21 Women Transforming Warehouse Automation in Europe

As disruptions throughout the supply chain grow, technology and automation drive greater value, and the skills gap widens, businesses crave new and more diverse talent. However, reality indicates that the industry currently only leverages half the talent pool — women make up less than 40% of the total supply chain workforce and only 17% of chief supply chain officers in 2020, according to Gartner. 

Furthermore, the number of women in leadership roles was proportionally lower at the vice president and senior director levels, falling 7% between 2019 and 2020 to a mere 21%; and it is worse in the industrial sector (13%). Additionally, Hughenden Consulting data show a 15/20 to 1 imbalance of men to women who chair or attend Supply Chain and Logistics conferences every year. With all those figures, mustn’t we ask ourselves: why?

“The increase in women executive leaders over the past year is a positive sign, however, the survey showed that women don’t consistently make it through the pipeline. Lack of progress is not something the industry can afford at the moment. The supply chain’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery is crucial, with lives and livelihoods at stake. This is a pivotal time for many women in mid-level and senior management positions.”

- Dana Stiffler, vice president analyst, Gartner Supply Chain Practice.

Despite the enormous stereotype challenges, some women have made great contributions, leaving an indelible mark across the industry. Highlighting their experience and success stories is important as younger generations need strong role models. They need certainty that they will be joining a workforce, where not only their skills will be recognised and remunerated equally, but they will also have the chance to ascend on the career ladder to positions of leadership.

To honour International Women’s Day, we have listed down some of the women who are reshaping the warehouse automation market. 

The following list is in no particular order.

Gerlinde Boback - Vice President, People of Scandit

Gerlinde Boback is the Vice President of People at Scandit — one of the hottest and fastest-growing software startups based in Zürich, Switzerland, offering high-quality barcode scanning, text and objects recognition, and augmented reality (AR) solutions for enterprises. In May 2020, Scandit successfully raised €73 million in Series C. The new investment brings the company's total haul to €112 million. 

Prior to Scandit, Gerlinde had almost 20 combined years of experience in Talent and Human Resources roles in large-scale businesses — including Compaq, KPMG, American Express, TUI Travel, and IP Group. One of the reasons why she joined Scandit is to “be part of a company that is already disrupting the industry and will transform the experience of millions of employees and customers across the world”

Ekaterina Grib and Eirini Psallida - Co-founders of KEWAZO

Ekaterina Grib and Eirini Psallida met their Co-Founders in “Think.Make.Start” — a 2-week intensive seminar held by the Technical University Munich (TUM) for Master’s students.  The team of six then founded KEWAZO in 2016 — developing smart robotic transportation systems for improving the scaffolding assembly. The KEWAZO scaffolding robot has raised a total of €3.6 million in funding and they now plan to release the first batch of the system series ‘Liftbot’ to the market.

Ekaterina Grib, with her bachelor in Economics, is now the Head of Business Development & Finance. Meanwhile, with an M.Sc. in Informatics at TUM and a B.Sc. in Computer Science, and multiple years of working as a software developer at CERN and as a research assistant in the areas of program analysis, testing and IT security (TUM), Eirini Psallida is currently in charge of Software Engineering for KEWAZO.

Emmanuelle Vin - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Founder of AMIA Systems

Emmanuelle Vin wanted to be a businesswoman since she finished her studies. With a real interest in technology, she had her PHD in production optimisation while working as a teaching assistant in mechanics. Her passion for process enhancement resulted in the founding of AMIA Systems in 2014 — a spin-off from Université Libre de Bruxelles. The idea is to help managers visualise, quantify and optimise operations in industrial environments, such as maintenance sites, production plants, or warehouses. 

“I love being completely autonomous, organizing my time and achieving all my objectives. I like to work with dynamic and creative young people. If you give them autonomy, they will be very involved.”
- Emmanuelle Vin - CEO & Founder of AMIA Systems

Lena Miglbaue - Chief Sales Officer (CSO ) of Insider Navigation

Insider Navigation (INS) is an innovative tech startup with an enthusiastic team based in Vienna, Austria. The company is proud to be the first one to offer AR indoor navigation for mobile devices without the use of special hardware.

Lena Miglbaue joined INS in 2018 as the Head of Business Development & Marketing and got promoted to Chief Sales Officer 6 months ago — leading the Business Development and Partner Management teams.

Sabine Bendiek - Chief People Officer (CPO) and Labor Relations Director of SAP

Earlier this year, Sabine Bendiek was appointed to be the new Chief People Officer and Labor Director of SAP — a multinational software corporation based in Walldorf, Germany. SAP develops enterprise software to manage business operations with intelligent automation. The company is famous for its comprehensive ERP system. 

With her track record of transforming industry-leading corporations — Nixdorf, Siemens Nixdorf, McKinsey, Earlybird Venture Capital, Dell, EMC, and Microsoft — combined with her passion for people and leadership, Bendiek will assume additional responsibility as Chief Operating Officer in mid-2021. This makes her SAP’s first Chief People and Operating officer, as said by the Company in a press note. 

