19/04/2026
In this final edition of Desider, we sat down with Catherine, Senior Logistics Operations Manager. She reflects on a remarkable career, from leading major ammunition movements, including efforts supporting Ukraine, to receiving the Resolute Spirit Award at the Women in Defence Awards 2025.
Read about Catherine's best advice and her hobbies that keep her grounded.👇
🔵 What does your role involve?
💬 I oversee logistics across all Defence Munitions sites, ensuring the UK’s Armed Forces receive the critical ammunition they need, wherever and whenever required. My role involves balancing immediate operational demands with strategic planning, managing compliance, transport coordination, material accounting and fostering collaboration across Defence to maintain agile supply chains. At its core, it’s about leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, anticipating challenges and making decisions under pressure.
🔵 What keeps you energised about working in Defence?
💬 Knowing that our work directly contributes to the safety, capability and effectiveness of those who serve our country fosters a deep sense of pride and motivation. It’s incredibly inspiring to be part of an organisation where collaboration, innovation and resilience are essential to success. Working alongside talented and dedicated colleagues to tackle complex challenges and deliver meaningful results is what drives me every day.
🔵 What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
💬 I am proud to have led major ammunition movements, including efforts supporting Ukraine, which earned me the Resolute Spirit Award at the Women in Defence Awards 2025 and an invitation to 10 Downing Street. Balancing a demanding career and motherhood, and overcoming health challenges after a medical discharge from the RAF, has been a journey of resilience and growth that has shaped who I am today.
🔵 Who or what has shaped who you are?
💬 My time in the RAF had a huge influence on who I am today. The challenges I experienced during my service career, including operational deployments and leadership under pressure, taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of teamwork. Those lessons continue to shape how I lead and approach challenges today.
🔵 What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
💬 Focus on what you can control. In high-pressure operational environments, uncertainty is inevitable. By focusing on what you can influence, you can remain grounded, resilient and forward thinking. “Femininity is a strength, not a weakness.” Embracing femininity as a strength is a powerful reminder that authenticity and individuality are assets, not limitations, in any professional setting.
