industry. What challenges have you experienced working within the industry and how have you promoted collaboration and driven innovation?

Kacy: A male-dominated industry equals a male dominated candidate market which can certainly be a challenge for the human resource professionals working to adopt more diversity within their organizations. Attracting more women to the talent pool is an important step in changing the landscape. We must focus on highlighting women in different roles within the industry along with their success stories. Our efforts to do this will hopefully lead to a more equitable distribution of men and women within the industry soon.

I believe collaboration and innovation are essential. Do you have certain processes that don’t make sense but “this is how we’ve always done it”? Make it make sense! Speak up and bring your efficiency recommendations to the forefront. Maybe you didn’t have all the information before and now you have a better understanding of the process, but don’t assume someone has brought it up before. It is extremely important for me to create an environment for my team where they feel comfortable doing this at any time about anything, and I think it leads to a stronger team dynamic and greater efficiencies. We’re all human and have different ways of looking at things. Fresh eyes, different perspectives and a safe environment to openly make those recommendations and ask the questions makes all the difference.

Whitney: In my role, I have the privilege of telling the stories of the men and women who make this industry what it is. Through story telling we can create opportunities for connection and form the foundation of strong relationships. I often share my story in hopes that it helps others more freely share theirs; my dad was a truck driver, I grew up with a big rig in my back yard as a child and his career behind the wheel has helped shape my understanding of the industry. I believe this helps foster environments where true collaboration can happen.

Another way we drive innovation in the industry is by getting plugged in beyond our 9-5 – we must serve. My service has been through the Propeller Club – Port of Jacksonville Board of Directors where not only did I advocate for the maritime industry, but I invested in the students studying T&L within our community. By serving in that way not only did I create opportunities to create strong relationships with other men and women within my field, but I gave the young women in my community the confidence that they too belong here.

Sandhya Pillay spoke about self-advocacy, how to balance being yourself while staying true to culture, and what it takes to shatter your own glass ceiling. What’s your take on these topics?

Kacy: Balancing authenticity in the workplace for me was historically a little tough, especially being in HR. Trailer Bridge was my first professional experience where being myself was essentially a culture requirement. I learned being my authentic self was actually an advantage more than a hinderance and allowed people to more easily connect with me and trust me, which is absolutely essential to success in my role.

I thought I had to have a perfect persona to uphold the workplace policies and procedures, but people don’t trust robotic behavior like that because it just isn’t human. Two things can be true at the same time; I can be my authentic not perfect self and still be a successful HR professional that our people need and deserve.

Whitney: I’ve learned that I’m not for everyone – and that’s okay. It’s an important lesson for women I -really anyone – to grasp and embrace; only when you show up as your true self can you be the best version of yourself. When you think about it from the perspective of staying true to culture – this is where self-awareness and a strong understanding of your personal core values really comes into play.
As individuals we should be striving to find a workplace with a culture that is in alignment with our own core values. If you believe in radical candor and service to others – you want to find a company that matches that.

I also believe we have a personal responsibility to be aware of how we land on others and to be mindful that we don’t become a ‘Bull in a China shop’ as we work to advocate for our self – or for things such as gender equality in the workplace. We must be willing to trust the process – change takes time, and sometimes way longer than we anticipate.

In a past role, I pushed on a belief I had to the point I created a toxic situation for myself. At the time, I strongly believed I had a viewpoint that needed to be heard, and action needed to be taken. But in my fearless pursuit of change – I became the problem. It was an important lesson learned early in my career. I try to share it with those I work with and mentor in hopes they can avoid the same mistake. We must know when to push and when to let the process run its course.

What role does empathy play in making great managers, what does it takes to be a change leader and what advice do you have for young professionals looking to get into the supply chain space?

Kacy: It’s impossible to be a great manager without compassion. You must understand the needs of your team, as employees AND as humans. Once you understand their needs, you can support them; and when you fold in the authenticity we spoke about earlier, they can understand your needs. This allows you to foster loyalty and productivity within the team, and in my experience with my team at TB, you find that translates to success beyond your targets and goals.

I also don’t think you can be a great leader without resiliency, continuous learning and adaptability. Within the logistics industry – any company that is growing really – there will be continuous and consistent change to remain competitive and successful. To be a change leader, you must be willing to embrace the evolution and approach it with a level of positivity, so your team is inspired to do the same.

My advice to young professionals – build a strong foundation, curiosity didn’t kill the cat, so don’t be afraid to ask questions! Come to the table with an open mind and be willing to step outside your comfort zone to build skills and confidence. I believe these things will take you far.

Whitney: Being a change leader takes courage of conviction – little Elle Woods reference there – and a lot of patience. Compassion also plays a big role in affecting change because you must be willing to see things from other’s perspectives. I strongly believe enthusiasm plays a role here; that can be displayed in a multitude of ways, but it boils down to really being a champion for the change you’re looking to create and getting those around you onboard.

Change takes time and you must be committed to the process to see it through. Sometimes the ‘change’ may be an immediate thing – maybe there’s a leadership change in your organization or something as long-term as shifting gender equality in an industry like logistics – but the ripple effects of that change is where being a leader truly comes into play. We must be willing to offer space and understanding, clearly communicate and do a whole lot of listening. And really put that process on repeat, while maintaining the enthusiasm for our belief that led us to pursue the change in the first place.

My advice for those looking to join us in this fun thing called transportation and logistics – work hard, embrace adaptability and learn the skill of ‘figure-it-out-ability’. Don’t wait for someone to give you all the answers go find them; I think that the self-discovery of processes and answer creates long-term understanding.

And honestly, be ready to play the long game. I think as we are experiencing in this current freight market, this industry is not always easy, but it’s essential and the tide will turn. Those who continue to show up right now for their customers will be on the winning side when it does turn.

The event’s theme is ‘Shattering Glass Ceilings: A Woman’s Impact on Supply Chain’; what does this mean to you and what role does mentorship, self-advocacy, collaboration play in doing that? How do we close the gender gap and move the needle to pave the way for future female leaders in logistics?

Kacy: It starts with leaders, and not just female leaders. The responsibility to close the gender gap and pave the way falls equally between male and female leaders. Reach out to those junior female colleagues – make it clear that you see them, and they aren’t just a number or low hanging fruit. Give them honest actionable feedback on what they can do to grow and introduce them to other leaders in your network.

This doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment in your already busy booked up life. Many of us tend to think about how busy we are and how we couldn’t possibly fit in something else, but let’s be realistic about truly how much time this takes; 5 mins to send a LinkedIn message or intro email or 30 mins for a coffee to get to know them a bit and offer your advice.

It took many years for the industry gap to form, and it will take time to level back out so don’t discount the impact your 5 – 30 mins could make in the journey to redefine the norms and diversify a global multi-billion-dollar industry.

Whitney: I have been so fortunate to have had a string of male leaders who have supported my career development and championed my next step. I know this isn’t the story for everyone, but I believe we must be telling the stories of the men who are stepping up to champion diversity and gender equality in this industry. I have a gut feeling there are more of us out there than we let on, and I believe by honoring their work it will encourage others to step up.

As female leaders, we need to be better advocates and cheerleaders for other women in the workplace. We don’t often talk about this side of the coin, but I think its important to acknowledge because women are feeling it across the board. How can we lift each other up and support the growth of those around us? We can mentor. We can champion other female leaders in rooms they are not in. Be open to having both the fun, easy conversations and the hard ones – put in the work to develop strong bonds.

To continue the conversation, connect with Whitney and Kacy on LinkedIn.