The Judges

Emma Barber-Collins
Director
WH Barley

Emma is a Director of W H Barley Transport & Storage Ltd - a family run business in Milton Keynes. Emma joined the company at a young age and watched her father grow the business. She has a great amount of knowledge of the industry and is an active member of the RHA S/E region committee and Transport Warehouse Pallet Distribution Group.

Ian Barclay
Operations Director
Roger Warnes Transport

Ian has been with Bulk Haulier, Roger Warnes Transport since August 2016. Previously Operations Director for Midlands based next day carrier Aspray24 where he blended in 3 years as a Director and Trustee of the Institute of Logistics and Transport to, as he says “putting something back” A self confessed industry enthusiast his career has taken some interesting turns including a 3 year stint as Sector Head at Freight Transport Association and Training Manager at Beck and Pollitzer who became TDG where he took up a wider group role. An active member of the RHA, taking part in specialist group forums assisting in development of policy.   

Chris Baxter
Technical Services Manager
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd

Chris was appointed Technical Services Manager for Hankook Tyre UK Ltd in January 2010. Having worked in the UK tyre industry since 1981, Chris has been involved with logistic management and tyre technical services with other premium tyre manufacturers.

Richard Burnett
Chief Executive
Road Haulage Association

Richard Burnett’s career in logistics spans over 30 years. Since joining the RHA in 2015, Richard has restructured the organisation, making it a far more relevant and effective body that delivers value for its members through a powerful and effective lobbying voice.

He heads up a consistently effective media campaign that has raised the visibility of the RHA on a wide range of industry issues including the skills shortage; fuel prices; migrant camps in Calais, air quality, electric vehicles and is now recognised as the voice of the industry as regards the repercussions of a deal or no-deal Brexit.

Steve Carroll
Head of Transport
Cenex

Steve is an experienced project engineer with a background in the automotive, power generation and renewable energy industries. As Head of Transport at Cenex, Steve is responsible for managing Cenex’s portfolio of low carbon vehicle projects and technical input into Cenex programmes. Key areas of expertise include low emission vehicle technologies and their associated fuels, infrastructure, environmental performance and total cost of ownership. He led on the monitoring and evaluation of the DfT Low Carbon Truck Trials and is now one of the UKs leading experts on reducing emissions from vehicles. Steve manages a team of 10 low emission vehicle specialists. 

Steven Cleary
Head of Sales, Transport Services
Wincanton

Steven is responsible for driving growth and business development within the General Haulage, Container Transport & Energy sectors at Wincanton.  He previously worked at Turners (Soham) Ltd for 15 years where he held various operational, management and commercial roles.


David Coombes
CEO
The Skills Group

David Coombes started his career as an apprentice Navigation Officer and has spent the last 30 years in the Transport and Logistics industry. He has delivered, and managed, complex warehousing, transport and freight forwarding solutions on behalf of national and multinational organisations. He is now the CEO of The Skills Group, an organisation specialising in supply chain recruitment and consultancy. Through its assessing arm Skills for Logistics, it also delivers apprenticeship End-Point Assessment.

David is passionate about tackling the endemic skills challenge facing the Transport and Logistics industry, focusing especially on attracting the next generation of professionals with digital skills. David also holds a number of voluntary positions within the logistics sector, from Regional Chairman for the Chartered Institute of Transport to Logistics and Distribution Sector Chairman for the local LEP. David’s work ensures meaningful knowledge transfer and the fostering of critical logistics networks.

This year, David will be returning as a judge at the Motor Transport Awards for his fourth time. 

Mike Daly
Non-Executive Director
Clipper Logistics

Mike is a Fellow of the CILT and has been a major player in the logistics industry for over thirty years.  He built DTS Logistics himself with one van to 1,000 employees over 25 years, which he sold to Clipper Group in 2005. He is still actively involved in logistics in consultancy as well as being an ambassador for Transaid.

John Egerton
Director
Cartwright Finance Sales Limited

John has over 20 years’ experience in the business asset finance & leasing sector, almost exclusively gained in the commercial trailer and vehicle market. John has worked for Ryder, Transamerica Leasing, Bank of Scotland Asset Finance and as an independent Asset Finance Broker. As Managing Director, John's objective is to be the preferred asset finance business partner for customers purchasing both Cartwright product and general assets.

Richard Gosling
Sales Director
Close Brothers Vehicle Hire

Started working career in the Royal Navy as an Aircraft Engineer, after leaving the armed forces I worked for a time as a Truck Bodybuilder and then as an Area Sales Manager for Renault Trucks. After a couple of years in this role I moved onto Mercedes Benz selling both LCV and HGV vehicles, moving between three dealerships to develop my career within the network. I left the MB network in 2007 and had a brief spell at RTUK before joining Close Brothers Vehicle Hire as Sales Director in 2008.

