Introducing… Kate Morris

In a new feature for Bdaily looking at the young talent helping shape organisations’ futures, Christopher Leonard, business unit director – warehousing, at Teesport operator PD Ports, champions Kate Morris, the company’s Tees warehousing operations manager.

What excites you most about the work Kate is doing?

Kate is one of PD Ports’ best assets – she is dedicated, knowledgeable and committed.

Recently promoted to warehouse operations manager for all our Tees-based warehousing, at just 28-years-old she has overall responsibility for a team of 70 people and multi-million-pound operations across 350,000sq ft of warehousing.  

How has Kate developed and grown since joining PD Ports?

Kate joined PD Ports as a graduate in 2017, initially in the commercial team, where she developed a number of contracts, including an automotive manufacturing deal, which went from a 400-pallet operation to 16,000 pallets under her leadership. 

In 2022, Kate moved to the operations side of the business as a warehouse contract manager at Teesport.

Despite having no previous management or people management experience, Kate had caught the eye of senior leaders, who believed she had the talent and ability to take on a challenge. 

Are there any projects or achievements that demonstrate Kate’s abilities and future potential?

When Kate moved to warehouse operations, she took on a team that was recognised as having its challenges, alongside the management of one of our biggest contracts. 

She initiated a project to look at every aspect of the warehouse – safety, staffing, infrastructure and supply chain – and has achieved outstanding results, improving staff retention and training, and delivering a marked improvement in the warehouse safety record.

Her efforts were nothing short of astounding, especially as someone new to the role and that level of responsibility. 

Now, in her new role, she is carrying out a similar project to standardise and streamline all warehousing operations across Teesport and Teesport Commerce Park.

How does Kate handle high-pressure situations and tight deadlines?

Kate is tenacious and calm.

She is working in a heavily male-dominated environment and holds her own – and then some. 

She’s a strong character and never lets anything bother her.

What other qualities set Kate apart as a future leader in the port and logistics sector? 

Kate is a fantastic example of someone that does everything with quality. 

Everything she leads is done with a bit of class, and she is able to deliver a message in a calm and professional way. 

As a result, her team are fully behind her, and support her in everything she sets out to achieve. 

I look forward to seeing what she goes on to do in her career.

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