AN OPERATIONS designer from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Swansea has earned a place in the final of the national everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards 2026.
Mariel Ruartes, who is originally from Argentina and now living in South Wales, is one of this year’s finalists in the Industry Champion category – an award that recognises the difference women are making across the transport and logistics sector. The prize goes to a woman whose longstanding and continuous support of women in transport and logistics has led to impactful and measurable change.
This year’s shortlist reflects how far opportunities for women have grown in what has long been a male-dominated field, and the breadth of routes now open to them. Amazon returns as a category sponsor for the Tech and AI Innovator Award, and Mariel is among a group of Amazon employees who have reached the finals across several categories.
In her day job, Mariel is an international operations designer at the Amazon site in Swansea. Ahead of the final, she has spoken about her route into the industry and what keeps her there – hoping her story encourages more women to consider a career in logistics.
Mariel has spent almost six years at Amazon, leading the team that designs the internal layouts of the company’s fulfilment centres around the world, from the team’s base in Swansea. An architect by trade who relocated from Buenos Aires to South Wales for the role, she is now International Operations Design Manager. She shares her experience working in logistics ahead of the everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards final, with the hope of inspiring other women to consider a career in the sector.
Mariel’s path to Amazon spans continents and industries. An architect by trade, she worked in housing before moving into engineering on major hydropower projects, and then into designing offices at scale for WeWork, becoming a building information management (BIM) expert along the way. When the chance to join Amazon came up, she accepted – and had to look up where Swansea was on the map. Almost six years later, she calls it the best decision she ever made.
At Amazon, Mariel leads a team responsible for the “composite” – the detailed internal layout of an entire fulfilment centre, a complex product designed in-house rather than by third parties. It requires huge coordination across trades and stakeholders, from safety to operations. The scale of what her team has achieved is striking: when she joined, the team delivered designs for 17 new buildings across the UK and Europe, largely in older software with coordination problems throughout. Today, the team delivers around 280 projects spanning the UK, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, covering both new builds and retrofits.
It is this transformation – of a function, a way of working and a team – that forms the basis of Mariel’s nomination for the Industry Champion Award at the everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards.
Speaking on working at Amazon, Mariel said: “Amazon itself is like a university – if you join and don’t realise that, you’re missing the big picture, because there is so much to learn here about everything.
“ When I joined, I knew I had to understand a whole new world, but the support I’ve had from my managers has been huge. They even sponsored my professional BIM certification here in the UK.”
For Mariel, good design always comes back to the people who will use the building. She continued: “When we design a facility, we’re not just building a warehouse – we’re building a community around it. Our customer is the associate, and they are our North Star.
“We think about the person who’ll walk the floor every day: where the water coolers are, how far they have to walk, making sure everything is set up so they feel special arriving at a brand-new place to work. I think that caring side is the woman’s touch.”
That same instinct extends to the people she works alongside. Mariel’s team has reached 50/50 gender parity, and she actively mentors women both within her team and across the wider business – work that was central to her being put forward for the award by her director.
Asked what advice she would give to other women considering a career in the field, Mariel said: “It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from – what matters is what you do and how you build yourself, and how you build things for the future.
“Coming from Latin America, where we’re used to seeing opportunities everywhere and going for them, I try to pass that on. I love dropping seeds, generating ideas and watching others grow.”
Outside of work, Mariel is a mother of two daughters, aged 15 and 11, and credits the team spirit at home with her husband of 18 years for making it all possible.
Speaking on making it to the final of the everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards, Mariel said: “I’m from Argentina, and I never imagined I’d be nominated for something in the UK, so for me it’s already a blessing.
“When the email came through I actually thought it was a scam and nearly reported it! I’m just going to enjoy the moment, and I’m so grateful to my director for putting me forward and to everyone who has supported me along the way.”
Amazon runs employee-led groups around the world, several of which are dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering women – among them are Women at Amazon, Women in Operations and Families at Amazon.
Women at Amazon is a global affinity group for women, non-binary employees and allies, with more than 80 chapters worldwide. It is focused on attracting, developing and retaining women in both tech and non-tech roles across every part of Amazon’s business.
Amazon employees receive competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package. Annual pay for Amazon Operations roles starts from £29,744 and in some locations, £31,824. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2026’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a fourth consecutive year.
To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.
