Angela Czajkowski is a supply chain and logistics subject matter expert. Prior to joining the Hartman team, she spent nearly 16 years at Samuel Shapiro & Co., a Baltimore-based, Customs brokerage, international logistics and supply chain firm. As the Director of Supply Chain at Shapiro, Angela focused on international logistics and supply chain operations, and had leadership responsibility for customer engagement solutions. She brings significant experience leading cross-functional teams and has supported publicly traded firms, mid-market companies, along with countless small firms and start-ups.
Statement on DEI:
Ensuring that individuals of different backgrounds, gender identities, races, cultures, religions, sexual orientation, ages, and abilities have a seat at the table and a voice that is heard creates a richer experience for everyone involved. Diverse perspectives, experiences, knowledge, and skills broaden our ways of thinking, of problem solving, and of fostering environments in which people can grow. We all feel more connected to places where we not only see ourselves represented, but where we know diverse perspectives are valued. Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive and access to resources to achieve their goals.
Audrey Ross is a self-described #TradeGeek, Audrey Ross is experienced in multi-modal shipping, supply chain operations, customs compliance, free trade agreements, and international tax. She is a logistics and customs specialist at Orchard Custom Beauty, managing logistics and cross border compliance for a global supply chain across 16 countries. Ross is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP® | FIBP®) with the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT), and on the Board of Directors for Fashion Group International (Toronto Chapter) and the International Board for the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT).
Barbara Melvin is the Chief Operating Officer with South Carolina Ports Authority, and oversees terminal operations, carrier sales, information technology and support services, crane and equipment maintenance, engineering, environmental, port police, procurement, the logistics solution center, and cruise operations. Melvin also serves as the SCPA’s lead staff person on the Charleston Harbor Post 45 Project. During her 20+ years with SCPA, Melvin has held senior leadership positions including Senior Vice President, Operations and Terminals, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, and Vice President, Government Relations. She serves on many industry and community boards and has received numerous industry awards including the 2021 South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) Woman of the Year.
Statement on DEI:
We all must play a role to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the supply chain, in part, by paying attention to who we hire, train and promote. It has hard to be what you cannot see. Diversity in races, genders, ages and backgrounds throughout an organization, including in senior management, enables future generations to envision themselves excelling in the maritime industry. Diversity and true inclusion also bring different perspectives to the table, resulting in the most innovative ideas to propel our supply chains forward.
Chris Brooks is executive director for The Journal of Commerce within the Maritime & Trade division of IHS Markit. He helps lead the overall JOC business, including JOC.com, The Journal of Commerce, and JOC Events. A 35-year company veteran, his career has spanned every aspect of the editorial operation, from copy and front-line editing to design, reporting, and overseeing numerous websites. From 2008 through 2017, he managed the day-to-day editorial operation, first as managing editor and then as executive editor. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.
Statement on DEI:
Ironically, the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion was woven into the fabric of my early JOC career — a concept before the concept existed, in fact. In those days, with a vibrant global staff of 100-plus in editorial alone, we were far more diverse than we were 10 years later, when consolidation -- born of technological advancement and the demise of the print media age -- eliminated so much of the talent, camaraderie and enjoyment that came with that diversity. Today, we are once again becoming a diverse team, and those long-lost feelings are returning. Ideas are churning. Creativity is bubbling. Work is fun again. That is what DEI means to me. We’ve come a long way: almost full circle. But there is work to be done.
Donna Lemm is the Chief Commercial Officer of National Sales for IMC Companies, the largest marine drayage provider in the United States. She directs the company’s national sales, serving every major port and rail operation in the US with IMC Companies intermodal drayage capacity, equipment management, inland terminal operations, and tailored supply chain solutions. Lemm is on the advisory board of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and has represented AGTC before the US House and US Senate. She participates in the Federal Maritime Commissions Innovation Supply Chain team initiatives and often speaks publicly on the challenges facing the US shipping and intermodal community. She is also a founding advisory board member for EBW (Empowering a Billion Women) Worldwide.
