A Day in the Life of Julia Melnikova
Meet Julia Melnikova, a dedicated Project Coordinator with 20+ years of experience and a key member of the Ahlers team in Ukraine since 2012. Julia is among the dedicated professionals making the impossible happen, ensuring supply chains keep moving no matter what. Join us as we dive into her journey, exploring the challenges, insights, and impact that make her role so dynamic.
What are your responsibilities? What does a typical workday look like for you?
I work in the Industry & Energy team and coordinate projects passing through the seaport in Odessa, Ukraine. Currently, because of the military conflict, the port's activities have been suspended, but I'm not idle. Part of my job now involves procurement and organizing air freight for our tobacco clients in Ukraine. This is quite challenging as deliveries are routed through neighboring countries' airports — Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova — which are heavily congested with both their own and our Ukrainian cargo.
I also analyze and monitor the business landscape in our market. I gather information on how companies and industries are performing, their plans, and the state of logistics: I collect data, communicate with potential clients and partners. My phone is constantly ringing and buzzing with messages and questions, and some days are so filled with communication and "chatter" that by the end I feel like a squeezed lemon. I hope the results of my work will help us advance further.
What is your educational background? How did you start working in this industry?
My education is not related to logistics: I studied English and German. However, Izmail, the city where I lived, is a major transportation hub at the mouth of the Danube. Over 25 years ago, I began working with friends in a freight forwarding company, handling everything needed for shipping sea cargo through our port. I then moved to Odessa and, after several years of coordinating sea freight at another company, interviewed at Ahlers and joined the team in 2012. So, my entire professional career has been in logistics.
Who has been your mentor in your career journey at Ahlers?
I am extremely grateful to Jeroen De Ryck for his support, guidance, and for fostering a great team atmosphere. I can always reach out to him for advice. However, I learned to coordinate complex, multi-step projects from scratch thanks to Rachel Kellett, my first manager at Ahlers. She believed in me and wasn’t afraid to assign me a project involving the delivery of factory equipment from Malaysia to the CIS. I spent four months at the Port of Constanta, gave it my all, and the project was a success.
How has the industry changed since you started working?
First, women have finally started working in logistics. When I began, women in logistics were only secretaries or translators at most. Now, women are captains, senior mechanics on ships, crane operators, and operationists. Second, there's digitalization. For example, previously, ship loading plans were prepared manually on paper with rulers and pencils. Now, there are special programs that visualize the entire process.
How do you see the future development of the industry?
I believe everything will increasingly move into the digital realm. Communication, cargo tracking, and all other operations will be digitalized. I support this trend as it reduces human error and the likelihood of mistakes.
What other changes would you like to see?
Like many Ukrainians, I long for the day the war ends, when recovery begins, and I can dive back into project logistics with renewed purpose. I really miss the port atmosphere where everything is working and moving. And yes, more digitalization in logistics. Less paperwork, running around, and time spent on basic operations.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
When you handle cargo shipments, it feels like you're traveling yourself. You learn about new countries, meet new people, often forming friendships. Malaysia, Romania, Belgium, Hungary, Croatia, Poland — these are the countries that come to mind first.
What would you like people to know about your job?
It’s an interesting job. It’s trendy now, like the "new" IT. Izmail University invited me to give a lecture at its newly established logistics faculty to talk about what the industry is really like. I joke that if I told the whole truth, the students might run away — because working in logistics is hard. You are responsible for everything in front of the client, even if there’s hail, border closures, or a storm. You’re always on call and must be extremely careful with documents. Many people don’t realize this because it’s not visible from the outside.
What do you think the industry can do to attract more young people?
Young people are already coming into the industry; it’s popular. But companies need to create conditions for employees to stay. This includes social guarantees and financial conditions. For me personally, flexibility in working hours — rather than a strict schedule — and strong team support are most important.
