Women in Logistics

Sarah Jane Ball, Woodland’s Senior Fleet Controller, is one of the many talented women working in supply chain management as part of Woodland Group and has agreed to share her career story to inspire more women to join our industry.

“I started my Health and Safety career in 2013, when I did my IOSH managing safely qualification at my previous company. My site manager at the time approached me and said “Sarah, you’re good at spotting issues, can you do the course?

“From that day I continued to work in Health and Safety. With a growing thirst for knowledge in Health and Safety Law, my interest fell to the history of Health and Safety and how it has evolved throughout the years, and, importantly, has helped and protected working people through the years.

“I started at Woodland in August 2019 as the new health and safety officer. I was based in Chelmsford but knew there were seven more sites to look after at the time they were; Altrincham, Coventry, Hayes, Dewsbury, Hull, Seaham and Yaxley.

“I remember walking through those visitor doors and being greeted by Ruth, our receptionist, waiting for my new manager, Andy to come and collect me. We walked across the site, and I started to feel extremely nervous and to get those first day butterflies, worrying if I could remember the way back to my desk, let alone all the names and faces I saw! Although I was nervous initially, I never once felt I couldn’t achieve what I came here to do at Woodland.

“From my first interaction with Woodlanders, seated next to a mix of people working across finance, compliance and digital, up to the present day, the Woodland approach of making people feel at ease, included, valued, and heard was apparent. My career at Woodland has seen many changes, from the opening of new sites and expansion of teams, to facing tough challenges, like COVID breaking out in the first six months of working at Woodland, and putting all the hard work in to get ISO14001 up and running for Woodland.

“However, my biggest project was delivering success across the huge fast-moving transport vehicle fleet that Woodland has in the UK. Coming from a background of dealing with drivers and fleet management, I found myself drawn back to it. I started working closely alongside Liam Marsh who at the time was working in Yaxley dealing with Compliance. As the Logistics business was trying to obtain the FORS accreditation, I helped with policies, procedures and risk assessments. I had some knowledge of what the audit would need and provided help and assistance to Liam. Over the past 4 and half years I have worked closely with the logistics team watching them develop, I have seen many changes and new processes, and a huge amount of positive impact as a result.

“Then, a Senior Fleet Coordinator position opened and I applied for the job. I soon found out that I had been accepted and was welcomed by the team.

“I look back over the years and think of where I have come from. I started my career in a scrap yard where most of the women in the office held admin roles, and when I was asked to become a manager, I was even told that a woman wouldn’t become a manager in the business! (I know, jaw drop moment), but the Company should not be judged on the actions of one man alone, I don’t believe all aligned with that particular person.

“I remember Andy Papps from Woodland Group asking me for my reasons for wanting to leave my previous company in my interview and I told him the above-mentioned. I have never seen such shock before, but I always remember him saying to me, I can assure you, that will never be said to you here and I am so sorry you have been spoken to like that.

“Working here at Woodland, I feel I have found my place, I enjoy coming to work, I love the people I work with, and I have had a great opportunity to meet pretty much everyone who works across the UK Woodland sites, I’ve had some great laughs and I hope to continue them in my new role.

“Although Health and Safety was not a career I thought I’d ever choose, I started my career in it because I was good at detecting gaps and areas of concern. I’ve definitely enjoyed the challenges and the new skills it has given me. Not many women I know can say they have operated a 360 crane, shear baler, and learnt to couple and uncouple an HGV. I feel very lucky and look forward to the future and the new skills I will learn."

Learn more about the opportunities to join Woodland Group here.

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