AFS Logistics chief analytics officer named top woman to watch in transportation

AFS Logistics announces Mingshu Bates, chief analytics officer, is a Top Woman to Watch in Transportation for 2023, selected by the Women in Trucking Association (WIT). This recognition is the result of a competitive nomination process designed to acknowledge the high caliber of talent and accomplishments of women in the industry.

At AFS, Bates built the Advanced Analytics and Revenue Management team (AARM) from scratch and guides her team to put data to work for actionable intelligence to help clients solve supply chain problems. As a result of her ability to understand the needs and motivations of clients, Bates inked the first-ever transportation management client and the first-ever parcel value management opportunity at AFS.

Bates and her team also contribute to the industry at large, producing the quarterly release of the Cowen/AFS Freight Index. The Freight Index combines massive historical data with current macro- and micro-economic factors to carefully evaluate, select and build predictive models, Its releases are regularly referenced by large media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Reuters.

“It’s an honor to receive this award, but the work of AFS is always a team effort. One of the most meaningful aspects is bringing aboard young data scientists and helping them as they gain experience in their careers and confidence in their abilities,” says Bates. “It’s important to me to do whatever I can to position them for long-term success.”

Prior to joining AFS in 2016, Bates spent 16 years at FedEx, building high-performing teams that served various functions in the pricing science, revenue management and global pricing arenas. She studied international economics at Nankai University in China, completing a quantitative-heavy program similar to a modern-day data science major, and went on to graduate studies in economics at the University of Toledo and the Ohio State University.

“Mingshu is a truly outstanding logistics professional who has a gift for balancing her unique strategic perspective with a can-do tactical approach that ensures our clients’ success,” says AFS CEO Tom Nightingale. “Our team and our clients value her perspective not only as it relates to data science, but in the transportation business and turning data into actionable information. She embodies our values of engagement, excellence and ethics in all that she does.”

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