Chris Sturman wins Lifetime Achievement gong

The TCS&D Awards, which were announced and presented on the 16th September at the Peterborough Arena, were created to recognise companies and individuals who have made a difference in the increasingly important field of temperature controlled storage and distribution.

Chris Sturman, who has worked in transport and distribution for over 40 years, received the lifetime achievement award for his extensive contribution to the industry across his many roles with leading organisations and industry bodies. Mathew Morris of SPAL Automotive who presented the award, described Chris as "A champion for our industry who has worked tirelessly with numerous government departments, legislative bodies and trade associations to put the case, not just for FSDF members but for the good of the industry as a whole. FSDF members will no doubt also agree that the standard of representation and quality of information provided under his leadership has been invaluable.”

Chris was appointed Chief Executive of FSDF in early 2009 having previously served on the Executive Council for over ten years. He began his career as a management trainee in the automotive industry before moving into the world of logistics with TDG, running a haulage, forwarding and warehousing business, prior to getting involved in the food and drink industry.

Having held general management roles with BRS Southern on the Mars Confectionery contract, Chris then moved into the frozen and chilled food sector with Ross Youngs based in Grimsby where he undertook a major change management project. In the mid 1980s he joined Wincanton Distribution, then part of Unigate where he took on the role of Distribution Business Development Director, where he was instrumental in leading the business into contract distribution, successfully implementing major contracts with a range of food manufacturers and distributors. 

After six years with Wincanton he moved into a consulting role as co-founder and Director of Compass Logistics International, now Bisham Consulting. This involved supply chain and project management assignments for a wide variety of organisations operating in food manufacturing, retail and logistics. This led in 1997 to his appointment as Managing Director of West Kent Cold Storage Ltd, an industrial property business with three locations across the UK providing services to a wide range of retail, wholesale and food service customers, some of which are FSDF members. In 2003 Chris then became Chief Executive of Linq Alliance, a consortium of 26 well established and respected transport and distribution businesses across the UK.  

Commenting on the award Chris said: "I am absolutely amazed, humbled and delighted that my peers and the industry should give me the honour of this lifetime achievement award. I have very much enjoyed my career in this fascinating industry, trying to be of service to customers and it’s very flattering to be recognised and valued in this way.  However, I’m not finished quite yet and also hope to put something back by encouraging young men and women to develop their careers in this exciting sector.”