In important news for anyone with a vested interest in the Northern Ireland transport industry, a new National Regional Officer has been appointed to the renowned Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).The appointment heralds a new era, with haulage companies and transport professionals lauding Pamela Dennison’s progressive leadership as a bold move into the future.
Who is Pamela Dennison?
At just 32 years of age, CILT’s National Regional Officer is set to breathe fresh life into not just a new role within the organisation, but into the industry as a whole. Representing a highly underrated demographic within the male-dominated transport industry, Dennison’s newly created role will see her responsible for building on CILT’s membership base and improving the profile of transport and logistics in the region.
Dennison is an established and successful businesswoman from County Antrim, and amassed a wealth of experience in the industry at a very young age. She worked in her father’s specialist furniture logistics business before going on to secure compliance management roles in European haulage companies McCulla Ireland Ltd and Beatties Distribution Services Ltd. Her current full-time role is as Transport and Contracts Manager for a high-profile public sector organisation.
Among her professional qualifications, Dennison holds the position of Vice-Chair of the Freight Transport Association (FTA) Regional Committee for Northern Ireland, and is Secretary of a rural community hall and an environmental group. She achieved the CPC (International Certificate of Professional Competence in road transport) and holds a HGV class C & E driving license. Along with her new appointment and a full-time job, she is also the busy mother of two young girls and remains active in her family’s business.
Well-Deserved Awards
Proving that she has the chops to put her money where her mouth is, Dennison was the recipient of the FTA’s Driving Style award at the annual national Driver of the Year Competitionin 2017. She was the only female to be shortlisted in the popular 18-tonne CatID, and her win was no small achievement in a field of highly experienced men.
She also won the Women in Transport award at the 2017 Fleet Transport Awards Gala Banquet, held in Dublin, and herfamily business received the coveted Haulier of the Year at the Northern Ireland Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards. Amongst a host of haulage companies, W.S Dennison was praised for its standards and customer service in a highly niche area, adding yet another gong to Dennison’sever-growing swag of awards.
A Leading Lady
With females comprising just 1% of UK HGV drivers, Dennison sees her appointment to CILT as an important step in raising the profile of an under-represented demographic. In her campaign to raise the profile of CILT, she is aiming to promote the industry specifically to young people and women, as well as continuing to support its existing members. She says that many women may not naturally consider a role in the transport industry, and that it is her mission to change that mindset and open up the vast range of opportunities that are available within the sector.
CILT Steps Forward to the Future
CILT’s appointment of Pamela Dennison and their commitment to allowing her to develop her new role is seen as a highly progressive step. There’s little doubt within the industry that haulage professionals across the UK are set to benefit from this determined young woman’s leadership in the years to come.
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage companies with jobs in road transport and haulage work. Over 4,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.