Samantha Leaper, AMI Regional Manager, has been based in Manchester since she joined the company in the year 2000. “It doesn’t feel like 21 years have passed,” she laughs, “more like 21 months.” Here’s Samantha’s story…

“No two days are the same in AMI, and while the roles I’ve had look similar on paper, it really doesn’t feel as if I’ve been in one place for so long,” says Samantha. She started out in customer service, and progressed naturally into a sales position – in fact, she was the youngest member of the sales team when she started, aged just 21. “That was one of the biggest challenges, being a young woman working with senior customers.” But Samantha knows her strengths and went into the job confident that she could do it. “Not many things phase me,” she reflects, “and that works in my favour in such a diverse role.”

Under Samantha’s leadership, the AMI facility at Manchester Airport has trebled in size and now processes 6.5million kilograms (6,500 tonnes) of cargo every year. Samantha’s forward-thinking helped the operation adapt once the pandemic took hold in early 2020, as she used her network of contacts to bring a new ecommerce customer on board.

As well as keeping an eye out for opportunities and knowing the industry inside and out, Samantha knows the importance of self-awareness and being able to apply your own ‘checks and balances’. These are at the heart of Samantha’s working style and she encourages it in those who work with and for her.

“I’ve mentored a number of ladies and they worry that empathy and self-reflection are weaknesses. I don’t see it that way, these skills can add real equilibrium and value.”