With Anna Weldon
Our ‘Faces of Forkway’ series is where we shine a spotlight on the incredible people who make Forkway the company it is today. This time, we sit down with Anna Weldon from our Dewsbury depot.
Can you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to Forkway?
I am originally from Latvia, I came over to the UK about 15 years ago to study Business and Management at University of Hull, Scarborough Campus. I lived in Scarborough for 4 years. After graduation, I moved to Sheffield, where I lived for 5 years, and that’s where I met my now husband.
I was a hospitality girl throughout, I worked my way up from a waitress to a revenue manager in hotel industry and eventually moved onto to business travel. As my husband was from Ossett eventually we had to decide on the location to live in, he hated Sheffield with a passion. I took the risk of leaving 10 years of hospitality, which is what brought me to Forkway. It just happened to be that I knew someone who had worked here at Forkway, she put a kind word in for me to get me an interview in Covid times. Back in them days I had never heard of a forklift and here I am 4 years later overseeing the hire department nationally. It has been hell of a journey…
What is your current role at Forkway, and what are your main responsibilities?
I am responsible for casual hire and transport departments. In a nutshell, I am the designated account manager for the key short-term hire customers, I look at what rates we will be hiring at, identify any shortfalls in the hire fleet and make sure those are fulfilled ASAP. I am responsible for our own HGV vehicle, I ensure it’s DVLA compliant, review the pricing and plan the routes.
What do you enjoy most about working at Forkway?
My lunchbreak… joking! I like the trust the senior management puts in me, I don’t get micromanaged, but yet the support is always there if I need it.
What do you like to do outside of work to relax and unwind?
I am a foodie, I like to eat out and finish it off with a nice cocktail
What are your future career goals, and how do you see your role at Forkway contributing to them?
That I will struggle to answer unfortunately, I am 32 years old and I still have no idea who I would like to be when I “grow up”! 😊
I suppose I really enjoy the account management side of my role, in future I would like to get out and see customers more and concentrate on business development. The people at Forkway have certainly contributed towards my confidence to allow me to do these things, I was very insecure and quiet when I first started.
What is your favourite holiday destination and why?
Dubai. There is nothing that place doesn’t have!
Who inspires you the most in your life, and why?
My mum. She was a single parent, she taught me to be independent, resilient and hard-working. From early days she taught me to never rely on anyone – she said if you want it, you work hard towards it!
Do you prefer coffee or tea, and how do you take it?
Milky tea, but I also love an iced latte, especially on holiday
Do you have a favourite quote or mantra that you live by?
You only live once
If you could have dinner with any person, past or present, who would it be and why?
Jennifer Aniston. I absolutely love her films. I would like to hear her stories about some of the celebrities and her experiences, I think she would be a good laugh