Supply Chain Resilience Expert Speakers

Chair's welcome and Logistics UK introduction

Phil Roe, President, Logistics UK

Phil joined Logistics UK as President in April 2022 after 5 years as a non-executive Director. Prior to joining he was a board Director at DHL Supply Chain which was the culmination of his 35 year career with DHL and XPO. He is also a non-executive Director and trustee at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

Phil has substantial experience of supply chain leadership across multiple customers, sectors and geographies, with 35 years’ experience in a variety of senior leadership roles within operations and functional areas. These include Managing Director, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Customer Officer and Strategy Director.

Keynote - Resillience of freight transport systems

Professor Alan McKinnon, Kühne Logistics University

Alan McKinnon is Professor of Logistics in Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg and Professor Emeritus at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He has been researching, teaching and advising in freight transport / logistics for over 40 years and published widely in journals, books and reports on many different aspects of the subject. He has been an adviser to several governments, parliamentary committees and international organisations, including the International Transport Forum/OECD, the World Bank, European Commission, World Economic Forum and UN agencies. In 2018 he published a book on Decarbonizing Logistics.

Panel session: Government programmes to support improving resilience of the UK supply chains

Chair: Ben Garratt, Deputy Director - Public Affairs, Logistics UK

Ben Garratt joined Logistics UK in early 2023 to form and lead the Public Affairs team. He engages with politicians and other policy makers on the role logistics plays underpinning the economy, and what the business group's members need to deliver now and for the future. With a background in public affairs and communications in passenger transport and energy, and prior to that, Middle East politics, Garratt is also the policy lead for Innovation at Logistics UK, and a member of the Freight Innovation Cluster Board.

Laura Marquis, Deputy Director Logistics & Supply Chain Policy, Department for Transport (DfT)

Laura is Deputy Director for Multimodal Freight in the Department for Transport. She is responsible for championing the role of freight, logistics and resilient supply chains in transport policy. Current areas of focus include supporting the transition to net zero through the Freight Energy Forum, promoting new technologies through the Freight Innovation Fund, improving the consideration of freight in the planning system and people and skills. transport Laura has also led several maritime teams focused on skills, safety, resilience and security. An economist by training, Laura joined the Civil Service in 2007, and has previously worked on aviation, housing and climate change policy.

Lydia Green, Head of Unlocking Space, UK Space Agency

Lydia joined the UK Space Agency in December 2022 to lead the Unlocking Space programme – a programme designed to champion the potential of space to solve societal challenges on earth across areas such as transport infrastructure, and logistics.  At the heart of Unlocking Space Programme is a focus to identify and address barriers across space value chains that are preventing the UK space companies’ long-term growth, supporting UKSA to deliver its National Space Strategies goals and align to the Governments growth mission. The programme currently had four priority areas of focus – Business, Government, Dual Use, and Investment. Prior to the UK Space Agency, Lydia worked in the Department for Business and Trade since 2018, working on a range of different ministerial priorities from EU Exit portfolio delivery, Priority Projects, and employment law.

Cost of transportation as key to resilience

Chair: Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director - Policy, Logistics UK

Michelle Gardner was appointed Deputy Director of Policy for Logistics UK in October 2022, having previously joined as Head of Public Policy in February 2021. Michelle oversees the development and engagement of Logistics UK policy, including on topics such as road regulation, infrastructure, trade and decarbonisation. Michelle has a background in both policy and public affairs and prior to joining Logistics UK, she was Environmental Manager at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Previously she worked for the British Retail Consortium, first leading on public affairs and then on employment and health and safety policy.

Nick Graham, Non Exec and Board advisor in Sustainability and Logistics

Nick has had a successful 40-year career history within the Logistics Industry and has worked for several large logistics companies in leading roles; Transport Director for Wincanton and Warehousing Director for Stobart. More recently Nick has had a corporate affairs brief interfacing with government and trade associations and is a thought leader on freight decarbonisation.

Currently Nick is a Non Exec and Board advisor in Sustainability and Logistics. He is a fellow in the Institute of Logistics, has a master’s degree in business administration and a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Annette Nemethova, Group Sustainability Lead, Gregory Distribution Ltd

Leading the Gregory Group on its path to net zero, Annette has developed a comprehensive sustainability strategy underpinned by the Group Environmental and Sustainability policy to facilitate the decarbonisation of the Group’s operations, in line with its SBTi validated emission-reduction target, and assist the Group’s customers in achieving their sustainability aspirations.

Annette is passionate about raising awareness and sharing her experience of using low-carbon fuels, including HVO, CNG, LNG as well as electric HGVs within the same fleet, to aid the decarbonisation of supply chains across the United Kingdom.