Statement on DEI:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion call us to action in our daily lives. As a young graduate student, my academic study on the Civil Rights Movement brought me to the King Center in Atlanta, where I student interned for Coretta Scott King. She said to me, “Donna, go back to your workplace, to your home, and to your schools and live your passion for racial justice and equality… so others will be moved by what they see and hear.” Those words took root and remain at the core of who I am today. I continue to embrace the commitment I made so many years ago, and embrace every opportunity and challenge to further the cause for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Holly Qualman has been a leader in supply chain and logistics for more than 12 years. Currently the Regional Sr. Manager Lead Logistics Business and Commercial Development at APA, Holly delivers strategic expertise in transportation management, logistics, warehousing and distribution, supply chain optimization, and order fulfillment processes through her unique combination of commercial intelligence, data science, creative ingenuity and methodical execution.
Statement on DEI:
As a minority female who has truly beaten the odds in my career and life, I am passionate about not just acknowledging the amazing contributions of minorities but also celebrating them for the incredible achievements that they are. We are true examples of how hard work can pay off for anyone.
Janet Faulkner is GCT (Global Container Terminals) Canada’s director of operations support. In this role, Janet manages a large team of support and service leaders responsible for interacting with GCT Canada’s supply chain partners, including rail, shipping lines, trucking, labor unions and BCOs. She is a seasoned maritime and supply chain leader with over 25 years of experience in marine terminal operations in a variety of operational and commercial capacities. Faulkner began her career in maritime with Anchor Shipping Ltd. in Vancouver BC in 1993. She has held increasingly senior roles with GCT Canada and its predecessor companies since joining the company in 1999.
Statement on DEI:
Janet focuses on building capacity within her team, fostering collaboration, problem-solving, mentorship and trust. For her, it is important that employees show up each day as their true selves, confident and open in sharing their thoughts and ideas. This fosters a higher degree of engagement, productivity, and innovation across the team.
Janet Nodar is senior editor for project and breakbulk cargo with the Journal of Commerce, chair of the JOC's annual breakbulk and project cargo conference, and chair of the JOC’s DEI honors committee. Prior to (re)joining the JOC in 2017, she was content director for Breakbulk Events and Media, directing programming for as many as five global conferences annually from 2013-2017. Prior to that, Nodar was a reporter and editor for the Journal of Commerce.
Statement on DEI:
There are many strong women in the transportation and logistics industry, but the sector still has much room for improvement in terms of DEI. Our goals for the DEI in Transport & Logistics Honor are to acknowledge efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the industry, to expand awareness of DEI’s importance, and to illustrate what productive and successful DEI programs look like.
Jeniffer (Jen) Boukal is supply base manager for global logistics – APEX in charge of strategy and procurement for global freight forwarding, airfreight, NVOCC, LCL, small parcel, and global trade management at John Deere. She is responsible for Deere global sourcing functions for internal and external customers. Boukal joined Deere & Company in February 2007 and has held multiple positions within the company, including North American transportation, drayage, international transportation, and global strategic sourcing ocean for FCL and Ro/ro. She has led global cross-functional teams. Prior to working for Deere, Boukal worked for J2 Aviation and Walmart.
Statement on DEI:
DEI is important to me because I want everyone to foster empowerment through accurate representation for the betterment of the entire industry and beyond. As a woman who has worked in several male-dominated fields, I wish that I’d had more role models/mentors to guide and inspire me to be bold and take risks. By embracing DEI, companies accurately show the current demographic in the industry and encourage new talent with exciting new perspectives and ideas to change the face of international logistics.
Mina Patel is an event program specialist with more than 30 years of experience in the events business, across industries from international trade and transportation, to technology, retail, engineering, and most recently including the World Ports Conference. She leads speaker logistics for conferences, webcasts, round tables, new launches, and networking programs — events ranging from 25-2,500 attendees.
Statement on DEI:
Simply put, DEI helps ME every day to act without any fear about being true to myself. This fosters a higher degree of engagement, productivity, and innovation that I can contribute to my day-to-day activities.
Peter Tirschwell is Vice President in the Maritime & Trade business of IHS Markit, a global data, analytics and business intelligence organizations. Peter leads the Journal of Commerce, a maritime newspaper founded in 1827, and a team of specialized business journalists focused on the end-to-end global shipping supply chain. Peter has served as a maritime reporter, West Coast Bureau Chief, Editor in Chief, and Publisher of The Journal of Commerce. He is founder and chairman of the annual JOC TPM conference in Long Beach, Cal., writes a regular column, speaks regularly at industry events, and has been quoted by and written for mainstream business media including the BBC, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and The New York Times.