Steve Granite
Chief Executive Officer
Abbey Logistics Group

Joined Abbey in 1995 as a trainee accountant. Became Finance Director in 2004 and CEO in 2009.  Qualified management accountant & founder of industry initiative ‘Think Logistics’ a not for profit organisation encouraging young people to join the industry.  Since becoming CEO in 2009 Abbey’s sales have grown from £18m to more than £65m and the company has added to its bulk liquid food transport services - rapidly growing in warehousing and bulk powder transport for polymers, food, cement, animal feed and non-hazardous chemicals.

Bob Harbey
Executive Director
Microlise

As Executive Director at Microlise, Bob’s main focus is on the development of relationships with corporate clients and key business partners. 

Since joining Microlise in 1988, Bob has had many roles and areas of responsibility including operations, product development and sales. He nows leads the Business Development function and is a member of the Executive Board.

Mark Johnston
Director
Aquarius IT

Since joining the industry in 2002, Mark has worked with many of the leading bureaus and tachograph analysis software providers throughout the UK. In his numerous previous roles as account manager, bureau manager and technical support manager, Mark has become a reliable expert in the field of tachograph compliance. Mark was appointed as Director at Aquarius IT in 2015 and over the last few years he has successfully built the brand reputation of the company and championed the launch of their flagship product ClockWatcherelite in 2017.

Ali Karim
Technical Consultant

Ali Karim has over 30 years’ experience of dealing with chemicals and gas in a production as well as in a sea and road transport environment at a senior management level in the UK and overseas with Interoute Transport Services, Gas and Equipment Ltd, Linde Gas UK Ltd, United Transport, Inspectorate International [Saudi Arabia] and Transport Development Group [TDG]. 

He was the co-founder and Managing Director of Hazchem Network Ltd.

Andy Kaye
CEO
Bis-Henderson Group

Andy has helped radically transform young people’s perception of the supply chain and logistics sector through the launch of the Novus Trust; motivating young people to study supply chain and logistics through specialist degree courses. Inspired by the success of Novus, he later launched Bis Henderson Academy to focus on developing talent through apprenticeship level training. 

Elaine Kerr
Director of Sales & CRM
DPD UK

Elaine joined the DPD in 1993 as a Sales Executive and has had a series of promotions, culminating in her becoming Director of Sales & CRM in 2008. 

Elaine ensures that the customer is always at the heart of the business.

Elaine enjoys theatre, cookery and travel,   and also has a 14 year old daughter who has just persuaded her to get a puppy!

Paul Kirby
Interim Head of Commercial Vehicles
LeasePlan UK

Paul has over 15 years’ experience with LCVs working for manufacturers and as an operator. He has been with LeasePlan UK since 2014, with responsibility for supporting Commercial Vehicle customers and developing our Business Critical Fleet proposition. This focuses on delivering a great experience to our UK customer base of over 66,000 vehicles. 

Paul says, “I’ve had the pleasure of working for, and with, some of the largest operators in the UK – helping with vehicles, racking, livery and best practice. I see the world of vans as a community with a specific set of needs and aspirations that is my pleasure to influence, support and drive forward.”

Andrew Morley
Group Sales and Marketing Director
Prohire

Andrew joined Prohire in 2008 from Europe’s largest manufacturer of semi-trailers where he was UK Sales and Marketing Director.  Prior to this Andrew spent over 20 years working in the materials handling sector where he developed his consultative approach to selling, which now forms a key part of Prohire’s business development strategy.  

Andrew has been a member of The Chartered Institute of Logistics for over 20 years and is a serving member of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association CV committee where he has served as Committee chairman. 

Paul Moxham
Key Account Manager - Lubricants
Chevron Lubricants

Paul has worked in the Oil & Lubricants industry for 19 years, working in business development & sales roles with increasing responsibility for a number of Global Oil Majors. Paul joined Chevron in 2015 and is currently a Key Account Manager for the Lubricants organisation.

Ian Nichol
Head of Logistics
Career Ready

Ian is Head of Logistics at Career Ready, a UK-wide charity that has been helping to prepare young people for the world of work for over 16 years by matching them with volunteers from the world of business. He leads the award winning Think Logistics project which began in 2013 and is focused on developing talent pipelines for the logistics sector.

Lesley O'Brien
Partner
Freightlink Europe / Freight Train

Lesley O’Brien is a transport industry professional with over 35 years’ experience in UK and international transport.  Lesley is a partner at Freightlink Europe, one of the first DVSA Earned Recognition accredited transport operators, specializing in UK collections and distributions and Managing Partner of transport consultancy Freight Train.  She sits on the Regional Council and Executive Board of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and is the founder member and ambassador for She's RHA, an initiative focusing on diversity and inclusion in transport, promoting the transport industry as the career of choice.