Embracing a holistic approach to sustainability, Annette engages in external and internal campaigns as well as training programmes to empower and motivate stakeholders to participate in decarbonisation efforts.

Andrew Scott, Product Director, TVS Interfleet

Andrew Scott is Product Director for TVS Interfleet, the UK’s most diverse vehicle converter. As well as developing the UK’s first fully-electric concrete mixer, TVS has provided the bodies for electric tippers and distribution vehicles as well as building on gas and hydrogen chassis. Andrew is very involved in the eFREIGHT 2030 ZEHID consortium – he brought TVS into the group in support of Tarmac’s pioneering action to decarbonise construction logistics, and is part of the steering group for the programme. He particularly welcomes the ambition of ZEHID to demonstrate multiple pathways to a lower carbon transport future. Andrew continues to advocate for decarbonisation across the commercial vehicle industry. He chairs one of the SMMT’s technical committees and regularly engages with Government and other key stakeholder groups to help plan for and establish a genuinely viable and resilient future-fit transport system. His actions have seen him recognised by Motor Transport magazine as one of the UK’s Decarbonisation Power Players in 2023 and 2024.

Panel session: Resilience for cities and urban infrastructure

Chair: Jonathan Walker, Head of Cities and infrastucture, Logistics UK

Jonathan is Head of Cities and Infrastructure Policy at Logistics UK and leads on road, rail policy and planning. His main focus is engagement with members and key stakeholders relating to infrastructure and cities to hear their views, identify their key priorities and influence decision making on these issues. Prior to this, he spent most of his career working in business policy for the North East England Chamber of Commerce and holds both a BA (Hons) in Politics and MA in Public Relations from Newcastle University.

Richard Guy, Fleet and Plant Director, Amey

A highly experienced fleet management professional with over 25 years’ experience, specialising in operations management, project management, business integration and decarbonisation solutions.

Simon Keen, Partner, Commercial Real Estate team, Birketts

Simon joined Birketts, a UK Top 50 law firm, in 2022 following 17.5 years at a leading international law firm. He is a Partner in the Commercial Real Estate Team, jointly leads both the Cambridge Real Estate Team and Strategic Land Team, and is recommended by Legal 500 as a “Leading Partner”.

Simon has extensive experience of negotiating leases and agreements for lease (including “build to suit” pre-let agreements) for the delivery of new or refurbished industrial and logistics buildings, and has acted for a wide range of blue chip occupiers (including motor manufacturers, distribution services and other business occupiers) and institutional landlords (including major pension funds and also specific investors in industrial and logistics assets) on their portfolios. He is the chair of the committee responsible for maintaining and updating the Model Commercial Lease, which puts him at the forefront of the industry when it comes to lease negotiations and market trends generally, and he was specifically responsible for preparing the first draft of the industrial/logistics MCL. 

Piers Windsor, Associate Director, Asset Management, London, SEGRO

Piers works within the London Asset Management team at SEGRO, responsible for asset initiatives across the West London estate. The London portfolio includes more than 9 million square feet of industrial space across a variety of inner M25 geographies, accommodating more than 240 customers across over 430 units.

Piers is a passionate advocate for a customer focussed approach to real estate and prior to joining SEGRO, he accumulated over 10 years’ experience working predominantly at real estate investment management businesses, acting on all aspects of the property ownership cycle including: investment, development, and asset management. Piers qualified as chartered surveyor in 2016 and a holds a master’s degree in real estate.

Achieving resilience through the use of technology while mitigating technology-related risks

Helen Flanagan, Product Director, Wincanton

Helen Flanagan is the product lead for EyeQ, Wincanton's digital transport control tower product. She joined Wincanton in 2023 and plays a key role in the strategic shift in the business to focus on transport services powered by digital technology. Helen brings a depth of experience across logistics operations, sales, solutions design and consulting and has enjoyed varied roles at DHL Supply Chain and Kuehne & Nagel.

John Court, John Court Associates

In a career spanning four decades, John has held board and technology leadership roles with several FTSE 250 plc's and private equity held entities, including Eddie Stobart, CEVA Logistics, TNT Express (now FedEx) and Masternaut (now Michelin Connected Fleet). In this time John has worked alongside many leading brands, such as Apple, Rolls Royce, Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Volkswagen Audi Group, Coca-Cola, Tesco and Johnson & Johnson, designing and delivering innovative, differentiating digital solutions to underpin a range of logistics services, including advanced warehousing, e-commerce & fulfilment, international air and sea freight, road freight (FTL & LTL), rail freight, and express mail and parcel services.

