CILT(UK) supports industry leaders and celebrates excellence at its Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony for 2026

CILT(UK)’s Annual Conference & Awards took place at the East Midlands Conference Centre on Thursday 24^th September. The conference provided an opportunity for senior leaders shaping strategy, people and performance in logistics, transport and supply chain to focus on what effective leadership looks like in a constantly changing environment. The awards evening provided an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements in our profession - honouring innovation, leadership and best practice across the UK.

The conference began with a welcome from our Chair, Anna-Jane Hunter, followed by a keynote from our headline sponsor, Toyota Automated Logistics. James Osborn, Director of Customer Engagement, and Christina Morgan, Business Development Director, from Toyota discussed how to build fluid supply chains that think, adapt and perform – stating that we “cannot introduce tomorrow’s technology while developing yesterday’s workforce”.

Our first keynote session of the day was on Leadership & Professionalism by Katy Leeson, Former MD of Steven Bartlett’s Social Chain. Katy spoke about imposter syndrome and the importance of putting people, confidence and culture at the heart of performance and growth in order to unlock the full potential of leaders.

The second keynote session of the day was on Growth & Productivity, by Shao Lin, Chief Data and AI Officer at InPost. InPost were #1 in CILT(UK)’s Top 30 Logistics Service Providers for 2026. Shao explored how organisations can scale operations without compromising on consistency, reliability or customer trust. He examined how technology and data can strengthen performance without creating unnecessary complexity, and how a culture of continuous improvement supports sustainable growth – commenting that “we’ve all experienced disruption, it’s about what we do afterwards”.

This keynote was followed directly by a panel session, led by Fabioloa Gara Balmori from the Ministry of Defence, about leading high-performance cultures for growth and productivity. The panellists – Vicki Hooper, Chief People Officer at Unipart; Avery Morgan, CEO at Pod Talent; and Tim Eaton, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Director at Rockwool – outlined how leaders can build high-performing organisations by shaping cultures that drive productivity, support change and empower people to deliver consistently strong results. Drawing on perspectives from logistics, defence and organisational leadership, the panellists debated the behaviours, decisions and leadership approaches that can turn culture into a lasting competitive advantage.

After a short networking break with our exhibitors - Toyota Automated Logistics; oneAdvanced; aptean; Dawsongroup; DP World; Hatmill; M6toll; PTV Logistics; Solvares Logistics; and Winder Phillips Associates - an Innovation & Transformation discussion was led by Erin Meehan, Head of Partnerships at CILT(UK). Erin was joined by James Moffatt, Director at Baringa; Darren Twistleton, COO at KernTerminal UK; Jim Harsthornel, Managing Director at Unipart; and Grace Smith, Supply Chain Director UKI&N at Mars. Together, they explored how experienced leaders make confident decisions when the path ahead is unclear. Against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, changing regulation, shifting customer expectations and technological disruption, the group considered how strong leaders can balance long-term strategy with immediate uncertainty.

This discussion was followed by an Innovation & Transformation Sustainability Panel, led by Tom Fitz Walter from TMX Transform. The panellists - Paul Farr, Vice President for Ground and Rail Europe at Ceva Logistics; Nicholas Mazzi, VP Sustainability for DP World; Shayley Mann CMILT, Head of Supply Chain Transformation at Mountain Warehouse; and Tony Byrne, Senior Supply Chain and Operations Leader at Boathouse Consulting – examined how organisations are redesigning, operating and leading their supply chains.

The morning finished with a Leadership & Professionalism keynote on building trust, talent, and high-performance operations. Ian Keilty, CEO of Whistl, used his extensive operational experience to highlight the behaviours, standards and mindset that build trust, strengthen performance and enhance credibility in a complex and fast-moving sector.

After a networking lunch, the afternoon was kicked off by an interactive Pecha Kucha-style debate on future skills and talent with Kelly Hobson, MD from Shape Tomorrow, Phil Wood, Director of Strategic Programmes at Mondelez, and Jacqueline Henderson, Head of Contract Review UKI at CEVA Logistics. The trio debated which leadership skills will matter most throughout the next 100 years, with each speaker championing a different perspective – from strategic foresight and resilience to emotional intelligence, systems thinking and data literacy.

This debate was then followed by a Future Skills & Talent panel, hosted by Antoinette Irvine, Associate Executive Director from Symmetra, who answered the question: Are senior leaders and the next generation aligned on what the future workforce needs? The panellists were: Denis Twomey, Global People Capability Lead – Procurement & Supply Chain, Babcock; Tara Matthews, Project Manager at the Rail Delivery Group; Daniel Blair, General Manager at B&M Retail Ltd; and Amanda Barnes, VP Talent Management, Development and Certified Learning UKI, DHL Supply Chain. They explored how leadership, culture, career development and evolving expectations can build engaged and future-ready teams.

Following an afternoon networking break, Tim MacDonald from SSE and Dan Jones from DHL delivered an Infrastructure & Investment keynote on how logistics is enabling the UK’s energy transition. To learn more about the collaboration between the two organisations, please click here. Their keynote session was followed by a senior-level panel, hosted by Daniel Parker-Klein, Director of Public Policy, Communications and Insight at CILT(UK). Daniel was joined by Josh Finch, Logistics Risk Manager at the TT Club, and Neil Gould, Chair of CILT(UK)’s Freight and Logistics Policy Group, both of whom examined how the strategic decisions and investments needed to unlock capacity, strengthen resilience and drive long-term economic growth.

