Frances Simpson
Marketing and Communications Officer, Victorian International Container Terminal (VICT)
Frances Simpson is reasonably new to the supply chain and logistics industry, entering the industry as a Marketing and Communications Officer with Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) in late 2017.
Frances holds two degrees: a Bachelor of Visual Arts and a Masters of Commerce. After graduating from university, she started a position in marketing for a property developer who had also started a winery business. She worked simultaneously on the two very different brands, exploring traditional forms of marketing coupled with digital marketing.
After this role, Frances moved into a communications role working for a consultant who provides strategic communications advice to companies and individuals, helping them manage issues, public relations, reputation and engagement. This was where she first came into contact with VICT, as VICT were a client of the consultancy firm. Through this connection she was introduced to stevedoring and the industry. She worked on a range of marketing and communication projects for VICT through the consultancy, before commencing her role at VICT in December 2017. Some of the projects she has worked on at VICT include putting together the corporate video, Employee Engagement Surveys and assisting with different events.
In her position at VICT, Frances has been provided the opportunity to become familiar with speaking in front of larger groups. She has also found herself learning a lot from co-workers that have years of supply chain and logistics industry experience, she found that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions as they’re a great opportunity to learn.
Because Frances is new to the industry, she wants to learn as much as possible in all areas of the supply chain. This means she read all the industry publications she could get her hands on, to start to have an appreciation of how other areas of the industry come together. Frances is constantly exposed to people from all walks of life, this includes government officials, delegates from various ports around the world, truck drivers, engineers, community members, and journalists. She enjoys the relationship building side of this position, because there is always something to learn and it starts from a conversation.