Diverse leadership drives the future

As South Africa’s transport and logistics sector navigates its own wave of disruption – from electrification pilots on local fleets to the digitisation of supply chains – industry voices are increasingly pointing to leadership diversity as a competitive advantage.

Camilla Davison, VP marketing & communications at ZF Aftermarket, says the traditional, hierarchical leadership style that has long defined the mobility industry is no longer built for the complexity companies now face. Historically male-dominated sectors like automotive and logistics, she argues, need a broader mix of skills and perspectives to solve modern, multi-layered problems. These range from restructuring go-to-market models to scaling supply chains across regions – a challenge acutely familiar to South African logistics operators managing cross-border freight and last-mile delivery.

Beyond groupthink

For Davison, cognitive diversity is essential for getting to the root of systemic problems rather than patching symptoms. She believes women bring a distinct shift to leadership dynamics.

“When women enter senior leadership and operational roles… the entrenched model often gives way to collaborative problem-solving,” she says. That shift tends to replace rigid top-down authority with more open, insight-led dialogue – a dynamic she believes produces better business outcomes overall.

Davison points to two major studies to support the case. McKinsey & Company research found that top-quartile gender-diverse executive teams are considerably more likely to outperform on profitability than their less diverse peers. Separately, a Boston Consulting Group survey on diversity and innovation found that companies with above-average management diversity generate a significantly higher share of revenue from new products and services than less diverse firms.

Quiet power over loud authority

Davison cautions against women feeling pressure to mimic traditional, vocal styles of authority to succeed in male-dominated industries. Real influence, she says, comes from somewhere else entirely.

“True influence does not stem from being the loudest voice in the boardroom,” she explains, describing instead a “grounded, quiet power” built on patience, insight and rigorous fact-based argument. She also links gender-diverse leadership to sharper customer-centricity, noting: “Women usually really care what customers think, prioritising EQ alongside IQ in the decision-making process.”

Widening the talent pipeline

Davison emphasises that women in companies like ZF Group are now leading engineering departments and steering major transformation programmes – roles once considered inaccessible. She says attracting the next generation of female talent to mobility, transport and logistics careers – instead of losing them to tech or finance – will require deliberate action: diverse candidate slates, female representation on interview panels and intentional succession planning that gives visibility to rising leaders.

Her advice to women considering a career in the sector? “Think hard about what your superpowers are, play to your strengths and have the confidence to portray that.”

The road ahead

For Davison, building a resilient, future-fit mobility and logistics sector – both in South Africa and globally – isn’t only about technology and infrastructure investment. It’s about culture. As she puts it: inclusion is no longer a soft HR metric, but a strategic imperative for companies aiming to lead the future of mobility.