FIATA Conference sees Dublin-based Silvia Valles Barrera of Hawthorn Logistics pick-up the award, sponsored by freight transport insurer, TT Club for the thirteenth consecutive year
Andrew Kemp, Regional Director for Europe, TT Club with Silvia Valles Barrera, Winner of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award 2011
The thirteenth Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award, presented recently at the Annual FIATA Conference in Cairo, has been won by the European Regional Finalist, Silvia Valles Barrera of Ireland. Ms Valles Barrera currently works for Hawthorn Logistics in Dublin as an Air & Sea Operations Executive.
The award is presented in recognition of forwarding excellence and was established by FIATA with the support of TT Club to encourage the development of quality training in the industry and to reward young talent with additional valuable training opportunities. The TT Club has been a sponsor of the award since its inception and is firmly committed to the importance of individual training and development within the global freight forwarding community.
Speaking at the award ceremony at FIATA’s Annual Conference in Cairo, TT Club’s Regional Director for Europe Andrew Kemp, said, “We are proud to have been able to continue our sponsorship of this prestigious award and it is with great pleasure that we are able to celebrate the four Regional winners and the thirteenth overall Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year, who together represent the quality that exists among young executives around the world in our industry”.
Ms Valles Barrera wrote her paper on an air freight import consignment of rabies-infected racoon brain tissue from the US to Ireland and the air freight export of a computed tomography (CT) scanner from Ireland to a hospital in Moshi, Tanzania. On winning her award, she said, “This has definitely been a positive experience for me, most interesting and challenging and I hope this competition continues to attract promising talent for years to come.”
Ms Valles Barera’s prize will consist of practical and academic training, including a week based at one of the TT Club’s regional centres in London, Hong Kong or New Jersey and attendance at the TT Club’s “Insight into Transport Law and Insurance” course in London. Additionally, one year’s free subscription to the International Transport Journal (ITJ), Switzerland and International Freight Weekly (IFW) in the UK, is provided.
The regional finalists were Mr Niranjan Venkatesh of the United Arab Emirates, representing Africa and the Middle East Region; Ms Rosa Maria Gallardo Reyes of Mexico, representing the Americas Region; and Mr Lai Kin Wong of Hong Kong, representing the Asia Pacific Region.
Commenting further on FIATA’s initiative Andrew Kemp said, “We were delighted that this year’s awards proved to be the most successful in terms of attracting candidates from across the globe – the highest number of candidates that we have had since the inception of the award. In terms of the calibre of dissertations, this year’s candidates managed to raise the bar on expectations. It was clear that a lot of research, planning and hard work had gone into the production of these papers. All of these dissertations were of an extremely high standard, making the task of judging the best, an arduous, if pleasant one.”
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.
Photo Note:
A high resolution digital image of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award Winner, Ms Silvia Valles Barrera is attached.
Caption: (l) Andrew Kemp, Regional Director for Europe, TT Club with ( r) Silvia Valles Barrera, Winner of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award 2011.