Ryder Ltd (“Ryder”), a leading independent provider of commercial vehicle contract hire, rental, and maintenance services in the United Kingdom, is pleased to announce the appointment of Natalie Waldron to the company’s board of directors.
Since joining Ryder in 2016 as UK legal counsel, Waldron’s role has evolved to see her play a crucial part in supporting the business with complex contract negotiations and bespoke customer agreements. She also works closely with the Group’s team of lawyers based in Miami on cross-jurisdictional matters such as data protection and funding.
Waldron joins a nine-strong board and her appointment marks the second female directorship at Ryder, alongside HR director Catherine Steel. It is also the first new appointment to the Ryder board since 2018, when Tony Roebuck became external and mobile operations director.
Commenting on her appointment, Waldron said: “It’s fantastic to join the Ryder board of directors and have an opportunity to influence the direction of the company. I’m looking forward to working with the leadership team as we embark on exciting new projects.”
As Ryder’s in-house solicitor, Waldron is also the first port of call for all legal, regulatory and compliance matters across Ryder UK and Europe. She anticipates her legal training will put her in good stead to really get underneath the bones of the business.
“As a lawyer I’m a trained fact-finder; this will enable me to assist the Board by asking those all-important questions to seek greater clarity before important decisions are made,” Waldron added.
A passionate enthusiast of the transport and logistics industry, Waldron is keen to encourage more women into the industry: “I would say forget any preconceived ideas you might have of the transport sector; it’s innovative and fast-moving. For example, it is market leading in adapting to climate change strategies, influencing the industry through low emission vehicles and alternative fuels, which creates fantastic opportunities. It’s by far the most exciting industry I’ve worked in, and my career history covers insurance, financial services, private practice and the Civil Service.”
The Ryder culture has added to the appeal of the sector for Waldron, as she said everyone is “incredibly hard working” and the culture is “very supportive and collaborative”, which suits her style of working.
Commenting on the appointment, David Hunt, Ryder vice president and managing director FMS Europe, said: “I am delighted to welcome Natalie to the leadership team. During her five years at Ryder, she has played a vital role in some key business tenders, and provided a huge amount of support to the sales team and the wider business. With her appointment we are gaining a wealth of knowledge and invaluable experience, and further diversifying the board. The fellow directors and I look forward to even closer collaboration with Natalie going forwards as we work together on a wide range of exciting projects.”
