Stephanie Cicciarella, CCLP, Recognized as DEI Pioneer

Supply & Demand Chain Executive has recognized CCLP Stephanie Cicciarella as its DEI Pioneer for 2024

For much of its history, logistics and transport has been male-dominated. At practically every link of the supply chain the business of shipping goods was performed and managed by men. In recent years women are beginning to take centre stage in a newly emerging environment of equity. Thanks to women like Stephanie Cicciarella, CCLP, the chair of our own Women in Logistics Network, they’re also thriving in leadership roles from the shop floor to the C-Suite.

But don’t just take our word for it. Stephanie’s hard work in championing women in logistics recently saw her receive the DEI Pioneer Award from Supply and Demand Chain Executive—an incredible achievement. We recently sat down for a chat to learn more about the award and what it means for her to be the 2024 recipient.

To get things rolling, Stephanie said that self-advocation played a role in her being recognized by the award committee.

“I saw an opportunity to nominate either someone you know, or yourself for the DEI Pioneer Award. So, I thought, ‘You know what? In our women's group we always talk about how we need to advocate for ourselves, so that’s what I'm going to do. I’m going to advocate for myself and do just that—take control of my own life and my own destiny’”.

Winning the award 

According to Stephanie, the driving idea behind the award is to recognize people who have demonstrated a passion for DEI (Diversity, equity, and inclusion) in logistics and supply chain.

“What was recognized,” she said, “Was my work in bringing DEI to life for companies in our industry. That, and the impact DEI policies have on the women that work for those companies.”

Stephanie brought that to life through a series of steps taken to unite women in logistics and help them receive recognition for the important role they play.

“When I learned about the award, I thought I would qualify for it because of the work I did at my current job, and with CITT. I helped start up a women’s network for our supply chain division. From there, I became the lead of our corporate women’s network, and then stood for nomination for the CITT Women’s Network, where I was voted in as Chair.”

The impact of DEI on our industry

For Stephanie, the impact of DEI industry groups is far reaching. In addition to having an overall impact on companies working in logistics, they can also have a real impact on individuals looking to make their mark.

“DEI groups [like the CITT Women’s Network] do a good job of bringing likeminded people together,” Stephanie said. “People who are passionate about their own fields, but who also want to grow into other areas of logistics and supply chain. When run well, DEI groups can incorporate networking opportunities and other social touch bases that give participants opportunities to meet people they might not otherwise get to.”

As an example, Stephanie pointed to a recent “speed networking” event. Following the event, she said, “I had a participant come up to me and say that they’d never had an opportunity to talk to somebody at a C-suite or VP level before. Networking opens doors for marginalized people that can help us grow individually, but also help companies see what other talent is out there.”

Setting an example

At the end of the day, Stephanie explained that behind all her work, is the desire to set herself up as a role model—both for other women, and for her own daughters.

“I want to make an impact, so I try to set myself up as an example for the next generation. If I can reach even just one person? That’s great. If I can reach a whole bunch of people and make lasting change? Even better. I need to set an example for my girls, and show they that they can advocate for themselves, and keep their heads up high when they do.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Congratulations again.