Welcome to our feature where people from many different roles in this industry will take you through a typical day in their working life.
In the February issue, Fuel Oil News speaks with two members of Logistics UK – David Wells OBE, who is the business group’s Chief Executive, and Jemma James, Digital Development Director, to discover how they each spend their typical day.
MY ALARM GOES OFF AT…
David: It doesn’t – I don’t set one. I normally and naturally wake at five, and get up at six. That hour has been important over the years to have my best thoughts on our challenges and changes needed.
Jemma: 6am most days. I am a morning person (but always coffee-fuelled).
THE FIRST THING I DO IS…
David: Read the paper. I will generally read the sports section first, focussing on any Spurs news. Thereafter, I systematically read from front to back.
Jemma: Make a coffee and then let the guinea pigs out, as they have free reign of our garden. After my second coffee, I tentatively wake my 10-year-old twins up and find out what mood they are in!
I PREPARE FOR THE DAY AHEAD BY…
David: Walking the dog on the South Downs, remembering how lucky we are to live in this part of the country.
Jemma: Exercise. I always go for a fast 20-minute walk (I can’t really call it a run) or do a quick HIT session. Anything to get my body moving.
I CAN’T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT…
David: My mobile. I use it for everything – Email, train tickets, payments, banking, weather forecasts, news feeds on the industry, oh and for calls!
Jemma: Lipstick, usually red. I don’t think colleagues or members would recognise me without it.
MY TYPICAL DAY –
David: It’s a cliche but no two days are the same. In general, I spend two days a week in London, based at our Victoria Street Office, one day in our HQ in Tunbridge Wells, one day working from home, and one day anywhere visiting members or colleagues.
The year has a set structure: four Board meetings, twelve Executive Team Meetings, three pension Trustee Meetings, three Audit Committees, three Remuneration Committees, and then monthly 1-2-1s with my Executives.
I receive briefings for Ministerial meetings that I read on the train, and then deliver our message to Ministers. In the Autumn I speak at our Transport Manager Seminar Series around the country, and attend events including the Welsh members lunch, the Northern Irish members lunch, our party conference fringe meetings and in December, our Awards Night in Central London. I oversee the delivery of our strategic plan and manage, day to day, a £35m, profitable business. It keeps me busy!
Jemma: I don’t really have a typical day, but I enjoy variety. A usual day can look like this…I log on at 7.30am to check my diary and travel plans for the day, as well as dealing with a couple of quick emails. I ensure the twins are on the school bus for 8.30am and then back on the laptop for two quick Teams video calls with colleagues and a couple of emails.
9.30am involves a 15-minute drive to the train station as my train for London leaves at 10am. Hmm…. First hitch of the day: road under the bridge to the train station and car park is flooded and unpassable. I quickly divert and park on a side road. Then must walk alongside the A5 to reach the platform on the other side. I’m now damp from the rain, but make the platform with three minutes to spare, only to find my train is 11 minutes delayed.
Board the train and catch up on emails and Teams messages for an hour. Arrive in Euston. My first meeting is at midday at our London Office, normally easy to achieve on the London Underground but today the Circle and District lines are both delayed. I can’t squeeze on the first tube but elbow my way onto the second and arrive for the meeting on time. Productive meeting with our Commercial Director and Director of IT and Development discussing the roadmap for our Vision compliance platform.
My next meeting is 2pm at Labour HQ in Shoreditch, but the Underground is now running smoothly. Great meeting discussing a range of logistics challenges and relevant key policies.
4pm and back to Euston for the train journey home, various emails and calls while on the train to members and colleagues. 5.40pm arrive back at my local station, and collect my car, flooding is still there and road closed but luckily, I’m homeward bound.
Just before 6pm arrive home and am greeted by my twins who are arguing over who has lost the tv remote!
MY MOST MEMORABLE WORK MOMENT…
David: Securing the job ten years ago, and a letter from Michael Gove thanking the organisation for all that it had done to deliver a workable Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Jemma: I’ve only been in this new role for a few months, so it’s difficult to say but there have already been many highlights. I particularly enjoyed being a judge at The Motor Transport Awards in my first week, attending the Transport Manager NI event in Belfast, and meeting all my Logistics UK colleagues.
THE WORST PART OF MY JOB…
David: Without doubt, decisions and incidents that adversely affect people’s lives and those of their families, including health and safety incidents, redundancies and disciplinaries.
Jemma: Being stuck in traffic or waiting for delayed trains, which I’m sure will resonate with readers. I hate being late and being unproductive; time is precious. I’m keen to meet face-to-face with as many members, Vision users and colleagues as possible. I’m a passionate believer in active listening and building relationships to ensure we design and develop the best possible digital compliance platform but that involves a lot of travel.
THE BEST PART OF MY JOB…
David: A happy, motivated and productive team delivering for our members. Spending the day out of the office with one of our 320 staff delivering our services to members.
Jemma: The people (colleagues and members) and the passion they share for the logistics industry. Technology is fantastic and a key driver for growth and efficiencies within our industry, but it must be relevant, easy to use and backed up by best-in-class support.
That’s why I enjoy being at Logistics UK so much because we are unique as a membership body. We have our own in-house development team, designing and developing leading compliance software, all backed up with fantastic support, regulation and policy knowledge.
I RELAX AFTER WORK BY…
David: Watching Spurs beat Man Utd at Old Trafford 3-0, or something similar. I play tennis regularly at David Lloyd.
Jemma: Taking my truck for a drive or planning my next holiday. I love old American cars and have a 1979 C10 short bed Chevrolet 7.4l big block. I can often be found cleaning it or scrolling through adverts looking at what to buy next. They are addictive.
MY FAVOURITE MEAL IS (Breakfast, lunch, or evening meal)…
David: An evening meal at an Italian restaurant with family or just with Rachel my wonderful wife.
Jemma: Anything meat or fish based. Sorry to all the vegans, but I do love a steak, a roast dinner or grilled salmon.
ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE IS…
David: No alarm but books of two types. Political accounts. I’m currently reading Hillbilly Elegy, both for myself and Christian thought leadership. I’m currently rereading Tim Kellers’ book – Forgive. A characteristic we’re missing in our post-modern culture.
Jemma: A pile of books. I’m normally reading a couple at a time. Currently it’s ‘The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read’ by Phillipa Perry.
THE LAST THING I DO EACH DAY IS…
David: Turn out the light!
Jemma: Tell my children I love them, and question whether I’ve put the guinea pigs away for the night.
I’M NORMALLY IN BED BY…
David: 10:30pm.
Jemma: 10.30pm.
Images provided by Logistics UK
