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Helen Noble FCILT Presidential

Address 2018

On Thursday 22 February CILT held its Presidential Address at the National Maritime
College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy, Cork.

CILT Ireland welcomed members, stakeholders and students
to the Presidential Address, which was delivered by the
President of CILT Ireland, Helen Noble FCILT. The event also
saw the awarding of Fellows of CILT bestowed on prominent
figures from the Logistics, Transport and Supply Chain
Industries in Ireland.

The Presidential Address was opened by Conor Mowlds,
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland. Official
welcome was provided by Dr Barry O’Connor, President of
the Cork Institute of Technology, of which the National
Maritime College of Ireland is a constituent college.

Ms Noble was then invited to deliver her Presidential Address
on the theme of ‘Thought Leadership CILT’.

Ms Noble, who is herself a Fellow of the CILT, became the
President in October 2017. Ms Noble is Ireland’s foremost
expert in Maritime Law, she is a dual Irish and English
practising solicitor with over 23 years’ experience specialising
in all areas of maritime and transport law. Helen is a legal
trainer on UNCTAD’s “Train for Trade” programme. She is a
titulary member of the Comité Maritime International, a
former Director of the Port of Waterford and the Irish
representative for ForwarderLaw.com.

In terms of her vision for her two-year term as President,
Helen articulated a keen intention to ensure that CILT is
clearly identifiable as the membership body for all
professionals within the transport, logistics and supply chain Helen Noble, FCILT, President of CILT Ireland
sector and that CILT links the commonalities of each. This
includes those involved in the areas of travel and planning,
aviation, bus and coach transport, freight forwarding, Helen’s vision and strategy is to put leaders at the heart of
logistics and supply chain, operations management, ports, our activities. When we build a strong membership from the
maritime and waterways, rail and transport planning. This top, this will have a cascading effect. It ensures we can deliver
level of harmonisation is essential to ensure consistency in tangible benefits to all members by providing access to
high professional and educational standards and an industry knowledge across all sectors, it provides the key to unlocking
that works in a cohesive and seamless manner. She says, “I consistently high-quality standards, it means CILT can be the
think it is fair to say that we have reached a point where the voice of the profession providing that independent expertise
outward perception of CILT is that we are too focused on one when called upon to so and also be a collective voice for the
or two areas of the sector to the exclusion of others. We shall industry. It also means we can provide those joining our
work to identify and be recognised as thought leaders organisation at the start of their careers or on the career
throughout these sectors.” journey with real opportunities, development, mentoring.
We need to build the reputation of CILT so that Chartered
Helen shared, “A thought leader, according to Joel Kurtzman, status once again is an accolade our members aspire to
the founding editor-in-chief of Strategy+Business magazine achieving.
coined the term in 1994, is recognised by peers, customers
and industry experts as someone who deeply understands In recognition of the achievements of leaders, Helen Noble
the business they are in, the needs of their customers and the FCILT bestowed the award of Fellow of the Chartered
broader marketplace in which they operate. They have Institute of Logistics and Transport on:
distinctively original ideas, unique points of view and new Mr Conor Mowlds – Head of College of the NMCI
insights.” Mr Brendan Keating – CEO Port of Cork

32 The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport