Ian has worked in the logistics sector for 42 years, including over 30 years in logistics consultancy. Starting with a background in rail freight business development, Ian has directed and managed consultancy projects ranging from national and regional government logistics strategies, to planning and delivering major intermodal facilities. As well as his background in rail freight, Ian has experience of freight economics and demand forecasting, and of planning for urban logistics. Ian is an active Fellow of the CILT and has presented numerous papers on logistics strategy and planning. While Ian’s experience is firmly rooted in logistics, many of his projects have been delivered within multi disciplinary teams, and Ian has a good understanding of transport planning and modelling and of major project logistics.
Alongside Chris and Iain, Ian has a vision of logistics which is integrated into wider transport planning and placemaking, providing efficient access to goods and services for businesses and residents, while minimising impacts on the environment and communities.
Chris Douglas Logistics and Road Transport
Chris is a highly experienced project and programme manager, with 29 years’ operational, advisory, representation and consultancy experience within the UK, European and overseas freight transport industries. He has a strong track record in creating, developing and delivering innovative projects and programmes for industry and the public sector.
After university, Chris ran general haulage and bulk tanker truck fleets before spending 5 years at the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK) in advisory and policy representation roles.
During more than 20 years in consultancy, Chris has managed and directed many projects and programmes for a wide variety of public and private sector clients, within the UK, Europe and overseas, including spending five years as Programme Manager of the Freight Best Practice programme and its predecessor, on behalf of the UK Department for Transport (DfT).
Chris created and implemented the ECO Stars Fleet Recognition Scheme in 2008, which then launched in 2009. ECO Stars involves assessing commercial vehicle fleets across the 5 pillars of fleet efficiency and innovation, issuing a star rating and then providing guidance on areas where efficiency and safety improvements can be made. Since its launch, ECO Stars has grown to cover more than 25 local schemes across England, Scotland and Mainland Europe.
Chris also led TfL’s the development and delivery of TfL’s quiet delivery initiative for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, working with industry and public sector stakeholders to find innovative and sustainable ways of ensuring effective delivery & servicing activity during the Games period.
Recently, Chris created, developed and delivered Smart Transport Manager Training for the Smart Freight Centre in Amsterdam. He took the training programme overseas to China and worked with partners in Uruguay, South Africa, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
Chris was also the senior technical lead for WECA’s FTZ Urban Freight Management Package, providing leadership to the development and implementation of a range of urban logistics trials, including the use of eCargo bikes as alternatives to vans for university, council and other non parcel delivery operations.
He has led multi-year, multi-partner collaborative R&D projects for the European Commission, including CIVITAS CATALIST, TRAILBLAZER and EU ECO Stars programmes, each of which comprised 15+ project partners, with complex work programmes and challenging finance and funding profiles.
He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Ian Taylor Land and property
Iain is also director of IMT Consulting, a business he started in 2016 to advise clients on a range of subjects relating to the financing and implementation of development projects and major economic partnership programmes. Iain is currently supporting St Helens Council on the development of a new medical glass manufacturing facility, purchase and re-development of a key life science focused development site and the master planning and delivery of a major 30 acre town centre brownfield site.
As a Senior Associate of AMION Consulting, Iain is lead consultant on the LCR Freeport and LCR Life Science Investment Zone programmes and providing business planning support to Orkney Islands Council for a new £240m offshore wind port.
Iain has held a number of senior roles prior to his time in consultancy. He was the executive director of Atlantic Gateway and director of business development for the Land Trust. Prior to joining the Land Trust, Iain was partnerships director for the Peel Group. Iain was part of the team that prepared the Atlantic Gateway concept and works to promote collaboration between public sector partners on key strategic initiatives.
Iain has supported the development of several major projects, including Glass Futures, MediaCityUK, Liverpool2 Container Port, Port Salford, City of Salford Stadium and several major road schemes and strategic green infrastructure projects. Iain has been engaged in infrastructure and property development as well as environmental project development and in air, water and land sectors in the UK and USA.
Iain has a Post Graduate Certificate in Cross Sector Partnerships from the University of Cambridge and an honours degree in Economics and Geography from the University of Keele. Iain is the Chair of the Whitaker Museum, director of Rossendale Leisure Trust and Governor of Alder Grange School. He loves riding motorcycles, sailing boats and taking time out with his wife and two children.
Morag Robertson Transport and Sustainability
Morag is a consultant at Polaris with a detailed a detailed and practical understanding of logistics and freight strategy, her particular interest is working on environmental issues related to transport and logistics.
After leaving University with a First Class Honours in Environmental Management, Morag joined Sainsburys’ and during her long tenure held a number of roles within the Company, and for the last 6 years was their Logistics Environmental Manager which included designing and implementing a formal environmental management system for 22 locations, instigating process improvements that delivered financial savings and reduced environmental risk.
Since her time with Sainsburys Morag has been involved in freight policy development and research with a number of consultancies, working with a variety of organisations including DfT, the National Infrastructure Commission, Transport Scotland, TfL, England’s Economic Heartland, Midlands Connect and Transport for the South East. Morag’s area of expertise is working with clients to help them develop freight strategies which includes freight collaboration, Freight Congestion, out of hours trials, construction logistics plans and freight decarbonisation plans. Morag has also spent a significant amount of time working with operators to support them in getting the most out of their logistics operations through ECO Stars Fleet Recognition scheme.
As a result of these experiences, Morag has developed strong industry knowledge and has used this to bring pragmatic and well considered perspectives to the projects she works on.
Most recently Morag has been working on updating England’s Economic Heartlands Freight Strategy and Action Plan, and on a project with Eastern City (of London) Business Improvement District looking at freight consolidation.
Morag is a valued and active member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), contributing to CILT’s thought leadership through sitting on the Freight and Logistics Policy Group and a member of the Environment and Sustainability Forum. Morag is also Chair of the Yorkshire and Humberside Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) Regional Steering Group.
In her personal time Morag likes nothing better than walking her dog, Dave, training for triathlons and maybe the odd pint!
