By Natalie Sykes

Published 5th Apr 2023, 08:12 BST

Directors are not just in London or global cities, we are everywhere. And, as we find ourselves amid the fourth industrial revolution, we can be anywhere at any time. We can also pool our knowledge and experience across borders and other geographical boundaries through the use of technology.

The IoD has given me the privilege to work with some of the greatest people, from its members to its award winners and finalists.

So now is the dawn of a new era. I am taking with me my deep insight of what good governance is and using this experience to help guide and improve boards while supporting directors in being the best that they can be.

During my time with the IoD, you may recall my campaigning on improved infrastructure for the North.

Those who know me personally, will also know my love for the automotive sector. It feels right that this new era is seeing me getting up close with road transport across the UK. There is so much to be done in the transport sector.

I now have the privilege to be Group Managing Director for James Wilby. The business would not exist without our customers, our drivers, our operations team, our board, our shareholders, and all of our other key stakeholders.

It is an historic transport business dating back to 1916, when we used rail, roads and canals to transport coal across Yorkshire. In the 1980s, when we began to operate our road haulage and coal business from our current Heckmondwike site, a former British Rail goods yard, the volume of traffic on the roads was considerably less than it is today.

The proportion of households owning two or more cars has risen significantly. In 1981, only 15% of households did. By 2016, a third had at least two vehicles at home. British motorways were a relatively new thing, only in 1959 did we see the opening of the first full length motorway, the M1.

This coincided with a time when rail good yards started to be phased out and then, a few years later, the Beeching Axe was wielded.

From where I live in Nidderdale, another area impacted by that wielding axe, there is no railway network to take me to Heckmondwike, therefore I find myself only adding to the issue of road traffic and being unproductive for that considerable commuting time. Fortunately, with the wake of hybrid working and technology I can operate remotely too.

As a board, one of our first priorities is how do we move our operation to be closer to the motorway network and this matter will continue to be top of our agenda.

Outside of our board, I am looking to become active in helping West Yorkshire solve this increasing issue of road congestion.

It will take a concerted effort from key stakeholders to tackle this and is likely to involve a mix of modes of transport being reconsidered, reengineered and reinvested into. Together, we can play our part in building a better world and conserving it for generations to come.

Natalie Sykes is the Managing Director of James Wilby Logistics

Let's build a better world by tackling road congestion - Natalie Sykes