In a world where we are now increasingly working behind screens and from the relative luxury of our homes, we thought it would be a good idea to share a little bit about the team at Queen’s, in the hope that you can put a face to that name you see in your inboxes so regularly.
First up, we spoke to Sandra Williamson, one of our Logistics Coordinators. For a number of our UK based clients, Sandra may be the person you’ve been dealing with most and is the person tasked with coordinating the transport, packing and storing of all your prized possessions in and around the UK.
Sandra has two young daughters, so is no stranger to juggling competing priorities. And in case you thought it was all art logistics, she also loves to sing acoustic and musical opera style music in her spare time.
We asked Sandra a few quick questions that we thought would give you an insight into what it’s like working in art logistics. First up;
How did you get into the art logistics industry?
Before building up over 10 years worth of experience in the art industry, my first role was when I was seventeen years old – I worked as a receptionist for a high-end international skincare brand. After a few months in that position, I was promoted to Logistics Administrator, responsible for processing orders from over 70 luxury spas across the globe.
It was probably at this point I realised that not only did I love working in logistics (who’d have thought!) and coordinating numerous orders and deliveries from all corners of the globe but I also realised that I found it so rewarding to see a project through from start to finish. It’s my name on the sign-off and it’s really very important to me that every little detail is checked and re-checked. Needless to say, my love for Logistics began there.
How do you get ready to start your day?
I am the main communicator between our technicians, office staff and most importantly our clients. The start of my day involves going through any emails that may have come in overnight. Once completed, I ensure our technicians are fully briefed on the day/days ahead. This could be discussions around equipment and packing preparation or important timings and deadlines for certain shipments. All this information is then stored centrally and can be edited in real-time. This means that, if our clients have any fast-changing requests, we can build these into the shipment quickly and change plans accordingly.
What does an ‘average’ day working in art logistics look like for you?
My top priority is ensuring replies to all clients are met promptly and in full, making sure estimates are sent out as soon as possible. There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting for a company to get back to you.
Through our cloud-based platforms, I ensure technicians are kept up to date regularly with any changes or intricate details involved in their bookings, and I use our vehicle tracking system to monitor the location and security of our fleet throughout the day.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Throughout my career, I’ve worked in account management and project management – they’re two such different areas, yet they constantly overlap. For example, interior design projects and major art fairs both have their challenges but if the shipping, transport and logistics coordination doesn’t run professionally, the rest of the project will also slip. It’s my job to make sure this doesn’t happen, and I really take pride in that.
I love the end-to-end nature of working in logistics, building strong relationships with clients along the way. I find that very rewarding.
If you think that Sandra may be able to assist you with an up and coming project, you can email Sandra at [email protected] or our expert team at [email protected].
