SACO Shipping South Africa has confirmed it has appointed Samantha Dorrington as managing director of the neutral consolidator’s logistics and supply chain training academy, Metro Minds.
Her succession is a natural fit, as she joined the academy in 2011 as a facilitator, some five years after Metro Minds was launched in 2006 by current MD Juliette Fourie, who steps down on 28 February.
An industry stalwart for 28 years, Dorrington started her career in the freight industry, first in the finance department of Union Transport, later progressing to operations at UTi Worldwide.
“I never thought that I would stay in the industry or that I would find training and leadership so interesting, but it became my passion," she said.
"I absolutely love it. Seeing young minds grow fills me with the kind of satisfaction that’s hard to put into words.”
Reminiscing about her own road to logistics and learning, Dorrington said when she decided to move from operations into becoming a training executive at Metro Minds, it was a foregone conclusion that she would facilitate coursework in freight forwarding and customs compliance, intrinsic industry fields in which she had excelled.
In 2016, she was appointed operations director and became a business partner at the academy, further solidifying her upward trajectory.
Pleasantly self-effacing, Dorrington said: “I’m very humbled by this appointment. It’s a bittersweet moment for me because I have so much respect for what Juliette has accomplished with Metro Minds. There’s no way I can fill her shoes, and I will have to shape my own legacy at Metro Minds.”
What that legacy potentially looks like has already crystallised in Dorrington’s mind.
“We still see a big need in the industry for customs compliance and training in freight forwarding. We partner with many industry leaders for that, and we take aspiring young professionals on site visits to show them how things happen in practice.”
An ardent advocate of knuckling down with theoretical knowledge, Dorrington said: “It’s also important to understand that not everything can be taught from behind a desk. We believe in the real-life simulations we expose students to and, as an academy, are constantly evolving by developing new programmes for our clients.
“Figuring out how to add value by taking imparted skills and showing how they are practically applied in the workplace is very important for us,” she said.
Dorrington added that she foresaw an increased drive in enhanced technology immersion.
“Artificial intelligence has become a buzz phrase in many industries, but novice careerists need to learn how it’s optimised through the human application. Data integration has become very important and both newcomers to the industry and experienced logistics professionals must learn the ins and outs of data analytics to further freight dynamics.”
Fourie is, without a doubt, the best-placed person to sing Dorrington’s praises.
She said: “It was unanimously decided by the shareholders and I that Samantha is the right and best choice to take over my role.
“She brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in training, education and operational leadership, positioning her as an ideal candidate to take Metro Minds forward. Her extensive knowledge highlights her deep expertise in developing, facilitating and managing high-quality training programmes. This aligns seamlessly with the MD's responsibility to ensure the delivery of impactful and innovative training solutions.
“Her strategic and operational leadership is evident in her ability to plan and execute long-term goals effectively, and she has demonstrated exceptional skill in managing operational complexities, aligning organisational activities with overarching objectives, and driving meaningful outcomes.”
Dorrington said she realised a major challenge lay ahead, but it comes with a lot of opportunities.
“We will strive to stay abreast of the times and identify what the needs of our clients are within the industry.
“It’s so rewarding to see people grow through the coursework we expose them to. It’s funny that newcomers often refer to freight forwarding as ‘fright’ forwarding, and it’s actually so true. Our industry can be daunting, so it’s immensely inspiring to think that our role as a leading academy for the industry is to bridge the skills gap, that we so often see, with high-quality learning.”
