Speaker Biographies

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Theo de Pencier, Chief Executive, Freight Transport Association

09:30

Theo de Pencier is the Chief Executive of the Freight Transport Association (FTA) representing industry’s freight interests by road, rail, sea and air. The FTA has over 14,000 members who operate over 200,000 trucks, consign 90 percent of rail freight and 70 percent of visible exports.

Theo’s early career was spent in sales and marketing with brand leading food and drink manufacturers Heinz and Diageo. He has over 20 years’ board level experience in the logistics and supply chain industry working for NFC and Danzas before joining Bibby Line Group in 1999 as Managing Director of Bibby Distribution. He joined FTA in July 2007

He is a graduate in Economics and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Theo is married with three children

Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

09:35

Born in 1952 in Glasgow, Jim moved to London in 1974 and joined the London Fire Brigade, leaving in 1997.

Elected Labour MP for Poplar and Canning Town in 1997.

Jim is married to Dr Sheila Fitzpatrick and has one son and one daughter from a previous marriage.

Jim is a devoted football fan and supports West Ham United, he also enjoys cricket, rugby and sports generally. In addition to this he supports a number of charities.

Presentation: Freight Grants

Taking freight off congested roads and moving it by rail or water can sometimes be more expensive than road transportation. Freight grants are designed to facilitate the purchase of the environmental and social benefits that result from using rail or water transport. This presentation will further explore the benefits of Freight Facilities Grants, Rail Environmental Benefit Procurement and Waterborne Freight Grant schemes and how important inward investment is.

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Steve Agg, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport

09:45

Steve Agg is the Institute’s Chief Executive. Steve, a well-known figure in logistics, supply chain and public transport circles, joined the Institute in May 2006. He is based at the Institute’s Corby headquarters.
Before taking on the role of Chief Executive he was most recently in the high-profile post of Managing Director Business Services for the Freight Transport Association where he worked to develop a range of compliance based business services for both freight and passenger transport operators which included training, auditing, engineering and consultancy. Prior to this he was UK Distribution Director for Danone, which included the businesses of Jacob’s Biscuits, HP Foods and the bottled water suppliers Evian and Volvic.
Steve is a long-time member of the Institute and is committed to raising the profile and status of all individuals working in the logistics and transport profession.

Presentation:

Can we create a truly harmonised transport system that integrates seamlessly across all levels from manufacture to end user?

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Phil Pettitt, Chief Executive, InnovITS

10:05

Phil Pettitt helped to plan and create innovITS before being recruited to become chief executive of innovITS. Prior to innovITS, Phil worked for about ten years in a variety of business development roles in QinetiQ, the R&D organisation. This was after many years in the IT industry in a range of consultancy, project management and research roles. He received his BSc in Computer Science at Essex University and an MBA from London Business School. He is also a Chartered Engineer and Member of the British Computer Society. He is a past chair of ITS(UK) and is theme chair in SMMT Foresight Vehicle for ASSET (Automotive Software, Sensors, Electronics & Telematics). He is also a member of the International Advisory committee for AUTO21, the Canadian Automotive Network of Excellence

Theo de Pencier, Chief Executive, Freight Transport Association

14:45

Roger King, Chief Executive, RHA

14:45

Roger was elected as Conservative MP for Birmingham Northfield in 1983, a post held until 1992. For four years he was a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport before becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Honourable Michael Howard QC MP, Minister of State for the Environment, and then Secretary of State for Employment.

In 1992 upon vacating his Westminster seat he became Director of Public Affairs at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd (SMMT) in London, where in 1998 he became Acting Chief Executive assuming the role of Deputy Chief Executive in 1999.

Amongst his achievements at the SMMT was the establishment of the British International Motor Show as a world class event, and the creation of a single UK Commercial Vehicle Show bringing the RHA and the IRTE in as partners.

Married with twin sons and a daughter, Roger King is a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry and a member of the Institute of Public Relations. He serves as a director of the Prince Michael Road Safety Awards Scheme and is a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Carmen. He was a member of the DETR initiated Pass Plus Young Driver Scheme.

Roger King was appointed Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Association in April 2000.

Lord Tony Berkeley, Chairman, Rail Freight Group

14:45

Lord Berkeley is chairman of the Rail Freight Group, the representative body of the UK rail freight industry.
He was Public Affairs Manager of Eurotunnel from 1981 until the end of construction of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 and, before that, worked for George Wimpey on a number of multi-discipline projects around the world.
He sits in the House of Lords and was an opposition Transport Spokesperson 1996-7. He is Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Rail Group and of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group.
He is a Board Member of the European Rail Freight Association.
Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport.
He is President of the UK Marine Pilots Association and a Harbour Commissioner for the port of Fowey in Cornwall.

Jesper Kjaedegaard , Vice-President of The UK Chamber of Shipping

14:45

Jesper was born in Copenhagen but spent part of his childhood with his parents in Africa (Malawi) and subsequently spent most of his professional career overseas.

Before he came to the UK in early 2005 he was Regional Manager for an area spanning from Singapore to the Mediterranean and was one of the first civilians to enter Iraq after the war to set up a facility near Basra to serve the British and US forces.

He arrived in the UK just as the acquisition of PONL was formally announced and spearheaded the integration of PONL into the Maersk organisation. The vast majority of the assets acquired from PONL by the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group were actually acquired by The Maersk Company Limited (UK), which has not only retained the PONL vessels under British flag, but indeed also grown the fleet over the past few years as the British company has taken delivery of a large order book - all under British Flag.

In April 2008 Jesper became Vice-President of The UK Chamber of Shipping

Jonathan James, Director, Freight Best Practice

14:45

Jonathan James is Head of the Sustainable Transport Group for Faber Maunsell and has 20 years experience of both freight operations and freight transport planning policy. He has Directed the Freight Best Practice programme, the DfT’ s behavioural change programme for the freight industry and a host of other national and international projects mainly connected with sustainable freight transport operations.