Aberdeen, Scotland, 2016-May-31 — /Travel PR News/ — A senior engineer at Scotland’s largest bus operator, First Glasgow, has been named ‘Team Leader of the Year’ by her peers in the transport and logistics sector at a prestigious award ceremony.
Wendy Findlay, 45, is the only female senior fleet engineer in all of FirstGroup’s UK Bus business, and is a strong role model for women who in the transport industry which remains heavily male dominated.
The accolade from the 2016 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards was awarded at a glittering event in London on Thursday (May 26).
Judges commented that Wendy was leading her team to excel in a way that was contributing greatly to First Glasgow’s success.
Born in Dundee, Wendy studied at Strathclyde University before joining the Armed Forces. After serving almost 20 years with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, repairing armoured military vehicles; she joined First Glasgow in September 2012.
Along with her team, Wendy is responsible for 950 vehicles operating in excess of 35 million miles per year out of Glasgow’s Caledonia Depot – the largest bus depot in Europe.
Managing Director of First Glasgow Fiona Kerr said: “Wendy’s approach to her work is to lead by example and her technical knowledge is second to none.
“First actively recruits leavers from all the Armed Forces and recognises the talent and leadership skills that are developed through a military career.
“Wendy has a clear view on the development and recruitment of apprentices and graduates and in the field of engineering, which attracts a predominantly male workforce, she not only inspires other women to progress by leading by example, but also proactively supports female colleagues through training and personal development initiatives.
“We are certainly proud to boast that the only female Senior Fleet Engineer in the whole of First’s UK operations works with us and it’s no small exaggeration to say she is one of First Glasgow’s key assets in improving diversity in our workplace.”
Commenting on her award, Wendy added: “I feel truly honoured just to have been selected as a finalist alongside the other candidates; hearing about their contributions to the industry made me proud just to be associated with them.
“To win the Team Leader award is a tremendous and wholly unexpected honour. I knew little about engineering before I went to university and nearly missed out on the amazing career I have had so far. This award gives me a chance to better mentor women in the industry and a much greater opportunity to raise the profile of the transport sector and specifically engineering as a career choice for women.
“There is absolutely nothing to prevent women achieving a full, fun and valuable career in any field of transport or logistics and I look forward to working with the everywoman team to better inform women about the opportunities available to them.”
The 2016 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards were established nine years ago to highlight the achievements of inspirational role models across an industry which forms the backbone of the UK’s economy.
By championing women in what is traditionally a predominately male industry, everywoman and its partners hope to encourage more into the sector, to plug the skills-gap and ensure a more diverse, population-representative workforce.
The news comes just weeks after it was confirmed First Glasgow has shortlisted in three categories at the Scottish Transport Awards, one of the transport industry’s most respected award ceremonies.
As Scotland’s biggest bus operator, First Glasgow run services on more than 80 different routes, moving in excess of 107million customers each year.
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First Glasgow engineer named ‘Team Leader of the Year’ at the 2016 FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards