Women in Aviation and Logistics plans second mentorship scheme

The Women in Aviation and Logistics (WAL) project is planning to launch its second mentorship scheme after the success of the first programme.

WAL said that it hoped that the second programme would take place in the autumn.

The move comes after the success of the inaugural four-month scheme, which saw 27 mentees successfully complete the programme, reporting a “boost in confidence and benefitting from networking with senior members of  the industry”.

In total, 54 industry professionals representing airlines, airports, freight forwarders, shippers, ground handlers, tech, drone companies, and industry associations took part.

“The initiative ran between January and May and was designed to support the development of talented women in aviation and logistics, offering them a different perspective in career development as well as opportunities to learn from diverse practices and cultures,” WAL said.

“This programme was very well prepared, well framed, and with good communication in all steps of the process, A-class mentors and an uplifting community,” said Vanessa Hubert, director, revenue optimization, DHL Aviation and WAL Mentee.

Céline Hourcade, founder and managing director of the consulting firm Change Horizon and co-founder of WAL, said: “Inspiring positive change with concrete solutions is part of our DNA at WAL.

“Seeing how many mentorship participants plan to continue fostering their relationships and reaping the benefits in the years to come is immensely rewarding and provides us with a license to continue our work.

“The need for such mentoring will only increase in the future as more and more women are joining our wonderful industry. We call businesses to take advantage of this growing talent group with more formal and informal mentoring. With the workforce shortage crisis this industry is facing right now, the need to attract diverse profiles is as urgent as ever.”

Caption: From left to right Justina Messeiller, senior consultant, Change Horizon; Vitaly Smilianets , founder and chief executive of Awery Aviation Software; Ariaen Zimmerman, Air cargo consultant; Michelle Lawrence, director of marketing, Airline Services International; Lesley Cripps, director of sales, CargoFlash; Glyn Hughes, director general, TIACA; Donna Mullins, vice president, Kale Info Solutions; Steven Polmans, VP business development and free zone regulatory affairs, Abu Dhabi Airports; Sarah Van Gelder, cargo community solution manager, Nallian; Céline Hourcade, founder and Managing Director of Change Horizon and co-Founder of WAL