Celebrating Women in Logistics: Anna Podolskaya's Journey
by Jaidyn Farar
This blog is the first part of a series celebrating Women's History Month by shining a spotlight on the remarkable women shaping the supply chain landscape.
Anna Podolskaya, like each of the women spotlighted in this series, has been a guest on the Unboxing Logistics podcast. We’ll share some of her thoughts in this article and link to the full episode below.
But first, let’s talk about what Women’s History Month is and why it matters.
What is Women’s History Month—and why celebrate it?
Women’s History Month involves various events, initiatives, and campaigns that celebrate the achievements and contributions of women throughout history, address gender equality issues, and promote women's rights.
It serves as a time to reflect on progress made and advocate for positive changes in areas where gender disparities still exist. International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8th, is a focal point of these efforts.
Here at EasyPost, we’re recognizing the contributions of just a few outstanding women in the logistics space. Follow along during the month of March to learn how these women have contributed to their fields.
Meet Anna Podolskaya
Anna Podolskaya is a seasoned professional in the technology landscape. After starting her career at DHL Moscow and moving on to a large media company, she ended up at EasyPost, where she’s been a product manager for the past five years.
In addition to her work at EasyPost, Anna enjoys giving back to the community through volunteering and mentorship. For example, she draws on her cultural background to help Eastern European immigrant women find success in their lives and careers.
Anna’s insights on women in logistics
Because Anna is so focused on the role of women in the logistics industry, it only makes sense that her Unboxing Logistics episode focuses on that very thing. We’ll highlight just a few of her insights.
Why diversity matters
In her role as product manager, Anna has seen how diversity fuels innovation. When developing products, Anna explains, it’s helpful to have a variety of people involved, each with a unique perspective. When people of all backgrounds and genders work together, they achieve better results.
The industry’s evolution
Although women have historically been underrepresented in the logistics space, Anna is seeing a change. “At PARCEL Forum, they started doing a women in logistics branch—that's amazing. This year I became part of a Women in Logistics and Delivery Services organization called WILDS. They're supporting a lot of initiatives for workers in logistics and delivery, which is great.”
“[The industry is] absolutely changing. People see … that we need to have different voices.”
“I am technical”
At the beginning of her career, Anna noticed that when talking on the phone, people tended to assume she was a secretary or administrative assistant. While emphasizing that those are valuable roles, Anna also underscores the importance of not underestimating women’s ability to be technical. “They're like, oh, can we ask someone technical? And I'm like, I am technical.”
Hear the rest of Anna’s story
To dive deeper into Anna’s personal experiences, watch or listen to her podcast episode here: Empowering Women in Logistics. Throughout the episode, she and Lori discuss how women can forward their careers and how men can support them along the way.