Plover, Wisconsin, February 24, 2016 — The Women In Trucking (WIT) Association today announced the finalists for the 2nd Annual “Distinguished Woman in Logistics” award established to promote the achievements of women employed in the North American transportation industry. Finalists for the award are Elizabeth Fretheim, director, Logistics Sustainability, Walmart; Liz Lasater, chief executive officer, Red Arrow Logistics; and Shelley Simpson, chief marketing officer, executive vice president and president, Integrated Capacity Solutions and Truck, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. The winner will be announced by joint program sponsors TMW Systems and Truckstop.com on behalf of WIT on Friday, April 8, during the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) 2016 “Capital Ideas” Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas.
The award highlights the vital roles of leading women in the dynamic and increasingly influential field of commercial transportation and logistics, which encompasses both logistics service providers as well as motor carriers.
The finalists for the 2016 “Distinguished Woman in Logistics” award lead businesses or operating units that have achieved significant regional, national and/or global scale and which serve many of the industry’s premier shippers as transportation service providers. Each has demonstrated superior leadership within their company as well as with other professional, educational or philanthropic organizations.
In her role as Director of Logistics Sustainability for Walmart Stores, Inc., Fretheim provides strategic direction to sustainability efforts for the logistics division including the third largest private truck fleet in North America and more than 150 distribution centers. She has driven strategic sustainability initiatives that saved more than $3.5 billion in four years and is credited with leading the achievement of doubling freight efficiency for the multinational retailer. Fretheim is a sought-after speaker at industry events and the recipient of the Green Biz coveted VERGE 25 Smarter Supply Chain award.
Founder and Red Arrow Logistics Chief Executive Officer Liz Lasater holds more than 20 years broad international and domestic experience in global transportation and logistics. She has created solutions for clients that encompass international trade and logistics, manufacturing support services, warehousing, distribution and technology. Lasater speaks worldwide on supply chain trends and technology solutions. She sits on a number of boards including the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition, Win With Washington (state), The Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing and serves as an advisor for the Lake Washington Technical Institute Transportation & Logistics Management program. Both Lasater and Red Arrow Logistics have been honored and recognized by many regional and national organizations.
Shelley Simpson is Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Integrated Capacity Solutions and Truckload for J.B. Hunt. Her accomplishments include helping J.B. Hunt increase revenue from $4.5 to $6.2 billion over five years and leading her business unit to a nearly billion-dollar entity through strategic guidance and innovative ideas. The business unit is now among the top five of 3rd party logistics companies in the trucking industry. Simpson holds several board positions and is involved with Women in Supply Chain Excellence at her alma mater, the University of Arkansas.
Finalists were selected from an extensive field of high-performing women representing warehousing, traffic and shipping, third-party logistics, supply chain management and related functional disciplines. Members of the judging panel were: Kate Miller, president, Blue Edge Marketing Ltd.; Diane A. Mollenkopf, Ph.D., McCormick associate professor of logistics and director, Ph.D. program in supply chain management, University of Tennessee; Fred Moody, editor and publisher, Logistics Quarterly; and Ellen Voie, CAE, president and CEO, Women in Trucking, Inc.
The winner of the 2016 award will be announced Friday morning, April 8, during the TIA Annual Business Meeting and Opening Session at the Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, TX.
To learn more about the award and related events, please visit www.womenintrucking.org.
