Logistics UK names Transport Manager of the Year 2023 at final event in record-breaking conference series

Friday 01 December 2023

Logistics UK has announced the winner of its Transport Manager of the Year competition at the business group’s final Transport Manager conference for 2023, held on 30 November at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. Chris Pratt, Transport Manager at EPD Insulation Group Ltd was named winner and Sarah Wilkes-Jones, Transport Manager at Brakes UK, was runner-up. Logistics UK launched the competition in 2022 as a platform to display the great work UK transport managers do every day. 

David Wells, Chief Executive at Logistics UK, said: “The Transport Manager of the Year competition acknowledges and celebrates the best transport managers and their work over the past year, and I am delighted to present Chris Pratt with the winner’s trophy. The judges were particularly impressed with his wide knowledge and problem-solving abilities, and I congratulate him on his success. I would also like to extend my congratulations to our runner-up, Sarah Wilkes-Jones, as well as all those who were shortlisted.”  

The competition, which is supported by BP, took place in multiple stages, mostly online, and included statutory requirements testing, a case study submission and an online interview with the judging panel. Prizes include a £1,000 holiday voucher and two tickets to the 2023 Logistics Awards for the winner, and a £500 shopping voucher and two tickets to the 2023 Logistics Awards for the runner-up.   

Adrian Brabazon, Head of BP Fleet Solutions in the UK, who was on the panel of judges, said: “I have been incredibly impressed by the quality of the entries into the competition. It is evident a transport manager’s role is increasingly complex, identifying efficiencies within their businesses, maintaining a compliant fleet, while focusing on nurturing relationships with their drivers. Chris Pratt superbly demonstrated all these attributes and is a worthy winner of Transport Manager of the Year 2023.” 

Trophies were awarded on the day for first and second place, with two other shortlisted finalists, Fiona Hamilton, Regional Transport Manager at Constellation Cold Logistics and Andrew Moore, Transport Manager at FareShare Midlands, receiving certificates. 

The Transport Manager 2023 conference series – sponsored by Brigade Electronics – has broken all previous records for attendance numbers, with over 1,800 having booked to attend one of the 10 live events and one virtual event this year. For those who missed their chance first time around, Virtual Transport Manager is available on demand until 9 December. For further information go to https://logistics.org.uk/transport-manager. Transport Manager 2023 was also sponsored by BP, Weightmans and WTW. 

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.