Now in its 18th year, this prestigious programme spotlights remarkable female talent in a male-dominated sector where women account for only a quarter (26%) of the transport industry’s 1.5 million employees and 20% of the two million people working in logistics and warehousing. By showcasing the achievements of women at all stages of their career, from apprentices to CEOs, the awards aim to inspire the next generation of female leaders to pursue careers in this dynamic field.
The 2025 finalists from Scotland are:
- Laura Hay, Senior Director, Global Program Management at Trax Technologies, from Glasgow — Finalist for The Customer/Passenger Leader Award – sponsored by PepsiCo
- Heather Waugh, Rapid Deployment Train Driver at Freightliner, from Airdrie — Finalist for The Freight Above & Beyond Award
- Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon UK, from Irvine — Finalist for Male Agent of Change – sponsored by Asda
- Arlene Hendry, Distribution Centre Manager at Movianto UK, from Airdrie — Finalist for The Supply Chain Leader Award
- Kate Samuels, Policy Officer at Sustrans, from Glasgow — Finalist for the Sustainability Champion Award
- Diane Gilpin, Founder & CEO at Smart Green Shipping, from Glasgow — Finalist for The Tech Innovator Award
Laura Hay is a results-driven Senior Director of Customer Success with over 25 years of experience in strategic consulting, sales, and customer engagement. She specialises in optimising global supply chains, reducing risks, and driving efficiency through data-driven solutions. With a strong ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with clients, she excels at driving customer success and delivering measurable value for Fortune 500 companies. She is committed to creating opportunities for women in transport and logistics, helping to shape a more inclusive industry.
Heather Waugh joined the rail industry as a train driver with Scotrail in August 2006. In January 2019, Heather became Freightliner’s first ever female train driver in Scotland and, indeed, the only female freight train driver at all in Scotland. She is passionate about issues around mental health, wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion and believes strongly in breaking down barriers, both mental and physical. Heather’s extraordinary dedication to the industry sees her dedicate over 1,000 personal hours per year, as well as working long, challenging hours in a job that has no access to communications. Heather is a popular keynote speaker, and has spoken at events including COP26 and European Year of Rail in Austria. Heather was on the steering group for Rail Wellbeing Live, and has recently been appointed a Trustee of Women in Rail. Her proudest achievement is founding the Railway Family Fundraiser in 2022, an annual event created to raise spirits and bring people together. She has raised over £100,000 in just over 3 years, through a variety of inclusive events involving over 60 rail companies.
Jamie Strain has been a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) advocate throughout his career, engaging and supporting company-wide initiatives. In 2023, he formally sponsored the launch of a programme to support Amazon's female recruitment and retention agenda within the UK Customer Fulfilment network. Jamie directly influenced and shaped the strategy of the programme, empowering programme managers to "think big" and implement bold initiatives. The programme delivered tangible results in the UK. Jamie actively mentors women leaders and engages with industry forums to share best practices. His influence extends beyond Amazon, contributing to broader industry discussions about gender equality in logistics.
Arlene Hendry has worked within the Transport and Logistics Sector since 1997. Her career within the industry started in customer service because she wanted to work in an office. She was soon obsessed with the extremely fast paced environment and loved the fact no two days were ever the same. She worked her way up to become a manager in 2000. There was no intention to move into an operational role as she saw this as being dominated by men and the thought of wearing a hi-viz vest and safety footwear was not her thing. She was convinced to try it for three months and immediately after moving into operations, she knew she would never look back. She is immensely proud of the hard work and commitment she has given throughout the last 25 years within the industry.
Kate Samuels is a Policy Officer and Environmental Lead at Sustrans, a charity committed to promoting sustainable transport. With a background in environmental policy, equalities and campaigning, Kate has been instrumental in advocating for more accessible and inclusive infrastructure to support walking, wheeling and cycling and reduce emissions. Kate’s passion for creating healthier, greener communities is evident in her efforts to influence policy and drive change at both local and national levels where she has worked with over 100 politicians. Kate has become a prominent figure in the policy and transport sector, affecting legislative change on dangerous driving guidelines and air quality strategy for Scotland. Kate is also a mentor at Women in Transport where she supports and develops careers of young women in the sector.
Diane Gilpin, Founder/CEO Smart Green Shipping (SGS), leads a cross-sector collaboration that has designed, built, installed, tested and demonstrated an intelligent, lightweight retrofittable wingsail, FastRig, to accelerate decarbonisation of global shipping. FastRig is enabled by a digital core that enables frictionless market uptake and fuel/GHG savings of up to 40%pa. SGS will be installing FastRigs commercially from 2026, and is this year focusing on building a global supply chain and expanding the team
The awards, sponsored by associate partner bp, have evolved since their inception almost two decades ago to reflect the industry’s changing priorities, with a growing focus on automation and sustainability.
The winners of the everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards, in association with bp, will be announced at the awards ceremony and luncheon held on 26th June 2025 at the Park Plaza London Riverbank. For further information, visit www.everywoman.com/tlawards
Viviane Paxinos, CEO at everywoman, comments: “The transport and logistics industry is fundamental to the UK economy, and these awards celebrate the remarkable women who are driving innovation and growth in this pivotal sector. The inspiring stories of our exceptional finalists will highlight viable pathways for aspiring women in this field, and also demonstrate to businesses the value of embracing this untapped talent pool.”
Maxine Benson MBE, and Karen Gill MBE, co-founders of everywoman, comment: “By shining a light on the achievements of exceptional women working in transport and logistics, we are providing authentic role models that will inspire newcomers in the sector. Their experiences illustrate the diverse pathways to success at every career stage, from apprenticeships to leadership, and will create a powerful ripple effect that empowers other women to pursue their ambitions with unwavering confidence."
Stella Brenninkmeijer, Vice President Strategic Corporates at bp, comments: “bp is incredibly proud to sponsor the ETL awards this year. It was a privilege to judge the everywoman Industry Champion Award. The finalists represent the very best of female talent in the industry, showcasing remarkable resilience and leadership in being champions for change and supporting women in transport and logistics.”