The Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) is pleased to announce Dayna Thackrah, representing Rhenus Air & Ocean Ireland, as the winner of the inaugural Young Irish Freight Forwarder of the Year competition.

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The IIFA launched this competition in November 2023 to promote and recognise the work of young professionals in the industry. IIFA members were invited to nominate an outstanding candidate from their respective organisations who would propose a potential freight movement as the basis for a more in-depth dissertation as part of their entry.

The competition is also the selection process for Ireland’s representative for the annual International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association’s (FIATA) global Young Logistics Professional (YLP) award. This award is delivered between FIATA and the competition sponsor, TT Club, which is spread across four regions: Americas, Africa-Middle East, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Dayna Thackrah, a pharma freight controller at Rhenus Air and Ocean, will now begin a 6,000-word thesis for the YLP award. Her work will focus on the complex shipment of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products under strict carriage and dangerous goods handling conditions, executed through bookings across multiple carriers. FIATA’s steering committee and other European entries will then judge the thesis.

IIFA President Sandra Morrissey was among the judging panel from within IIFA who reviewed the submissions for 2024 and mentioned: “As President of the IIFA, I am honoured that we are involved in such a great competition with regards to the Young Irish Freight Forwarder of the Year. It is an excellent platform and a springboard to an exciting freight forwarding and logistics career, inspiring all the young people joining our industry each year. Dayna Thackrah has been

selected as the winner as her submission showed her interest and ambition in several different aspects of the industry and demonstrated her willingness to learn and become fluent in all areas of the industry. I would like to wish her well,” Sandra Morrissey comments.

Dayna Thackrah added: “I am thrilled to have been selected as the Young Irish Freight Forwarder of the Year. The IIFA Young Freight Forwarder is a great chance to make new connections and share my knowledge with other young freight forwarders. Simultaneously, this will allow me to research and gain more in-depth knowledge of the procedures I practice. The key to building a fruitful career is to continue learning from experienced people and share what I have learnt with other young professionals.”

The IIFA is dedicated to representing the interests of the Irish freight-forwarding community. IIFA promotes excellence and professionalism within the freight forwarding industry through advocacy, education, and networking opportunities.

As part of the leading global logistics service provider Rhenus, Rhenus Air and Ocean Ireland delivers tailored freight forwarding solutions to meet the diverse needs of its customers within Ireland and worldwide.