A Leigh woman named as one of the most powerful in her industry has spoken of her struggle to break into a fiercely male-dominated business.

Zoe Upson, 35, from Leigh, has been named as the 29th most powerful women in shipping by All About Shipping Magazine.

Praise was heaped on her recruitment and talent agency, Freight and Commodity Talent and women’s networking agency, Women Together, Both groups aim to improve opportunities in an industry where less than 10 per cent of top roles are held by women.

Ms Upson attended St Bernard’s High School, in Leigh, and has described her journey to becoming a prominent female voice in her industry as something she is trying to encourage and guide women into.

Ms Upson said: “I am really chuffed to be recognised, it does so much for girls and being recognised by All About Shipping is a big thing in our industry.

“I have always advocated for people to come into the sector. We run out of Leigh as a talent firm, we recruit people into trading houses, broking shops and bigger firms.

“Women don’t think to go into shipping, I have spoken to St Bernard’s School to get girls into shipping and my company provides mentorship, if you are a woman in a male dominated space it can be really tough.

“We started with three of us and now we have 600 people in Women Together, our main struggle is there aren’t women in positions of power. We need more women on board and in senior roles and positions.”

Ms Upson hopes to give a voice to the younger generation.

She said: “It was my will to succeed and overcoming my own struggles and wishing I had a female mentor when I started out that got me here.

“I wanted to give voice to the younger generation and I have become a voice in the industry.

“Being a woman in haulage is difficult, it is like a trudge uphill, you have to work twice as hard and twice as smart, it is changing but there is still so much work to do.”

Ms Upson runs her business from Leigh’s Marine Parade, having chosen to return home to raise her daughter.