Women In Trucking (WIT) has announced Hannah Cannington as its November 2019 Member of the Month. Cannington is the Branch Manager for the Alabama Motor Express, Inc (AMX) Logistics office in Savannah, Georgia. As a rising star in the supply chain industry, Cannington has proven success comes from hard work and dedication.
Logistics wasn’t on Cannington’s radar as a professional career. In fact, she worked in healthcare for a few years, before a friend reached out to her about a job in logistics. Knowing nothing about logistics, but at a point in her career where she welcomed exciting new opportunities, Cannington joined the C.H. Robinson team. She started in operations, assisting with customer freight by tracking, tracing and dispatching truck drivers.
Her interest in supply chain and aptitude working with others led to her transition into the strategic side of the business and eventually into human resources. After three years at C.H. Robinson, Cannington knew it was time to pursue her passion for working with people.
Cannington spent three years at multiple recruiting firms where she worked closely with supply chain professionals. But something was still missing. Cannington loved the “on your toes” feeling that she had when working in supply chain. Her experience working in logistics and background in human resources made her the ideal candidate for the role as Branch Manager at AMX Logistics.
“When approached for branch manager, I had my doubts,” said Cannington. “I didn’t have 15-20 years of experience, but I kept telling myself that I was worth it – and that I could handle the challenge.”
Cannington now leads a team of talented logistics professionals that streamlines processes to provide superior service for customers. She has a simple strategy: Work quickly but be thorough.
“Logistics requires an incredible amount of problem solving in an incredibly short period of time,” said Cannington. “Anything could happen, at any time. Sometimes, information isn’t available until the last minute. Our customers expect us to have the answers anyway.”
When looking for the perfect candidate for a supply chain role, Cannington looks for someone like herself. She didn’t come from logistics, but it takes hard work and dedication to be in this field of work.
“Logistics experience is great, but I appreciate people who are always up for a challenge because I know they can work under pressure,” she said.
The future of the industry is unclear, but Cannington knows one thing is for sure – women in the logistics industry need to look at what they’ve done and know they’ve helped to break the pre-conceived mold of what a supply chain professional looks like.
“Logistics is more complicated, more interesting and more fun than most people assume,” said Cannington. “For a long time, there was a perception it was all about truck drivers. Or, that it’s dominated by men. I’m here as proof that logistics offers something for everyone.”
