FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations and TT Club announce the 2020 winner of the Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award (YIFFYA). Umair Aamir Sheikh from the Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association, and Asia-Pacific regional winner, is awarded this year’s global award.
The YIFFYA demonstrates recognition by FIATA, and TT Club as a sponsoring partner of the award, of the need to develop quality in the freight forwarding industry and reward young talent. For over 20 years, the YIFFYA has been providing valuable training opportunities for young freight forwarders in the industry.
“In the face of such a difficult year due to the pandemic, we are heartened to receive very high-quality dissertations from all four FIATA regions,” said Thomas Sim, FIATA Senior Vice President. “Candidates have demonstrated tenacity, versatility, and high standards of research and applications in their various domains and areas of operations. FIATA’s continuous efforts towards nurturing and motivating the youth in logistics and freight forwarding will persist in the face of our industry’s disruption and digital transformation.”
Umair Aamir Sheikh joined the freight forwarding industry four years ago and comes from a country where 64% of the population is under 30 years old – emphasizing the relevance and timeliness of this award. His dissertation took into account the effects of digitalization on freight forwarding activities and concluded that, despite the technology currently available, the role of the freight forwarder remains essential.
The YIFFYA selects four regional winners who are invited to attend the annual FIATA World Congress. The global winner is usually announced during the congress and receives, as part of the prize, one week’s practical experience of multimodal transport infrastructure and one-week of academic training in the TT Club’s Head Office in London.
“This year more than ever, we at TT want to pay tribute to the freight forwarding fraternity across the world that have helped keep essential global supply chains flowing,” said Mike Yarwood, TT Club’s Managing Director, Loss Prevention. “In turn, the young, talented employees of these regional and international companies have excelled. The entries into the YIFFYA and particularly the finalists have exemplified this talent and dedication. In addition to Sheikh, I want to congratulate them all, and in particular the regional finalists: Femke Marie Fürst (DSLV – Germany); Vimbai Loreen Manyumbu (SFAAZ – Zimbabwe), and Anastasia Gureeva (CIFFA – Canada).”
One of FIATA’s key priorities is to bring new talent into the freight transport industry to meet the need for human resources in the coming years. The YIFFYA provides young professionals looking to develop their knowledge with networking opportunities. FIATA encourages young freight forwarders from Association Members to apply for the award to get global exposure to the industry. About FIATA FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations is a nongovernmental, membership-based organization representing freight forwarders in some 150 countries.
FIATA’s membership is composed of 109 Associations Members and more than 5,500 Individual Members, overall representing an industry of 40,000 freight forwarding and logistics firms worldwide. Based in Geneva, FIATA is ‘the global voice of freight logistics
Cover image via Umair Aamir Sheikh