The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has named Australian entrepreneur Leigh Williams its International Young Professional of the Year.
The Melbourne born and bred founder and CEO of eStore Logistics took out the award at the CILT annual convention in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in front of hundreds of delegates from around the world.
Leigh Williams was commended for his entrepreneurialism, mentoring other young professionals, and promoting the logistics industry, while so actively developing his own business.
Williams started eStore Logistics in 2008 after his own difficult experiences buying and selling products online. eStore Logistics provides end-to-end 3PL services to both online retailers and traditional bricks and mortar businesses.
In the last 12 months, Williams’ business has saved clients an average of 82% in freight costs, maintained 99.99% order accuracy, and dispatched 100% of orders within 24 hours.
National Chair of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia (CILTA) Andrew Stewart said it was exciting to have an Australian win the international award.
“When you consider that Leigh Williams was up against the most talented young professionals in our industry from around the world, this is a huge achievement.
“Leigh is very smart, but also generous with his time and resources, which is what the judges really noticed. He’s giving back to the industry at such a young age, which benefits the logistics sector greatly, and gets Australian innovation noticed on a global stage.
“This is the Olympics of the logistics industry. We couldn’t be prouder!” Stewart said.
Leigh Williams was thrilled with the accolade: “It’s fantastic to be recognised on a global scale for all of the hard work and persistence I’ve put in over the past four and half years since I started eStore Logistics.”
“This award further inspires me to take the business to the next level. eStore Logistics has become a leader in contract warehousing and distribution for online retail in just four short years, and I plan to continue to aggressively grow the business with new offerings and increased levels of service.
“Order fulfilment is a critical priority for any online retailer, yet many are treating it as less important than site design or marketing. The only physical experience a customer has with an online retailer is the delivery of their purchase, and a poor delivery service undermines the whole online shopping experience.
“By increasing the efficiency of this process, while keeping costs down, we’ve been able to carve out a burgeoning niche in the huge logistics industry.
“Although this award is recognised as a personal achievement, I couldn’t have built the business to where it is today without the efforts of my great team. Each person in their own way has contributed to me winning this award and I’d like to thank them,” Williams said. (264)
