Payne CIT president
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SAINSBURY's distribution director, Len Payne, takes office on October 1 as president of the Chartered Institute of Transport.
He has been with Sainsbury's since 1974, and is a board director with the supermarketing chain. He began his working life as a business management trainee with Urwick Orr and subsequently studied accountancy while working with Peek Frean. He became chief accountant with Philips Electrical in 1952 and first became involved with distribution.
Mr Payne's contact with the transport industry was deepened by his move to British Road Services in 1964 as its finance director, and he was elevated subsequently to become its assistant managing director and then its managing director. During this time, BRS returned to being profitable and started the major swing to being predominately involved in contract hire work, a process which has now reduced contract hire to only 10 per cent of its activity.
The formation of the National Freight Corporation in 1969 brought Mr Payne into its corporate activities, first as director of technical services and development, and later as a vicechairman.
He is chairman of the Confederation of British Industry's transport policy committee, and played a strong part in the CBI's campaign to have lorry weights increased from May 1 this year.
Mr Payne is also treasurer of the Freight Transport Association, and was its president from 1980 to 1982. He was treasurer of the CIT from October 1973 until last year, when he became president-elect. He is a Companion of the British Empire.