Page 9 - Linkline Yearbook 2018

CILT CEO Address
On the 11th September 2017, I took over the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport from Mr Pat Treacy. Before I go any further, I would like to add my personal appreciation to that of the Institute Council for Pat’s great efforts during his stewardship.
I arrive at the Institute after 24 years as a member of the Irish Defence Forces. During those years I worked in a variety of roles, all of which have elements I now bring to my role as CEO of the Institute. CILT has in recent times been going through a metamorphosis. Physically, the CILT Head Office in Fitzwilliam Place has been completely refurbished. This refurbishment exemplifies the Institute’s commitment to continual progression and professionalism. Also, a new IT and phone system has been installed to assist customers and staff to better engage with each other and add value to the service we provide.
While we maintain our existing core functions on behalf of the Health and Safety Authority, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and our own educational courses, we must also look to the future and prepare. The Institute has been continually evolving and developing over the years to meet the constantly changing environment that it finds itself in. Now more than ever is this required. With less than 16 months to go before the full effects of Brexit are felt, it is CILT’s responsibility to act as a professional body and actively be the voice of the sector.
Our sector is a wide and varied church, it encompasses all methods of transporting goods and passengers alike, as well as all aspects of the supply chain. To speak with one voice for all may seem like a daunting task, it is not. We have started on that road by publishing on our website a piece or research entitled ‘The Implications of BREXIT for the Movement of Goods’. This research undertaken by experienced members of CILT Council is welcomed for the insights that it provides into Brexit. Given that Brexit continues to present a series of Rumsfeldian unknown unknowns to us, no one piece of research could hope to address all potential pitfalls and solutions to same, this policy paper comes close. As the Brexit process is continually evolving, so too is our Brexit Policy paper, it is a living document that will be continually updated, and the unknown unknowns will be revealed.
In keeping with the Brexit theme, we are hosting an event in Dundalk on Wednesday 24th January 2018, this event is being co-hosted by CILT UK. The title is The All Island Supply Chain and BREXIT. Since the Good Friday Agreement, this island has been operating as a single supply chain. According to a House of Lords report, last year “350,000 lambs went from North to South, 500,000 pigs went from South to North, and millions of litres of milk travelled in both directions for processing.” No one wants to see a customs border reappear, least of all those employed in the sector that we represent, its effects would be disastrous. The purpose of our joint event is to see if there are any practical solutions to the all island supply chain post Brexit, using existing tools available to all.
CEO, Mick Curran
We intend to brief along with our UK colleagues on what tools are available and how they may be employed.
While voicing the concerns of our sector, we must also be a voice for change and continuous improvement through the medium of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) within the transport, logistics and supply chain sector. CPD is fundamental to the improvement of standards and skills for both individuals and their industries. In this rapidly changing world, embracing change has never been so important. The speed of technological change was best described by Graeme Wood in his description of the ways social media and technology have redefined communication. “Change has never happened this fast before, and it will never be this slow again1.”
We as an industry must adapt to change, we must evolve and grow with it. Change in our sector is not just technological. The transport, logistics and supply chain sector is heavily regulated, we are regulated at National and EU level. These Regulations are there for the protection of the individual as well as the protection of society as a whole.
The transport, logistics and supply chain sector need to display an unprecedented agility and ability to adapt to change in the uncertainty that the next three years will bring, in advance and in the wake of Brexit. This change can be best managed and led by way of CPD. The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport must take a leading role in the development of CPD within our industry, this is one of the main challenges that face us in the coming year.
Finally, I would like to thank all our members for their continued support and the CILT staff team for the effort they have put in during the year and also their willingness to accept and embrace change.
1. Wood, G. (2009). http://graewood.blogspot.com/2009/09/ ipasocial-principle-9-change-will-never.html
The CharTered InsTITuTe of LogIsTICs & TransporT 9
CEO’S INTRODUCTION