Herbie takes over from Laura Hobby, who during her 12-month tenure as chair of the virtual YFN has overseen the development of the network into a flourishing collective of young forwarders across the UK.
At the same time the chairs of the five regional groups within the YFN have recently reintroduced face-to-face meetings within their respective regions.
Herbie, who works for Geodis, is the current holder of the BIFA Apprentice of the Year award and highlighted the importance of the YFN as a tool to promote careers in logistics.
He said: “I’m looking forward to chairing the virtual YFN and hope one day to be involved in the formation of a Yorkshire/Humberside region to meet like-minded people who are passionate about the industry.”
A total of 79 face-to-face and virtual networking events have been held since the inception of the YFN in 2019, that are an integral part of BIFA’s attempts to improve the promotion of the sector, making it more attractive to younger people and providing forums from which to learn.
Carl Hobbis, an executive director at BIFA, who has management responsibility for the trade association’s training and development services said: “Laura has delivered excellent leadership of the YFN over the past 12 months and has left Herbie with a tough act to follow.
“His challenge will be to continue from where Laura left off and maintain the network’s attraction to existing and new members. He will take the lead in building a fresh new programme of online events, presented roughly once every three weeks, supported by the regional groups’ quarterly face-to-face events that will help BIFA to further develop the membership and relevance of the network.”
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Notes to editors
The YFN was launched in March 2019 to create several regional networking groups, run by young forwarders and designed to help early talent, apprentices and young employees of BIFA members develop their knowledge and professional skills, but in a more social environment.
When it was launched, BIFA said it thought it would prove to be a major step forward for the industry in developing its future freight forwarding ambassadors and leaders.
The young people who are participating in the events are improving their knowledge of the sector, trends within it, as well as building their skill sets and learning from others.
BIFA’s YFN is committed to providing opportunities for those new to the industry to develop their knowledge and professional skills. Membership is free and open to any employee of a BIFA Member company.
Details of future events can be found by following BIFA’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/bifa-young-forwarders-network/?viewAsMember=true.
For further information, or to offer your services as a speaker at an event, contact BIFA’s Communications and Events team – bifacomms@bifa.org
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Media reference:
Ref: Ian Matheson, Impress Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 7894 406762 e-mail: info@impresscommunications.org
