"Transitioning into the Digitally-enabled Age” – How equipped is your Chemical Supply Chain? Mini-Conference - