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Award Winner Profile
BIFAlink Laying foundations for the future
Described as confident, driven and a leader in the making, Thomas Frost
was one of the joint winners of the 2019 BIFA Apprentice of the Year Award
Thomas Frost first entered the freight industry in 2016 when he took a part-time job as a station handler at FedEx while studying at sixth form college. He recalled: “During my time at FedEx I
developed an understanding of how vast the world of freight is and gained an all-round knowledge of how it works. I enjoyed working there, but I did not think I could really progress that way. University did not appeal to me, though, so I started looking at apprenticeships. Getting a qualification while working was a step forward from what I had been doing.” Thus it was that Thomas joined Geodis, where
he has worked hard to make the most of every opportunity. He has worked in exports, imports, Customs and transport, and has helped to identify ways to improve the company’s bottom line. For instance: “One of the projects that I
embarked on was to analyse the cost- effectiveness of outsourcing our secondary cargo screening process over a 12-month period, compared with the option of purchasing a screening machine and completing the process in house.”
Ambitions He is keen to try a stint in the finance department and in sales, too. “I think learning everything at ground level will be a good foundation for the future,” he considered. Thomas is looking forward to starting to work
full-time at Geodis – with managerial roles definitely on the radar. “Management ambitions have always been in
the back of my mind, but I am more serious about that after what I have achieved in the last 18 months, and realised what I could potentially do in another few years,” he said. Besides working towards completing his
apprenticeship, Thomas has also been instrumental in restarting regular five-a-side
April 2020
football evenings for Geodis staff – with obvious benefits. “Meeting socially and talking outside of work
helps everyone to communicate better at work,” he said. “You build relationships with people in other departments, which helps get things done.” His understanding about the importance of
communication is proving useful outside Geodis: Thomas was one of the first to join the BIFA Young Forwarder Network when it was launched last
Thomas is keen to explore his full potential
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSOR
Following the announcement of finalists and winners in January, BIFAlink profiles the successful individuals in the Apprentice of the Year and Young Freight Forwarder categories. For your chance to shine start thinking about your submission for the 2020 BIFA Freight Service Awards (competition opens in summer 2020).
year, and is one of five members on a committee that organises events in the Heathrow area. “We have done three of these so far and the
next is planned for April 2020,” he said, speaking in late January. “Recently, an operations manager from Lush came to talk to about 35 attendees, explaining the company’s logistics as well as its products and environmental impact.” The value of the Young Forwarder Network is
clear in Thomas’s view. It gives each member an insight into what other young people are doing at other companies in the industry, as well as affording opportunities to develop professional relationships.
Sociable “I think what I can bring to the meetings is the fact that I am quite sociable and easy to talk to,” he added. “I can help people who turn up on their own and who might find it difficult to approach large groups.” Thomas is also at ease speaking in a more formal capacity. For instance: “I did not need to think twice when I was asked to prepare and deliver a presentation about my apprenticeship to a group of directors from the human resources team across the European Geodis network,” he said.
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