Following the election of our new President of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, a Presidential Address was held in Smurfit Business School on 10 th of February 2016. The event kicked off with the night’s MC Pat Treacy introducing the newly appointed President, Mr. Paddy Doherty, to begin his address, which looked forward to the plans of the Institute over the next 2 years. Mr. Doherty began by acknowledging the special guests that were present at the prestigious event and spoke about each nominee that would be awarded a

Fellowship on the night. He also spoke of the great honour it is to be awarded a Fellowship, stating that Chartered Fellowship is the “ultimate award” and is granted only to those who have, for an extended period of time, “contributed significantly to the industry and/or is a person of eminence within our Industry”.

Next on the agenda, Mr. Doherty spoke positively of the status of the Institute and the opportunities in the near future, with finances being “very sound, with a solid reserve.”  He summarised the Institute’s Business Plan, its targets and the opportunities for the future. CILT will be looking at its corporate links which will be facilitated through the introduction of a degree programme later this year.

Employers and their employees are constantly looking for a path to progress, and CILT will be able to furnish this through educational development and career progression right through academic and professional attainments. The Institute enables individuals to move from student to member to chartered memberships, with some being awarded Fellowships.

The president plans to continue and strengthen the range and variety of events over the next two years. CILT are in the process of updating their website, and Mr. Doherty expressed a keen interest in the further development of electronic communications to members. The President outlined the role for CILT in policy formation and acknowledged the good work of the CILT Policy committee, as well as the plan to build and continue on this work.

Mr. Paddy Doherty concluded by saying CILT is committed to promoting professionalism and excellence in the transport and logistics industry in Ireland and it boasts a positive future with a great team and council behind it. This will see CILT make a strong contribution to Ireland in the coming years.

There was a great turnout at the inaugural speech and the Institute would like to thank all who attended. The Institute would also like to thank Dublin Smurfit Graduate Business School for the use of their facilities and their contribution to this successful night. Following the President’s speech, the awarding of Chartered Fellowships took place. All of those nominated for these prestigious fellowships are widely experienced and join a select group of professionals and leaders that drive innovation practices in Logistics, Transport and Supply Chain on an ongoing basis.

Firstly, Pat Mangan FCILT read a citation for Graham Doyle Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Graham who is former Waterford Airport CEO joined the Department of Transport in 2013 as an external recruit to the civil service. Prior to his appointment he held positions covering public transport portfolio, sustainable transport, freight and road safety. Graham is a Chartered Accountant by profession who worked in PwC on the consulting side and was also seconded as financial advisor to the Department of Transport in 2004 and 2005.

Patrick Casey FCILT read a citation for Bob Laird who has a degree in Economics and a long, well-established career in the Aviation sector. Bob worked for Aer Lingus, with key responsibilities running from Marketing to Finance. He also held positions in Aer Rianta International and became General Manager of Aer Arann, making significant contributions in each area. In latter years, Bob set up his own consultancy company – Laird Aviation & Transport Consulting – and inputted to many transport developments at the time. He is a huge contributor to the work of CILT and is also Chairman of the CILT Policy Committee.

Finbarr Cleary FCILT then read a citation for Liam Cassidy. Liam had a long and distinguished career in Procter & Gamble, both in Ireland and Internationally. Upon retirement, Liam went on to set up his own company – LCL Consulting. Liam along with many like-minded individuals founded the Irish branch of The Institute of Logistics, which later joined with the Chartered Institute of Transport to become the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. He is a great supporter of our Institute and contributes articles and presents at seminars on behalf of CILT and most recently for CILT China.

Chris McGlinn FCILT then read a citation for the Fellowship of Paul O’Sullivan, who is the director and Dean of College of Business, Dublin Institute of Technology. Paul has been central to the overall growth and development of Dublin Business School. He has been instrumental in DIT becoming a major source of Logistics and Supply Chain Management research in Ireland, having launched the first B.Sc. in transport and logistics for the college. Paul is committed to the Institute and contributes to much of its work throughout the year.

The evening came to a close by awarding members their certificates of the Institute. Chartered Membership was awarded to Aidan Flynn, Rachel Ivers, Cormac Moloney, Paul Scully, John Joseph Flynn as well as membership being awarded to Anthony Shanahan on the night.

A warm Congratulations and Welcome to you all. An enjoyable night was had by all in attendance and CILT would like to congratulate all involved on their achievements and most of all wish the new president, Paddy Doherty all the best in his newly appointed role.

Main Image: CILT President Paddy Doherty addressing the room