Helping build more resilient leadership pipelines

Freight and logistics is one of the most dynamic and important sectors in the economy, but needs more women at every level. According to Dr Juliette Fourie, managing director of leadership diagnostics and development company ELEA, women currently account for only around 28% of South Africa’s logistics and transport workforce, with even fewer occupying senior leadership positions. “This highlights a significant gap between participation and influence in the industry,” she told Freight News. Fourie said the underrepresentation of women in senior and executive positions remained one of the biggest challenges, along with lingering perceptions that freight and logistics are male-dominated industries. Unequal access to advancement opportunities and difficulties retaining women in workplaces where the culture, flexibility and support structures are inadequate are also of concern. “These are not abstract issues. Recent South African sector reporting points to a gap between how men and women perceive fairness in advancement and pay, with women far less likely to believe that opportunities and salaries are truly equal.” However, the role of women in the sector has changed significantly in recent years, with more women moving beyond traditional administrative and support functions into operational, technical, commercial and leadership positions. “This shift is being recognised more broadly across the country, with industry bodies and thought leaders calling for women to play a far greater role in rebuilding and modernising logistics,” said Fourie. “At ELEA, we see this as both a talent opportunity and a leadership imperative.” The company works with organisations in the freight and logistics sector to assess leadership capability, identify high- potential individuals and develop targeted competencies. It uses talent data, diagnostics and development programmes to help companies build more resilient leadership pipelines. ELEA is also a leadership development partner to the Institute of Customs and Freight Forwarding (ICFF), reinforcing its commitment to strengthening leadership capability across the logistics sector. “At ELEA, we believe that attracting, developing and retaining female talent requires more than isolated HR initiatives. It requires a seamless talent ecosystem in which every stage of the employee journey is connected,” said Fourie. “When attraction, assessment, development, performance, FN25J0358S succession and retention work together, businesses are better able to identify high-potential women early, understand their strengths and development needs, create meaningful leadership pathways and build cultures where women can grow, contribute and stay.” This integrated approach helps organisations move from good intentions to practical implementation by using reliable talent data, focused development interventions and clear leadership pipelines. It ensures that talented women are identified, supported and prepared for the right opportunities at the right time. A meaningful indication of the impact of this approach can be found in ELEA’s internal assessment data. Women represented 43% of the population assessed, compared with 57% men. While this confirmed that a representation gap remained, the development results were encouraging. Women achieved 722 competency improvements, demonstrating strong engagement, measurable growth and consistent progression as leaders. One of the most significant areas of improvement was in “Atoning”, a leadership competency associated with accountability, ownership, self-awareness and the ability to build trust. “This is especially relevant because the future of freight and logistics will require leaders who are not only technically capable, but also emotionally mature, accountable and able to build resilient teams,” said Fourie. She believes the industry’s conversation should therefore move beyond representation alone. “It is not only about leadership titles, but about creating the strategic intent and evidence-based infrastructure required to build high- performing leadership cultures. Through evidence-based measurement, organisations can establish a clear baseline, understand their current capability, identify targeted development priorities and measure progress over time.” LV