Women in Supply Chain: What Good Looks Like in Practice Today
Stephen Ashton, CEO
There’s no shortage of content about women in supply chain, and most of it lands in the same place. Progress is happening, but not fast enough. More needs to be done.
That’s fair, but it doesn’t reflect what you see on the ground.
Spend time in a live operation or a real transformation programme and you see something different. Women are already leading. Running sites, managing complexity, and making decisions that carry weight. That’s how supply chains work today.
The question now isn’t whether women can lead, but whether businesses are set up to recognise it and back it properly. As Kate Howells, Senior Consultant at Visku, reflects, it often comes down to confidence, not capability.
Kate also makes a point that resonates, that the learning doesn’t just go one way. The people coming through the industry today see things for what they are, not how they’ve always been done.
I’d agree with that. I’ve never seen this as women versus men. It comes down to capability, talent and whether people are given the environment to grow. That matters in an industry that hasn’t always felt accessible, especially for women. The more visible female leaders become, the more it changes what people believe is possible.
Supply Chain Leadership Is Shifting in Practice
41% of the workforce in supply chain is now female. It’s great to see. That said, progress isn’t always a straight line. Recent data shows a dip in women in leadership roles across parts of the sector, which is a useful reminder that momentum needs to be supported, not assumed.
That’s where the Visku mentoring programme really starts to matter. It helps make the industry easier to access and understand. The Visku Mentoring Programme has been designed to give back to the supply chain industry by introducing people intercompany and across all levels. The programme bridges gaps and allows you to engage with people you wouldn’t typically have access to.
Supply chain isn’t just boxes through a warehouse. It’s data, systems, people, planning, technology and orchestration. The more we show that, the more people can see a place for themselves in it.
And you can already see the impact. Mentees are promoted far more often than those without mentors, and access to leaders gives women in supply chain the kind of perspective and support that can genuinely change confidence and progression.
How This Works at Visku
At Visku, this is already part of how the work gets done. Many of those driving change are women who are close to the detail and focused on making sure it works in practice.
Across consulting and transformation programmes, women are leading work on warehouse network strategy, transport planning, and operations improvement. You see it in how the work plays out. Decisions are tested properly, and what’s happening on site is part of the conversation from the start.
That’s how we support customers every day: by bringing the right people into the right conversations, and making sure the solution works in the real operation, not just on paper.
Why Operational Experience Still Matters
Strong supply chain leaders understand operations. Many started on the warehouse floor or in transport roles, and that experience shapes how they lead. It comes from doing the job, staying curious, and learning from the people around you.
You see that in Charlotte Herberson’s experience. Starting part-time in a warehouse and working her way through to managing the operation gave her a grounding that still shapes how she works today. A big part of that came from the people around her, particularly her mentor Lorraine, who helped build confidence early on.
That influence carries through. Time on site still matters, not just to understand the operation, but to connect with people and create visibility for those coming through. Seeing that in practice changes what people believe is possible.
Planning for People in Logistics Needs a More Realistic View
When people return to work, on paper nothing has changed. Same role, same expectations. But in reality, things have shifted.
At Visku, we take a more realistic view and design roles with that in mind.
There’s flexibility, open conversations, and an understanding that people perform better when work fits around real life, not against it. Because careers don’t follow a straight line, and they shouldn’t have to.
For me, this comes back to wellbeing and culture more than policy. If you see people as people, with families, responsibilities and lives outside work, then flexibility stops being a special case. Instead, it becomes part of how you plan properly.
As Pruthvi Trivedi shared in her own experience, returning to work isn’t about picking up where you left off. You come back with a different perspective, often with new strengths. More patience, empathy, and perspective. The kind of qualities that strengthen teams, and something I’ve seen benefit people right across the business.
Asking Practical Questions on Women in Supply Chain
If you’re investing in supply chain transformation or logistics consulting services, look closely at how your teams are set up.
Are you making full use of the capability already in your business, including the women across your supply chain?
Are the people closest to the details shaping decisions, or are the same voices still dominating the room?
Because I’ve seen firsthand that the capability is already there. Our job is to create an environment where people can grow into it and help others do the same.