Twice named a UK Top 100 CIO, John has received independent industry recognition for technology innovation, service quality and operational excellence.  John now works independently with a small number of clients as an executive advisor and board consultant. His areas of particular interest include formulation of technology strategy, complex digital transformation, acquisition due diligence & post-acquisition integration, scale-up of high-growth tech businesses, business & technology alignment, technology sourcing strategy and digital operating models. John lives with his family in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands and is a keen rugby union fan and club golfer.

Panel session: Resilience of international supply chains

Chair: Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director - Policy, Logistics UK

Seamus Nevin, Chief Economist, Make UK

Seamus Nevin is Chief Economist at Make UK. Seamus has over a decade of experience across a range of high-level political and public policy roles and is a current or former member of numerous government boards and advisory groups.

Keiron Myall, Managing Director UK/IE, Customs Support Group

Keiron has over 30 years of commercially focused experience in logistics, transportation, and supply chain management. His illustrious career spans global blue-chip organizations, high-profile government operations, and dynamic mid-market logistics companies. Keiron is known for driving growth, operational excellence, cultural transformation, and customer-centric strategies.

His journey includes over two decades at TNT Express, where he rose to the position of Global Commercial Director and later Managing Director. In these roles, he led an international team of 3,000 people across 170 countries, overseeing an globally renowned business.

Following this, Keiron played a critical leadership role within the UK government, overseeing the country’s COVID testing supply chain operations. Most recently, he served as Managing Director at SkyNet Worldwide Express, where he spearheaded global logistics operations.

Resilience of online retail operation

Chair: Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director - Policy, Logistics UK

Tim Jones, Director of Marketing, Communications & Sustainability, DPD UK

Tim Jones is Director of Marketing, Communications and Sustainability at DPD UK with over 25 years’ experience in the parcels market, the majority with DPD. Tim and his team are responsible for marketing strategy, media relations, public affairs, internal communications and the formulation and implementation of DPD’s sustainability strategy.

DPD’s aim is to be the UK’s most sustainable delivery company. As part of Geopost, DPD UK has a Net Zero target of 2040, which is fully validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – the only delivery group to have such validation. A third of its final mile van fleet is now electric and over 90% of its HGVs run on HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), helping DPD deliver a 48% reduction in emissions to the end of 2024, from a 2020 baseline. During Tim’s tenure, DPD has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, become the most decorated brand in the history of the Motor Transport Awards and topped the annual Money Saving Expert parcel delivery satisfaction poll nine times – more than any other parcel delivery firm.

Justin Laney, Partner & General Manager, John Lewis Partnership

Justin Laney manages the John Lewis Partnership fleet of 4500 commercial vehicles and nearly 1000 cars. The fleet is recognised for leading in innovation, and has reduced it’s diesel consumption by 50% through efficiency measures and alternative fuels. Headline commitments include running all heavy duty trucks on biomethane by 2028, being free of fossil fuels by 2030 and achieving a zero carbon fleet by 2035. Justin’s career started with London Transport (Buses), having obtained a BEng at Liverpool University. He also worked at UPS for 20 years, managing fleets in EMEA and the UK. 

Justin is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Director of the Zemo Partnership, and Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF). He has won numerous awards, mainly for fleet sustainability, including being Motor Transport Magazine's Decarbonisation Power Player for 2022.

Panel session: Skills to unlock resilience

Bethany Windsor, Head of Skills and Generation Logistics, Logistics UK

Bethany Windsor is Head of Skills Policy and Generation Logistics at Logistics UK. Bethany’s role is to lead on Logistics UK’s skills policy position, reflecting member’s needs and shaping and guiding relevant Government policy. As a passionate advocate for diverse and engaged workforces, Bethany’s work on Generation Logistics, a careers awareness campaign for the logistics profession, has led to the implementation of creative strategies to attract younger talent and establish clear career pathways in logistics. With a strong background in both education and logistics, Bethany has played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by the growing talent shortages and gaps in the logistics profession.  

Leigh Anderson, Managing Director, Bis Henderson Recruitment

Leigh Anderson has 36 years’ experience in recruitment, in the UK and overseas, and has recruited supply chain executives since 1988.

To date, he has successfully completed over 1,000 assignments across the world.

Prior to joining Bis Henderson, he managed his own search firm for 9 years. He has also worked in Australia managing the NSW business and the Supply Chain practice for the country’s largest management recruitment company. Leigh is a Non-Executive Board Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics.

Chair's close & open discussion

Phil Roe, President, Logistics UK