Name: Lorraine Brooks
Job title: Distribution and Warehousing Manager
Company name: ABE (Ledbury)
Time with current company: 25 Years
Tell us a little about your career journey and what made you choose to work in logistics:
After leaving school at 16 I worked in a variety of jobs, including selling insurance for a bank, until I responded to an ad for a purchase ledger clerk at ABE. I joined before the internet and email, and as technology took off so did our business.
What started as a finance job quickly evolved into a much wider role as the business grew and despite the longer hours it was great and a real learning curve.
I also volunteered to attend national member meetings, and was one of only three women in attendance at the time. It was a male dominated industry back then, but I used it as an opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s most formidable stalwarts.
Which departments do you work closely with?
I’m really lucky that my role covers all departments at ABE and I work closely with the wider Palletline group, including our eight other businesses throughout the UK. This adds further diversity to my role and allows me to get involved with a range of projects and campaigns outside of my day to day job.
What do you like / enjoy about your role?
I feel privileged to have been part of a business that has enabled me to take opportunities, learn on the job and develop my skills. The logistics landscape is constantly changing so you can’t stand still – you need to change with it and that makes for a rich and exciting sector to be part of.
What are your future career plans?
I am focussed on turning ABE into a workplace of choice which involves a lot of work around employee engagement and development to grow our team and prime some of our junior team members for leadership roles in the future.
What would you say to someone that is considering starting a career in the logistics industry?
My advice to anyone entering the sector would be to grab opportunities with both hands. Or create your own!