79
Page 38
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Commercial Motor Fleet Management Conference 1979
After a distinguished career with both SPD and NFC, Sir Dan Pettit retired from road transport activities last year. He returns en passant this year to chair our conference.
The Right Honourable Norman Fowler, me, Minister of Transport, was shadow minister when in opposition and has spent almost three years studying the transport scene throughout Europe. He has travelled extensively in his pursuit of knowledge and in 1977 he published The Right Track.
In 1977 he debated trans port policy at the Fleet Management Conference, with Leslie Huckfield, MP. He returns this year to open the conference and set the scene.
Until he entered Parliament in 1970, the Minister was a journalist and broadcaster and was Home Affairs Correspondent with The Times. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Chelmsford, and took an MA in Law and Economics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Graham Montgomeril recently appointed Engineerir Editor of CM and formerly i technical editor, has a wic transport background. Educate at Merchant Taylors Schoo Liverpool, he graduated wit honours in Automotive Er gineering from Loughboroug University. He served a studer apprenticeship with the the Leyland Motors and had a sho spell with BRS under another today's panel, Walter Batstone Graham has practical e) perience of research into engin design and during the past yee has visited almost every majc engine, chassis and componer manufacturer in Europe.
Walter Batstone has bee chief engineer at the Nation Freight Corporation since 19T but his career in the public sec tor began in 1948 with Britisl Road Services as an Assistar District Engineer. He has serve in senior engineering posts wit NW BRS, BET and at BRS Group, Walter is a Member of IRTE a Fellow of CIT and a Member c BIM. He is a past counc chairman of IRTE. P ter Capon is general rian ger of Leyland Vehicles lea y Vehicle Division. FolDwi g attendance at Ford's -ade school and a Ford scholarhip, e qualified as a passenger ehic edesign draughtsman. His atio al service took him into R yal Air Force. He returned ) Fe d on the electrical design taff. Peter spent ten years on le el ctrical side of automotive ngi eering before becoming tana er of Ford of Europe's ight Vehicle Engineering deartm nt.
Fo r years ago he moved to eyla d Truck & Bus as xecu ive engineer, later he beame chief engineer of vehicle ngin ering and then product ngin ering director of the leav Vehicle Division. He is ow •eneral manager of that ivisio at Leyland Vehicles.
Job Speeks is a senior ianag r at Mercedes-Benz (UK) :d. He was involved in the as blish of the company's -ansp rt Consultancy Service Great Britain and has made a udy of the economic use of anagement aids.
Today John is responsible for I the Mercedes-Benz activities )nnected with national fleet isiness. He comes from an terna.ional finance backound with experience in banng_ He was general manager an ndustrial bank and executive personal assistant to an international financier. He has been a director of companies with widely divergent interests ranging from the motor .trade to docks and oil to hotels.
John Speeks is a committed systems man who believes there is lots of scope for the development of management aids David Buckle is the Oxford District Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union who is respected by both sides. of industry and is held in high regard by road transport managers with whom he negotiates. His son is a transport , manager in his district.
David served with distinction with Her Majesty's Royal Marines during the war. He unsuccessfully contested seats for Labour in the 1955 and 1959 General Elections.
In 1947 he joined TGWU and while working on the production line at Cowley served as shop steward. He took up his present post in 1964.
David is dedicated to good industrial relations. He serves on an Industrial Tribunal, a National Joint Industrial Council and several Regional Joint Industrial Councils.
His abilities and energy were recognised and rewarded when he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. He is a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain John Silbermann, once an owner-driver, is today chairman of the Brent Group of Companies, with more than 100 vehicles operating on domestic and international haulage. He has developed his business from a 'C hiring licence through the heavy indivisible load sector and local distribution with experience in warehousing and plant hire.
His business has been a member of the Road Haulage Association for twenty years and today he is the RHA national chairman, having served for seven years on the executive board. He is a Fellow of the CIT and a member of the ITA.
John Silbermann knows the problems of the owner-driver and the group chairman at first hand. He believes that the barriers, real or imagined, which separate the two can and should be removed. He seeks greater co-operation from both sides and strives for a broader concept of transport to be taken by industry, commerce and politicians.
K. A. Munro is a Scot who graduated from Glasgow University in 1963 with an MA honours degree.
He joined the Electrical Trades Union as the senior research officer in 1966. He was with the National Economic Development Office and between 1969 and 1974, Ken was the industrial relations manager at Ford Motor Company. Since 1974 he has been assistant to the director-general of transport at the Commission in Brussels.
P. A. Thompson is chief executive of the National Freight Corporation. After graduating with honours in Economics from Leeds University he had a spell in commerce before becoming head of transport at the British Steel Corporation.
Peter Thompson's first NEC appointment was as coordinator, BRSL Group. In 1973 he was appointed to the executive board and two years later he became executive vicechairman, operations, and in 1976 to his present post.
He is a Fellow of both the CIT and the BIM, and serves on the councils of both RHA and FTA, the transport committee of CBI and the council of CIT.