For more information on Freight Train go to www.freight-train.co.uk and for more information on Freight Link Europe go to www.freightlinkeurope.co.uk

Tony Pain
Consultant
Centre for Sustainable Transport

Tony has over 45 years' experience in the commercial vehicle industry, working for DAF Trucks Ltd, latterly as UK Marketing Director until retirement in late 2013, since when he has taken on a consultancy role for several transport related companies. He is also involved with the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight advising on the future development of road freight incorporating vehicle design, transport logistics and legislative influences. He has a wide knowledge of the European truck industry and is well known in the UK road transport sector by fleet operators, trade press and commercial vehicle manufacturers alike. 

Eddie Parker
Product Manager LCV
Arval

Eddie is Product Manager – Commercial Vehicles for Arval,  where he is responsible for the safe, legal and profitable operation of over 43,000 vehicles in both  in-house and external client fleets. With over 35 years within the Commercial Vehicle industry, both in UK and worldwide Eddie has held senior roles in operations, sales, legal compliance and engineering.

Theo de Pencier
Deputy Chairman - London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Non-Executive Director - Transport Focus

Theo is the Deputy Chairman of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust and is a Board member of Transport Focus, the Government’s independent ‘ watch dog ‘ for rail, bus and tram passengers and users of the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

He has over 30 years Board level experience in the logistics industry working for DHL in the UK and abroad and Bibby Line Group.

From 2007 until retiring in 2015 he was Chief Executive of the Freight Transport Association (FTA) representing industry’s freight interests by road, rail, sea and air.

Jack Semple

Jack Semple was a journalist for more than 20 years, at Motor Transport, Commercial Motor and Truck, then director of policy at the RHA for 10 years. He now works with government and others as secretary of the Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA), an alliance of 13 independent trade associations.

Iain Speak
Managing Director
Iain Speak Consultancy

Iain has built his experience over the last 30 years in Senior Executive roles both in the UK and overseas where he held a number of Executive positions with TNT Logistics. He now runs his own consultancy business focusing on Strategy, Leadership, Organisation and Growth. His clients include a large Far East freight forwarder, a number of UK logistics businesses and a top 50 law firm. Previously he was CEO of Bibby Supply Chain Services, which included among others, Bibby Distribution and Bibby Ship Management. He has a pragmatic down to earth approach.

Iain is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Jan Walsh
Ecommerce Fulfilment & Home Delivery Consultant

Over the last 20 years Jan has been instrumental in driving transformation and service excellence across the logistics and supply chain sector, having held senior management roles working with leading retailers and manufacturers across UK and Europe.

Specialising in ecommerce order fulfilment, 2-Person Home Delivery, Parcels and Click & Collect, Jan’s focus is working with retailers and logistics providers to; delight customers by ensuring that they receive their purchase when they want it, where they want it, via the delivery method of choice and that the experience from order to delivery surpasses customer expectations, reinforcing brand loyalty and generating repeat purchases.

Having achieved success winning the MTA ‘Home Delivery Operator of the Year’ for ArrowXL in 2016, Jan is delighted to be part of the judging panel for the Motor Transport Awards for the 2nd year running.


Duncan Webb
Commercial Director
Royal Mail Fleet

Duncan joined Royal Mail Fleet in July 2016 as Commercial Director to lead the strategic development of the business. An accountant by trade, and having worked in the fleet industry for twenty years, he has a unique blend of experience in operating some of the largest fleets in the UK along with selling and providing innovative solutions to many high profile operationally-critical fleets across the UK

Andrew Wolrich
Owner - Managing Director - Wolrich Consulting Limited
Owner - Commercial Director - Halcyon Tankers

With 35 years in Logistics, Andrew has a wealth of experience in all niches of UK and International Transport. He has recently completed an 8 year stint as MD of Hargreaves Logistics running a large own fleet, franchisees and subcontractors in the dry bulk tippers and walking floors arena. Andrew his since completed a Management Buy Out of Halcyon Tankers from Hargreaves and is now acting as Commercial Director, a role he performs alongside his Logistics and Business Consultancy WCL (Wolrich Consulting Limited).

Will Wycks
Head of Transformation, Data and Customer Experience
BT Fleet Solutions

Will has been in the automotive and fleet management industry for over 11 years, working in a variety of senior roles, from system transformation, commercial, marketing and customer account management. Will joined BT Fleet Solutions in 2016 and heads up transformation, data and customer experience for the company.