After a drinks reception, sponsored by oneAdvanced, our Awards evening was opened by Helen Hardy, CEO of CILT(UK). Helen welcomed attendees and congratulated our finalists, announcing that the evening marked the first year of CILT(UK)’s Awards for Excellence taking place since being acknowledged with the Outstanding TrustMark Award - recognising their strong governance, processes and standards. The host for the awards, Dave Keeling from Laughology, then took to the stage to announce the winners, with a break in between for dinner.

The winner of ‘Logistics Best Practice’ was SEC storage for their innovative warehouse transformation which redefined how modern logistics operations are designed, executed and continuously improved. Combining AI, digital simulation and real time warehouse orchestration, SEC created a scalable and data driven approach capable of optimising warehouse design and live operational performance. This award was sponsored by Hatmill.

The winner of ‘Excellence in Health, Safety & Wellbeing’ was Customer 1st (UK) Ltd for their creation of a risk assessment tool that showcased their prioritisation of creating a safe, healthy, and supportive working environment for their workforce. This award was sponsored by DP World.

The winner of ‘Excellence in Passenger Transport’ was Torbay Council, WSP and Stagecoach for their implementation of an electric fleet and decarbonisation of operational elements. This award recognises their outstanding improvements in passenger service and implementation of new technology – setting an example of what is possible for other authorities. This award was sponsored by Winder Phillips.

The ‘Unsung Hero’ recognises an individual’s exceptional commitment, reliability, and behind-the-scenes contributions within their organisation. The recipient of this award for 2026 was Kirsty Liggins, from the Ministry of Defence NAD Group, for her exceptional dedication, reliability and unwavering commitment to those she supports in her role, as well as her own professional development. This award was sponsored by PTV Logistics.

The winner of ‘Operational Excellence in Logistics & Transport’ was Bicester Transport for their transportation of new vehicles from manufacturer prep centres to leasing company customers nationwide. This award was sponsored by Solvares Logistics.

The winner of ‘Excellence in the use of Technology’ was Transport for London for their clear approach to supporting their ‘Vision Zero’ road safety ambitions. This award recognises measurable improvements in productivity, accuracy, safety, sustainability, and customer outcomes driven by innovative technology adoption. This award was sponsored by aptean.

The winner of ‘Excellence in Environmental Impact’ was Leidos Europe, Kuehne & Nagel, and Ministry of Defence for their delivery of a highly effective and collaborative sustainability programme within the complex environment of UK defence logistics. This award acknowledges their measurable environmental improvements through renewable energy generation, fleet efficiency initiatives and operational innovation. This award was sponsored by M6toll.

The winner of ‘Excellence in People & Culture’ was The Very Group for their core diversity and inclusion commitments, championed by colleague-led networks. This award celebrates their investment in workforce capability, professional development, and leadership to build future-ready logistics and transport teams.

This ‘Logistics Research Network’ award recognises industry-focused research projects co-developed and co-delivered through partnerships between industry-based organisations and academic institutions. The winner was the industry focussed project co-delivered by the University of Southampton with Versapak International and Inteliports, enabling Versapak to expand their organisational capabilities and enter a new market for medical carriers designed for drone transport.

The winner of ‘Excellence in Operations and Supply Chain Management’ was Simply Supply Chain, ASDA, ORCA, and Software for their development of an innovate order optimisation tool that intelligently adjusts minimum order quantities to enable fuller layers and pallet picking. This award recognises their exceptional improvement in supply chain performance, resilience, and responsiveness over the past year. This award was sponsored by Baringa.

The winner of ‘Adaptive Capacity – Strategic & Organisational Resilience’ was GBglobal Government & Defence for their delivery of resilient maritime logistics in one of the most constrained operational environments in the Defence sector. This award recognises their excellent anticipation of disruption and ability to adapt rapidly, sustaining service under volatility and converting pressure into logistics advantage. This award was sponsored by Dawsongroup.

The ‘Rising Star’ award celebrates the remarkable impact of an individual early in their logistics, transport, or supply chain career. The recipient of this award for 2026 was Samuel J Shirley from Shirley Transport Solutions Limited. Samuel began his career in logistics as a warehouse operative and van driver, quickly rising through the ranks to become a transport sales executive – before going onto found Shirley Transport Solutions Limited. Samuel created all facets of the business from the ground-up, growing from a £0 turnover as a start-up business in December 2019, to a projection of circa £2 million for this year.

This years’ ‘Sir Robert Lawrence’ Award was given to Vice Admiral Sir Andy Kyte, KBE CB FCILT, who has dedicated more than 38 years to the logistics profession. A career of this length is impressive in itself, but what makes this contribution truly exceptional is the scale of its impact across Defence, government, industry and the wider logistics community. Andy’s career has helped to transform the way logistics and support are conceived, delivered and valued. This award was sponsored by Toyota Automated Logistics.

Helen Hardy, CEO of CILT (UK), commented on the evening:

“The winners of this year’s Awards for Excellence represent what makes our industry special. From groundbreaking approaches, sustainability milestones and individual achievements – everyone has demonstrated a commitment to going above and beyond the call of duty.

“These Awards are about more than celebrating success. They are about inspiring others and raising the benchmark – recognising the people who continue to champion innovation and make a difference!”

Congratulations to all the winners of our Awards for Excellence 2026 and thank you to all of the sponsors of our Awards Ceremony: Toyota Automated Logistics, oneAdvanced, aptean, Baringa, Dawsongroup, DP World, Hatmill, M6toll, PTV Logistics, Solvares Logistics and Winder Phillips Associates.