Women in Logistics spotlight: Abbey
Women in Logistics (WIL) is an Employee Resource Group that attracts, connects and develops the TQL community of women by providing internal networking opportunities, professional development and community involvement. WIL spotlights its members regularly to share their stories of success. This month, learn about Abbey, TQL’s Director of Finance.
Share your story of becoming successful at TQL.
My first role at TQL was as a Staff Accountant on the Financial Accounting team. I attribute a lot of my growth to being exposed to many different processes across the company and throughout the life cycle of a load. I was introduced to many different teams and operations by reconciling accounts and tracing transaction history for customer payments, invoicing, carrier payments, and more. I was curious to understand (and minimize) the friction points across teams and explain big picture impacts along the way. Two great stepping stones to leadership are minimizing friction for teams and helping bring clarity and purpose to a situation.
What qualities/personality traits got you where you are today?
My ability to pause and mentally reset has helped me in my career. I don’t let myself get easily rattled. When challenges intensify, I stay calm and focus on breaking them down into basics. For example, how can I leverage the facts of the situation and use the tools at hand to make progress? I am also a great listener. I learn by listening and evaluating how someone communicates. Not everyone communicates in the same way, so it is important to understand who you are speaking with to optimize the conversation.
What are the benefits of having more women and diversity at TQL?
Diversity brings out the best in a group of people. It challenges us to think outside our own minds and expand the way we approach a situation. If you are surrounded by people who have only had the same experiences as you, and the same default view, your strategies for continuous growth and success will have bigger blind spots.
What is the best career advice you’ve received and given?
The best career advice I have received is “work yourself out of a job.” It sounds counterintuitive to job security, but teaching and growing others around you strengthens you in so many ways. If you remain a single point of failure for your processes, you limit yourself from being able to take on new challenges and grow into your next role. The best career advice I have given is “value your time.” I still have to repeat this advice to myself. We only have so many hours in a day, and we have to be intentional about how we choose to spend them.
