Lillian Walters joined Mainfreight at 19 as a Sales Cadet.
Five years later, she’s the Branch Manager at Mainfreight’s Orange location.
Her progression came from learning as much of the business as she could, putting her hand up for opportunities and being willing to step outside her comfort zone.
“I worked hard, stayed curious and said yes to opportunities.”
Today, she leads a growing transport branch, works closely with customers, supports her team and helps keep day-to-day operations moving.
And depending on the day, that can still mean jumping on a forklift.
No two days look the same
Lillian’s role covers a lot of ground.
She might spend part of the day meeting with customers and talking about how Mainfreight can support their business, then head back to the warehouse to help make sure freight is moving safely and on time.
She’s also responsible for supporting her team, branch performance and maintaining the level of service Mainfreight is known for.
“No two days are ever the same,” she says.
“It’s a fast-paced role that brings a new challenge every day, and that’s what keeps it exciting.”
That variety is a big part of what she enjoys about the role.
From Sales Cadet to Branch Manager
From early on, Lillian wanted to understand more than just one part of the business.
She spent time learning about operations, customer service and sales, and kept taking on opportunities as they came up.
Mainfreight’s approach to developing people also played a big part.
“One of the things I like about Mainfreight is that people are backed based on their attitude and potential, rather than their age.”
At 24, Lillian stepped into the Branch Manager role.
“For me, it came from constantly putting my hand up, getting out of my comfort zone and embracing every opportunity that came my way.”
Learning how the whole business works
Lillian started as a Sales Cadet with the goal of becoming a sales rep.
But the role gave her exposure to much more than sales.
She learned how different parts of Mainfreight work together, from drivers and operations through to administration and customer service.
That became especially useful when she started working more closely with customers.
“I wasn’t just selling a service. I understood how we delivered it.”
It also showed her how much each part of the business depends on the others.
“Our success isn’t built on salespeople alone. It’s built on every single person in our business.”
Lillian says the experience gave her a stronger understanding of relationships, accountability and teamwork, and became an important foundation for moving into leadership.
You don’t need to have it all figured out
For students finishing school, one of Lillian’s biggest messages is that you don’t need to know exactly where your career is heading from day one.
“What I love about Mainfreight is that you don’t need to have your entire life mapped out from day one.”
There are opportunities to experience different parts of the business and work out what you enjoy as you go.
That could be sales, operations, customer service, transport or another area you hadn’t considered before.
Lillian joined at 19 without knowing she’d be running a branch five years later.
“Mainfreight is much more than just a job for me. It’s given me opportunities, lifelong friends and a career I enjoy turning up to every day.”
What helps people do well at Mainfreight?
According to Lillian, attitude matters more than having everything figured out from the start.
Being willing to learn, ask questions and get involved goes a long way.
“You definitely don’t need to have all the answers when you start. I know I didn’t.”
She also points to the team environment as a big part of working at Mainfreight.
Whether someone works in sales, operations, customer service or driving, everyone contributes to the same result.
“Mainfreight is a team environment. Nobody succeeds on their own.”
For Lillian, that combination of opportunity, responsibility and learning on the job has taken her from Sales Cadet to Branch Manager in five years.
If you’re curious about where a career with Mainfreight could take you, explore their current opportunities, career pathways and what it’s like to be part of the team.
Learn more about careers with Mainfreight.
