The announcement, which was made at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on November 30, confirmed Chris Pratt, Transport Manager at EPD Insulation Group Ltd as the winner and Sarah Wilkes-Jones, Transport Manager at Brakes UK, as runner-up.
The competition took place in multiple stages, mostly online, and included statutory requirements testing, a case study submission and an online interview with the judging panel. Prizes include a £1,000 holiday voucher and two tickets to the 2023 Logistics Awards for the winner, and a £500 shopping voucher and two tickets to the 2023 Logistics Awards for the runner-up.
The competition, which was supported by BP, was launched in 2022 as a platform to display the great work UK transport managers do every day. David Wells, Chief Executive at Logistics UK, said: “The Transport Manager of the Year competition acknowledges and celebrates the best transport managers and their work over the past year, and I am delighted to present Chris Pratt with the winner’s trophy. The judges were particularly impressed with his wide knowledge and problem-solving abilities, and I congratulate him on his success. I would also like to extend my congratulations to our runner-up, Sarah Wilkes-Jones, as well as all those who were shortlisted.”
Adrian Brabazon, Head of BP Fleet Solutions in the UK, who was on the panel of judges, said: “I have been incredibly impressed by the quality of the entries into the competition. It is evident a transport manager’s role is increasingly complex, identifying efficiencies within their businesses, maintaining a compliant fleet, while focusing on nurturing relationships with their drivers. Chris Pratt superbly demonstrated all these attributes and is a worthy winner of Transport Manager of the Year 2023.”
Trophies were awarded on the day for first and second place, with two other shortlisted finalists, Fiona Hamilton, Regional Transport Manager at Constellation Cold Logistics and Andrew Moore, Transport Manager at FareShare Midlands, receiving certificates.
The Transport Manager 2023 conference series – sponsored by Brigade Electronics – has broken all previous records for attendance numbers, with more than 1,800 having booked to attend one of the 10 live events and one virtual event this year.
For those who missed their chance first time around, Virtual Transport Manager is available on demand until 9 December. For further information go to: https://logistics.org.uk/transport-manager.
Photo shows (L-R), David Wells, CEO of Logistics UK, Chris Pratt of EPD Insulation – Logistics UK’s Transport Manager of the Year, Adrian Brabazon, Head of BP Fleet Solutions.