As part of our Behind-the-Scenes stories, our latest Forward Thinker is Cat Irvine, Customer Support at Forward Solutions. 

Cat is the newest member to join the Forward Solutions Support Desk Team, having previously worked in a variety of places before. 

Her career started when she was 22 at Jersey freight company Heulim Renouf, as an Administrative Assistant. She then became an Office Supervisor for Channel Island Lines, where she worked with Forward Office and got to know Customer Success Manager Nigel Smith.  

It was after Cat left Channel Island Lines that Nigel reached out to Cat to offer her a job in the Customer Support team. She joined the Southampton office in 2020 and has been assisting customers with their queries since. 

As Software Support, Cat helps customers maximise Forward Solutions’ software. She and the team of four help hundreds of users get to grips with the different modules which make up Forward Office, whether that be helping customers work efficiently with import and export customs management on Forward Clear or using Forward Core to manage shipments precisely from quote to invoice.   

Cat Irvine said:

“Being the newest member of the Support Desk Team, I’m constantly learning every day, but everyone around me is always willing to lend a helping hand. They’re eager for me to develop in my role.

Cat added: “Experience is key for this industry and having worked in IT and with Forward Office before I can often see the issue from the customer’s perspective, and I always have a team behind me to help. 

“I really enjoy talking with our customers, having a dedicated team to help answer their queries means we get to know them on a 1-1 level, they know us, and we know them and it makes solving issues a lot more fluid.” 

Richard Litchfield, Managing Director of Forward Solutions added:

“Cat is an amazing addition to the team, she brings experience and eagerness to the team, and is always ready to help our customers. 

“She excels at helping our customers get to grips with our software, she enthusiastically tries to resolve all issues that come through and has a willingness to develop that is vital for our industry. 

He continued: “With an industry as ever-changing as technology, it’s important to have the right mindset and understanding of our software, to allow for creative and intuitive ways to solve challenges that come our way. 

“The shift from Customs Handling of Imports and Exports Freight (CHIEF) to the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is starting at the end of September and will finish at the end of March 2023, which is why it’s important we have a strong dedicated support team to help answer customer questions that come our way.” 

In her spare time, Cat is interested in art and illustration, and she recently created a badge for a local charity called Friends of Bartley Park, with a hedgehog called Bert Bertley being the mascot.