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey is a logistician turned supply chain mogul and is passionate about collaboration, transparency, diversity – and doing better business. She hosts the popular podcast Let’s Talk Supply Chain and puts people at the forefront of an industry that’s traditionally been about stats and numbers. From thought-provoking questions and lively discussions to championing diversity and real people’s industry success, Let’s Talk Supply Chain and its sister shows Women in Supply Chain and Blended bring a breath of fresh air to logistics. Barnes-Humphrey is also the co-founder and CEO of innovative bid-and-ship freight platform Shipz Inc. She has been voted ‘Top 100 Most Influential Women Leaders in Supply Chain (global)’ and ‘Top 100 Most Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain,’ and is a regular contributor at leading industry events.
Statement on DEI:
DEI is important to me because I see the only way forward is through better understanding and the only way we can better understand is to listen and learn about different experiences and perspectives. I started the Blended Podcast for that very reason, giving a safe space for people from various walks of life a chance to come together and feel heard, speak their truth and share their experiences so that others can resonate, understand other cultures etc. DEI is a journey not a destination. It’s about opening hearts and minds so we can live our best lives and make the most out of our time here.
Sarah Holmes is senior global procurement manager for Amazon Global Mile and has spent the last nine years working for Amazon in a number of transportation-related roles. Her current role focuses on procurement of transportation services across multiple modes and global locations. Her biggest contributions to Amazon have included launching and managing a centralized scheduling team, creating multiple metrics to drive process improvement, and being a certified interviewer who supports hiring across all organizations in Amazon. She entered the logistics world to combine her passions for agriculture, travel, and solving problems.
Statement on DEI:
DEI is important to me as I feel we’re just scratching the surface of what true DEI programs can do for companies and individuals. Although I have learned a lot over the past year in terms of DEI, I am excited to learn more and really understand the impact of well-defined DEI programs.
Sheraer (Shay) Abrahams is an event specialist with more than 10 years’ experience in the events business. Since earning a bachelors degree in events management at the University of West London, she has delivered leading events globally across multiple industries, including property, financial services, and transportation. In addition, Abrahams’ passion and commitment to effect real change in diversity, equity and inclusion can be seen through her work as co-chair of IHS Markit’s affinity group, EMpower, and as a committee member of the JOC Diversity Honors committee. She is currently co-leading the inaugural IMO and Wista International Women in Maritime Survey, which will examine the proportion and distribution of women working in the maritime sector.
Statement on DEI:
Having a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace is simply the right thing to do, and there’s also a strong business case for doing so. Several studies have found a direct link between inclusive decision-making and better business performance. It’s no secret that greater organizational diversity improves productivity and wellbeing. The question is no longer why, but how. I’m delighted to be a part of this committee to raise awareness of the wide range of programs, initiatives and efforts that companies have taken towards creating truly DEI-focused organizations.
Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny is founder and group managing director of IAS Holdings (Pvt) Limited. Within four years, under her leadership and guidance, the company has secured joint ventures with a multitude of multinational logistic and supply chain companies. Today IAS Holdings is the holding company for three independent operations: Kerry Logistics, APS Logistics, and Inter Air & Sea Logistics. Wettimuny was ranked among the 50 most powerful businesswomen in Sri Lanka by Echelon Magazine in 2014 and has received numerous awards and honors as a logistician and as a businesswoman. She was the first woman to chair the Sri Lanka Logistics & Freight Forwarders Association (SLFFA). She serves on several business and industry boards including the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA).
Statement on DEI:
DEI programs are integral to building organizations with engaged and happy employees. A strong diversity climate leads to employees with increased job satisfaction, higher levels of trust, increased engagement and strong overall team spirit. It's not just morale that lifts when DEI programs are made a priority: benefits can be seen at every level of the business. I set a standard of equal opportunity and fairness for everyone who works with me. Prioritizing robust DEI programs within an organization helps every employee show up each day without fear about being their true selves. This fosters higher degrees of engagement, productivity, and innovation that ultimately contribute to increased revenue and positive fiscal health for the company.
