“The supply chain has a bit of an image problem,” says Corrie Banks, founder and president of Calgary-based Triskele Logistics. “When people think of it, they think trucking and warehouse. On the front lines, they see a need to be physically strong. They see a male-centric role. We don’t necessary think women can do things in the supply chain. We need for people to think differently.”

According to a 2012 study by Deloitte, women comprise nearly half (46.6 percent) of the total U.S. labor force, yet just 24.8 percent of the durable goods manufacturing workforce. That disparity is much greater still at the executive level.

Due to the rapid rise of automated inventory and picking processes, warehousing floor jobs aren’t as rigorous as they used to be. Many facilities today require employees to be able to lift up to only 30 pounds. Beyond that, there are plenty of warehouse managerial positions to be filled.

“There’s a lot of management and supervisory roles,” Banks says. “Not everything is about picking in a warehouse and driving a forklift.”

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