Katie Justman: Leading the way with confidence

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes 

At Schneider, we’re all about helping people build meaningful careers.  

Take Katie Justman for example. Her journey from an entry-level role to director of operations shows how we value growth and offer opportunities for everyone on our team to succeed.

Keep reading to see how Katie became a recognized industry expert and how she now leans on her experiences to serve as a resource for others.

Pivotal points

Katie started her Schneider career in 1998 as a customer service representative. In that role, she gained valuable insights into transportation and supply chains. Doors soon opened to a project manager role in which she helped the business integrate new software.

She showed her versatility through her following roles in enterprise sales support, as a director of new business in Schneider Transportation Management (STM) and as an operational excellence leader in logistics. Katie embraced these opportunities and made significant contributions across the business.

 Later, she returned to the operations side as a safety and training manager.

“I like referring to my career path as a jungle gym, which emphasizes the flexibility and variety of paths we can take,” she said. “It's inspiring to me how Schneider supports associates in leveraging our strengths to find roles that fit in our business.”  

After gaining more experience and growing her leadership abilities, Katie became an operations manager. She is now accountable for roughly 800 dedicated and van truckload drivers in the Midwest as a director of operations.

Real life leadership

For Katie, being a director of operations means every day is a new challenge. One minute, she’s preparing for an important customer meeting, and the next she’s putting on her safety boots so she can walk the yard and talk with drivers.

“The depth of situational leadership I get to experience – you can’t make some of these stories up,” she said. “It can be difficult at times, but I’ve learned how to lead through many scenarios. We always need strong leaders who have that desire to make decisions every day.”

Katie’s leadership approach emphasizes transparency and vulnerability. She believes in creating strong connections with her team and loves to share personal experiences. This encourages her team to tackle challenges with confidence and fosters independence and growth.

“I like to tell them, ‘Here’s my perspective; take it or leave it,’” she said. “I empower them to build the solution. I give them the support they need, but I let them get to the answer.”

Guidance and growth

For Katie, professional and personal growth have been aided by mentors and resource groups like the Schneider’s Women’s Network. She feels empowered by building relationships and connecting with others who pushed her to think big.

“The most humbling thing is taking that feedback and putting it to work. You have to own it and let it shape you.”

Katie has also found value in Schneider's leadership development programs throughout her career, including the Accelerated Development Program. These have helped her discover an authentic leadership style and become more comfortable leaning into difficult situations.

Impacting the industry

In 2025, WIT named Katie one of the year's Top Women to Watch in Transportation. This award recognizes top performers in the industry who support other women while bringing results to their respective fields.

Katie was honored when she was nominated for the award by her mentor – Senior Vice President of Operations Erin Van Zeeland, who herself earned the recognition in 2023.

“I realized how all these great women, drivers and senior leaders alike, are leveraging their platforms to support other women in their careers,” Katie said. “I was so grateful for Erin to nominate me, and I’m honored to represent Schneider. I did not think it was something I could accomplish.”