Rachel Gardham joined IHS Markit in November 2020 as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Global Lead, based in the UK. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Rachel worked for seven years as a Program Manager in a D&I consultancy. She has worked with hundreds of corporate organizations benchmarking their inclusion efforts and devising and delivering bespoke solutions to drive forward their inclusion ambitions. A familiar face within the London LGBT+ business network specifically, Rachel is a visible and vocal advocate for LGBT+ inclusion and frequently advises and speaks on the topics of bisexuality, identity and role modelling.
DEI statement
Rachel obtained a BA in Drama, focusing on performance of identity, from Queen Mary, University of London and an MA in Gender, Sexuality & Culture from Birkbeck, University of London. In her words, she was training for a diversity and inclusion role ‘before she even knew it was a thing.’
Meet the Judges
Meet the Committee Members
Heidi Heseltine has over thirty years’ experience within the shipping industry, spending the first half of her career in vessel operations and quality assurance within the tanker and dry markets before moving into talent attraction and sourcing in the early 2000s. She co-founded the Diversity Study Group in 2018 and is CEO of Halcyon Recruitment. She was named one of the Top Women in Shipping 2020 for her diversity and inclusion work, speaks regularly at maritime conferences, and volunteers with Maritime UK’s diversity and inclusion working groups. She publishes regularly on diversity and inclusion and is co-author of the Maritime Employee Survey, an annual report for the industry focusing on employee trends and remuneration.
Khairunnisa Mohamedali, PhD is Chief Innovation Officer at The Smarty Train, a London-based training, recruitment and talent development firm. She brings over ten years’ experience in organizational culture, award-winning innovation and human-centered design. A social scientist by training, she uses methodological rigor and a holistic systems approach to lead the design and delivery of inclusive experiences that have impact, embed learning, and change behaviors. Working cross-sector, she is a published methodologist, was selected as a Woman of the Future, and most recently lectured at the London School of Economics.
Statement on DEI:
Why does DEI matter? I could well say it matters because it makes for good business. More inclusive businesses have more engaged people. They may well perform better. By some accounts, they have better business outcomes. But if we’re driving for more inclusive and equitable workplaces because it makes people more productive and businesses more successful, then we’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Ultimately, no one should ever feel they have to be anything other than who they are at work. No one should have to feel they have to hide or mask who they are. No one should have to be labelled, be put in a box, feel undervalued, or feel unheard because they look, think or feel differently. So, DEI matters because we live in a world where we still have to explain why it matters. It’s time to reframe the question: When doesn’t DEI matter?
Fabrice Houdart is the Executive Director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. Fabrice consults with Fortune 500 companies on LGBTQ+ issues and teaches at Georgetown University a class titled “Queering International Development”.
He previously worked for the UN/World Bank system for 19 years. Among other roles, he served as a Human Rights Officer at the United Nations in New York from 2016-2020 where he co-authored and led the UN Global LGBTQ+ standards of conduct for business, the largest corporate social responsibility initiative on LGBTQ+ issues in the world.
Fabrice volunteers on several non-profit Boards including Outright Action International, Housing Works, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and Open for Business
Gennifer Herley, PhD, is founder and executive director of TransNewYork. Her career has taken two paths: corporate management roles and business and personal coaching. These have merged into nonprofit organizational leadership. Her leadership experience includes managing all operational activities, such as finances, business development, sales, marketing, and fundraising. Dr. Herley excels at developing and monitoring budgets and resources, planning and executing short- and long-range goals, and redesigning programs to respond to the changing needs of the LGBTQ community, with a focus on transgender members of the community. Herley is a proud transgender woman who recently transitioned. She earned her doctorate degree in 2014.
TransNewYork’s mission is to bring awareness to the issues facing the transgender non-conforming (TGNC)community and give guidance and support to individuals and their loved ones within an open and safe environment. TransNewYork provides individual and group counseling and monthly meetings.
Ashley Mathis is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Senior Analyst at S&P Global. Ashley is responsible for driving priorities, policies, and programs that advance S&P Global’s DEI strategy across four business divisions and shared capabilities and is the external benchmarking surveys and awards lead for the DEI team.
As a passionate change advocate, Ashley previously consulted with nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities, and community-based organizations to develop DEI strategies and facilitate Social Justice and DEI workshops. She holds an M.Ed. in Social Justice Education.