“In Sabine Bendiek, we have found an exceptional executive who not only can drive a business-centric Human Resources function as the heart of our ongoing transformation but also has deep operational experience.”
- Professor Hasso Plattner, chairman of the Supervisory Board of SAP SE.

Stefanie Rollins - Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SnapFulfil

Described as a professional, knowledgeable, diligent, meticulous and personable leader, Stefanie Rollins has certainly made her mark in the warehouse automation industry. Less than 2 months ago, she was selected as one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Software of Europe for 2021, announced by The Software Report. 

Stefanie was evaluated based on her breadth of experience, professional milestones, contributions to business development, and — perhaps most importantly — her impact on promoting a positive and productive work environment.

Jayne Archbold - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iptor

With a proven track record in growth and business development, Jayne Archbold joined Iptor as CEO in February 2016. Prior to Iptor, Jayne used to work at Sage Group plc for more than 18 years — the UK’s largest software company that provides ERP software for small business to Enterprise businesses. At Sage, she started as a Head of Sales, then slowly moved up the corporate career ladder and became CEO of Sage Mid-Market Division Europe. 

Jayne is also a non-Executive Director and Angel Investor for the UK-based HR software business, Saberr, and non-Executive Chair of the UK-based Health and Safety software business, Notify Technologies.

Tatiana Rizzante - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reply S.p.A.

Tatiana Rizzante is one of Reply S.p.A.’s founders and currently serves as the CEO and member of the Board.  She received her degree in computer engineering from the Turin Polytechnic. Prior to Reply, Tatiana worked for CSELT (now Tlab) where she experimented and researched Internet technologies and services in the public sector. 

After a few years serving as Reply’s Innovation Manager, handling the creation and skills development in areas with high rates of innovation — such as value-added services to telecommunications operators, new media, and the new digital channels — Tatiana took on the role of Managing Director since 2016, covering ever-increasing responsibilities of the Group’s overall offer definition and development.

Anke Groth - Chief Financial Officer, Labor Relations Director, and Member of the Board of KION Group AG

Being a highly experienced CFO with a strong track record in capital markets communication and in-depth knowledge of M&A processes, Anke Groth was appointed to be the new Chief Financial Officer at the KION Group AG, starting from June 2018. Before joining KION Group, Anke worked at energy company E.ON since 2006. After 10 years covering various managerial roles, Anke Groth became CFO at E.ON UK plc. in 2016.

She has been responsible for finance, which encompasses not only controlling, accounting, tax, corporate finance, and legal, but also investor relations, M&A activities, and IT. In addition, she is taking on the role of Labour Relations Director and will therefore be in charge of human resources and HSE — or health, safety, and environment.

Claire Ainscough - Chief People Officer (CPO) of Ocado Group

Described as “a thought leader and HR intrapreneur, comfortable with experimenting and trying new things, while keeping an eye towards global scale and simplicity”, Claire Ainscough currently serves as  Chief People Officer of Ocado Group — a UK-based technology-led software and robotics platform that powers online-only grocery retailers all around the globe. 

Prior to joining Ocado Group, Claire held the position of Vice President Human Resources at Expedia Group for almost 5 years, where she started their first global Talent Management centre of expertise.

Anette Matre - Chief People Officer (CPO) of AutoStore

Anette Matre was ranked by E24 as one of Norway’s top 100 young leaders in 2014. She currently holds the position of Chief HR Officer at AutoStore — an innovative storage solution that promises to reduce storage footprint by up to 75%. 

Before her time at AutoStore, she spent more than 3.5 years at Innovation Norway, having several different roles in HR — with the most recent being Interim Head of People and Technology. 

Anette holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Oslo and an Executive Master in Management at BI Norwegian Business School.

Lada Kalinina - General Manager Baltic States at Jungheinrich AG

With a respected educational background and documented record of cross-functional management, Dr Lada Kalinina has held the position of Managing Director at several different companies, before joining Jungheinrich AG as General Manager Baltic States almost 18 years ago.

Lada’s appointment has largely contributed to Jungheinrich AG’s growth in the Baltic region, successfully driving its 3rd place in the World Sales Cup in 2016. 

Furthermore, Lada currently serves as Vice President and Board member of The German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, also known as AHK Baltic States.

Sonia Rojo Calvo - Chief Operational Officer (COO) and Andreea Terfea - Chief Innovation Officer of Synersight

Sonia and Andreea have together steered Synersight to become one of the fastest-growing companies in the intralogistics automation sector today. The company was founded in 2017 and after less than 4 years of operating, it has a presence in more than 15 countries on four continents and satisfied over 250 customers with more than 3500 solutions deployed. 

The company’s mission is to encompass the entire value chain, from consulting and project development through engineering, AGV manufacturing and up to implementation and service maintenance.  

With a background in Industrial Design and Modeling, Andreea Terfea is currently working as Synersight’s Chief Innovation Officer, after almost 3 years of working at Synersight. Meanwhile, Sonia joined Synersight as Chief Operational Officer in 2019. Prior to that, she spent 6 years as an environmental technician at Bureau Veritas Group. 

Maarit Leppäaho - Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications of Cimcorp Group

Cimcorp Group — part of Murata Machinery, Ltd. (Muratec) — is a leading global supplier of turnkey automation for intralogistics, using advanced robotics, material handling and software technologies. Maarit Leppäaho joined Cimcorp Group in 2019, where she served as Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications before being promoted to Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications less than 2 months ago.

“It’s a pleasure to lead this great team. We learn, we develop, we analyze and measure, and we do all this while having fun too! Our goal is to continuously grow and elevate our knowledge about the marketplace so we can better help our external networks, strengthen Cimcorper’s identities and improve communications, both internally and externally.”

- Maarit Leppäaho - Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications of Cimcorp Group

Marylin Mermod - Vice President, Finance of BlueBotics SA

With more than 20 years of experience in C-level positions across multiple industries, Marylin Mermod was appointed to be BlueBotics’s new VP of Finance in April 2019. She is currently responsible for all the company’s financial functions and also leads the company’s HR and administration teams. 

Marylin brings with her a wealth of experience. She previously held the positions of CEO and CFO of the Swiss clinic La Matairie, before she joined Benjamin de Rothschild Bank as CFO and then got promoted to Deputy Director later on. Her list of achievements goes on — CFO and COO of Sophia Genetics, Interim CFO of Stalicla, and Board member of Electro-kit Sàrl and MedC Partners.

Marylin was featured in the Swiss Employers Union top 400 women in Switzerland, a list published in April 2015.

Bénédicte Huot de Luze - Member of the Board and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Balyo

Specialised in risk management for more than 20 years, Bénédicte Huot de Luze currently serves as an independent board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Balyo — a listed industrial robotics company.  She is also a member of the Supervisory Board of The Ponticelli Frères Group and La France Mutualiste. 

After her training at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts and MIT, she found passion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which led her to found AI Risk Services in 2018, where she currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer.

Ivette Lešundáková - Director of Human Resources of Photoneo

2 years ago, Ivette Lešundáková was appointed to be the new director of human resources at Photoneo  — a Bratislava-based robotic vision and intelligence provider. Prior to Photoneo, she had multiple HR roles in several different companies across industries. 

Ivette described herself as “an ‘HRist’ with my heart and soul but noticeably marked by a native love for marketing”. Even though her main focus is on building HR structures and strategies, she could never resist herself to “do a nice HR branding/marketing and, if necessary, sketch a flyer.”

Cybèle Rolland - Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Exotec

Cybèle graduated from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris in 1995 and holds an executive MBA. She joined Exotec in August 2018 as CFO to help the team structure the company and grow its presence not just in France but all around the world. With its revenue doubled in just one year, Exotec also successfully raised roughly €75,3 million to expand warehouse robots. 

Cybele has almost 30 years of industrial experience. Prior to Exotec, Cybèle has always excelled at her jobs in different companies — including Unilever Food, Benedicta, DelfMEMS, and Advens. At this moment, she also works as a strategic Board member of Jooxter — a workplace management mobile- and web application based in France.

Edith Väli - Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Cleveron AS

Edith Väli joined Cleveron AS in 2018 as a Marketing Specialist, taking care of the company’s B2B marketing, PR and stakeholder communications. She holds a bachelor degree in History and two masters degrees in Translation and Communication. After being promoted to Chief Marketing Officer in late 2018, she was appointed to foresee both Sales and Marketing activities of Cleveron AS in December 2020. 

Prior to Cleveron AS, Edith worked as a foreign news editor at Estonian Public Broadcast and her last position was a copywriter at Age McCann.

Carolin Paulus - Executive Vice President, Industrial Equipment of Konecranes

Konecranes appointed Carolin Paulus as vice president of its industrial equipment division — Konrcranes’s overhead and industrial crane business — in March 2020. Prior to that, she spent more than 3 years working as senior vice president of global parts and service procurement at Konecranes, and as managing director at Demag Cranes and Components  — a German heavy equipment manufacturer now controlled by Finland-based Konecranes.

Carolin joined Konecranes when it acquired Terex MHPS, where she had been employed as global vice president of service since joining the company in 2013.

Truth Be Told

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are approximately 190 million women who work in the global supply chain — in the factories, farms and packing houses that supply the world’s clothing, goods and food. And unfortunately, many of them still have to work in difficult and unsafe working conditions, and wages that are not enough to make ends meet. The power imbalance needs to be changed. 

As businesses strive their best to drive growth and sustainable supply chains, shouldn’t our first step be to change the most visible thing: gender inequality? “Act. Enable. Influence.” — these are what we can all do to promote gender equality. Make a difference today!

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About Meili Robots

Meili Robots is developing the next-generation of mobile robots fleet management, called Meili FMS. A universal digital solution, an all-in-one platform that is capable of handling different kinds of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Enable traffic control, empower interoperability and facilitate automated task allocation — all via intuitive UI. Check our website meilirobots.com/product to learn about our products. Contact us to find out more: info@meilirobots.com.

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