In celebration of European Day of Languages on September 26th, Generation Logistics, a careers awareness campaign, is highlighting an inspiring logistics career story about a woman whose native language is Polish.
Getting started in a career in any sector can be challenging, particularly if the native language isn’t your first, which is why Angelika Lenczewska found herself unsuccessful in her attempt to become a Warehouse Picker due to her first language being Polish.
Determined to succeed, Angelika Lenczewska went away to work on her English skills for a couple of months and returned to try again. On her second attempt, she was successful and has since become Operations Manager at Asda Distribution Centre, Lutterworth, after progressing through several positions within the company. She is thriving in her role.
Since officially joining Asda in 2015, Angelika has navigated a rapid career trajectory, moving from an Agency Warehouse Operative to Department Manager, then Shift Manager, before reaching her current senior leadership position.
The best thing about my job is that every day is different,” Angelika says.
It’s a very dynamic environment; you can’t really plan how your next day is going to look exactly. It’s a very fast-moving pace, and you never get bored.
As an Operations Manager, Angelika is now the one leading the team, ensuring the right products reach stores on time while driving the cultural values of the depot. Her role involves everything from executing site plans and managing budgets to handling recruitment and performance management.
Beyond her daily responsibilities, Angelika has become a mentor and a specialist within the business. A major highlight of her career was being nominated for an everywoman in Logistics and Transport Award and being chosen to support other Asda sites during complex transitions into new systems.
The best thing about working for Asda is definitely the culture and people. As someone who came from another country, it’s very important to feel included, and diversity is very high on the agenda.
Angelika still has ambitions to climb the ladder even higher:
My next aim is to become General Manager. I would like to keep progressing, learn more and upskill myself.
Bethany Windsor, Programme Director at Generation Logistics, comments:
Angelika’s journey is an inspiring reminder that logistics is a place where you can build a career from the ground up and succeed even if your native language is different.
By taking the initiative to improve her communication skills and embracing every training opportunity, she has moved from the warehouse floor to senior operations. Her story perfectly illustrates how hard work is rewarded with strong career progression in the logistics sector.
For those wanting to find out about the opportunities in logistics, take this quiz to see which role could fit with your future: www.generationlogistics.org/find-your-future/
