Women empowerment is a crucial topic in today’s world as it is important to ensure that women have equal opportunities to succeed and excel in their careers. Gayathri Karunanayake, Supply Chain and Digital Transformation Consultant, is a trailblazer in women empowerment in the logistics and transport industry. As one of the youngest Global Vice Chairperson for Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT) leading the South Asia Region, she has dedicated over 8 years of her career to enhance career opportunities for women in the industry.
Having started her career as a management trainee in Logistics and Procurement, Gayathri matured into a fully-fledged supply chain professional during her 10-year tenure at a leading multinational in Sri Lanka. She then headed a 3PL operation in Sri Lanka and extended her consultancy experience in logistics and supply chain in Hong Kong and Bangladesh.
As a Supply Chain and Digital Transformation Consultant her role involves driving Operational Excellence, Digital Transformation, and management consultancy in the domain of Supply Chain and Logistics at various local and foreign organisations. She is an expert in E2E Logistics, Retail Distribution, E-commerce, and Last-mile solutions, and her contributions have successfully empowered and inspired action teams.
Gayathri takes immense pride in being a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and serving the Chartered Institute of Logistics Transport Council. She is a graduate in Genetic Engineering and Microbiology from Bangalore University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Colombo University
WILAT -Women in Logistics and Transport the Women’s Forum of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, is a global body focused on providing women with career opportunities and advancement within the supply chain and logistic sector, with a vision to be the most sought supply chain and logistics body of the world empowering women perfectional to logistics industry.
At WiLAT, Gayathri has actively created awareness and career opportunities in the logistics and transport industry. WiLAT aims to bridge the gender gap by providing women with career opportunities and advancement within the supply chain and logistic sector. WiLAT has been instrumental in providing training, mentoring opportunities and making a positive impact in the industry as a female representative. As a leader capable of inspiring teams to harness latent strength to achieve greatness, Gayathri has made significant contributions to women’s empowerment in the logistics and transportation industry. During her journey at WiLAT, Gayathri actively created awareness and career opportunities in the industry, providing training, mentoring opportunities, and making a positive impact in the industry as a female representative. Due to having just below 3% of female representation in the logistics industry, WiLAT’s work is crucial in creating awareness and bridging the gender gap.
When asked about how Gayathri empowers the women around her, her response was “When you empower women around you, they lead by example, without unbiasedness and have continued learning, because leaders are self-motivated. They consider embarking on their own development and learning continuously”. Empowerment is nothing but trusting your team members, Gayathri values trusting them to take responsibility for what they are assigned to. Through that she hopes to build the self determination of the person to take extra ownership of their work. It’s nothing but creating magic through ownership. “We have to create ownership in any organisation, to develop the entrepreneurial mindset, once you do that you receive the best out of them.”
Gayathri says, WiLATs contribution to women empowerment in the logistics and transport industry is commendable. Gayathri is a true leader capable of inspiring teams to harness latent strength to achieve greatness and is a perfect example of a woman who has worked hard and dedicated her life to empowering women in the logistics and transportation industry. Her journey in the field of logistics began unexpectedly, but she has come a long way with her determination and commitment. By providing career opportunities and advancement for women, Gayathri has created a work environment that values gender diversity and inclusivity. Women empowerment in companies is a significant step in bridging the gender gap and creating a more equal and inclusive society. Gayathri’s success story is inspiring, and her contribution to women empowerment in the logistics and transportation industry is invaluable. Her achievements highlight the importance of providing women with equal opportunities to succeed and excel in their careers. As we move towards a more inclusive and diverse workforce, Gayathri’s story serves as an inspiration to all women who aspire to make a difference in their respective industries.