De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has named Economics and Finance graduate Ivy Mwaura ‘Alumna of the Month’ for her award-winning work in transport and logistics.
Ivy at the virtual award ceremony
The 25-year-old was named as the winner of the Infrastructure: Above and Beyond category at the 2020 Amazon Everywoman in Transport and Logistics awards, which celebrate exceptional individuals in the sector.
Ivy, who works as a strategic marketing analyst at FedEx, said: “I was so surprised! Just to see so many people in the workplace recognise me for the work that I’ve done, it was really touching.”
She was nominated for her contributions to a project that yielded in excess of £30m of revenue through analytics and data science, and commended for the lengths she went to understand the role.
She said: “I really wanted to get into the nitty gritty and see everything first hand. I spent a lot of time in the hub and the depot to understand the operational processes. I was even able to work with the drivers unloading and loading the vehicles, to fully understand the costs and the journey, all the way to us actually delivering the parcels.”
The judges also noted Ivy’s commitment to volunteering outside of her role.
“I love that FedEx give me opportunities to go out and give back. I am a One Young World ambassador, which recognises young leaders and works to align our organisation with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
“I’m also a member of the FedEx UK Women’s Inclusive Network, to champion women in this industry which is quite male dominated. It’s a chance for me to share my insight.”
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Ivy became interested in the industry during her successful placement year as a project coordinator at TNT Express, and landed a permanent role with the company before graduating with a First in 2016.
She said: “It was actually during my final year exams when I got a message from my manager, saying ‘we’ve got this role, would you be interested?’ My interview was just after my exams, so it was a lot to process, but exciting.
“I was really lucky to get an analytical role after uni. I started two days before results day!”
In 2019 Ivy moved over to her current role at FedEx, where she feels ‘valued as an employee’.
“They really listen to my ideas, you’re not just there to sit and do nothing. They say: ‘tell us what you think, tell us if you have something new’ - I really like that about the role and the company as a whole,” she said.
“There’s a lot more in the transport and logistics industry than people see. At FedEx you can be a meteorologist, you can be a pilot, or an analyst like me.”
Ivy, who moved to East London from Kenya when she was 10 years old, fell in love with DMU when she visited during an Open Day.
“The Hugh Aston Building was brand new and I loved the feel of the campus as well. I was very wowed by it! And the location was perfect because I was looking to move out of London, but not to go too far away from home,” she said.
“What really appealed to me was the placement year, and how the modules were very practical. It had a bit of everything - accounting, risk management, statistics, econometrics, and maths as well – which were all topics that I had considered studying, so it was an all-rounder.”
Ivy remembers the daunting process of applying for her placement, which is why she regularly returns to DMU to talk to current students about the process and the range of opportunities.
She said: “I was so determined to get a placement, and the placement team was absolutely amazing and so instrumental. I didn’t know what a cover letter was, I only had a very basic CV, so they helped to shape my interview skills, what to wear – there were so many things that they taught me.
“They had some students who had been on a placement that came back to talk to us about the whole process, and I remember thinking ‘if I ever get the chance to do this I 100 per cent will.’
Stay in touch with the DMU alumni community on the Global Alumni Community Hub.
Posted on Thursday 26 November 2020