Logistics UK is strengthening its senior leadership structure with three new appointments, bringing additional experience across policy, business performance, governance and external affairs as the organisation looks to support its members and expand its role within the UK economy.
Verity Davidge and Jenny McMillan OBE will join Logistics UK from Make UK in mid-November, taking up the positions of Executive Director of Campaigns and Executive Director of Performance & Governance respectively. Meanwhile, Ben Garratt, who has spent the past few months serving as interim Director of Campaigns, has been appointed Chief External Affairs Officer.
The appointments form part of the organisation’s efforts to strengthen its senior leadership team and build further capacity around its campaigning and member-focused activities.
Logistics UK Chief Executive Ben Fletcher welcomed the appointments, highlighting the experience that Davidge and McMillan will bring to the organisation.
“I am delighted that Verity and Jenny have agreed to join Logistics UK at such an exciting time in the organisation’s development. Both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the business and have ambitious plans to help us grow and deliver more for our members in the coming months,” Fletcher said.
He added that attracting individuals of their calibre was recognition of the importance of logistics to the wider economy and said he looked forward to working with both executives.
Fletcher also praised Ben Garratt for his work during his time as interim executive director of campaigns, saying the new position would allow him to take the lead on the public face of Logistics UK’s campaigning activity.
“Ben Garratt has done an outstanding job in the past few months as interim executive director of campaigns, and I am delighted we can acknowledge his talent to enable him to lead the public face of our campaigning activity,” Fletcher said.
“ All three will be critical to our mission to deliver more for our members in the coming weeks and months, and I look forward to working closely with them.”
Davidge joins Logistics UK after serving as Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Make UK. In that role, she played a leading part in securing government commitment to an industrial strategy while also ensuring that the views of Make UK members were represented to government and wider policymakers.
McMillan brings eight years of experience as Make UK’s Business Performance Director. She was responsible for overseeing the organisation’s business strategy and performance, leading the delivery of major services and managing external governance arrangements.
Fletcher said the logistics sector is central to the government’s wider ambitions for economic growth and expressed confidence that the three executives would make a significant contribution to the organisation’s next stage of development.
“The work of Logistics UK is fundamental to the government’s ambitions for growth across the economy,” he said. “I am confident that Verity, Jenny and Ben will all make a significant impact in delivering our ambitions for the sector. I look forward to working with them all and know they will give the next stage of our development a real boost.”
Logistics UK represents businesses across the logistics sector that play a vital role in keeping the UK trading. More than seven million people are directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods across the country.
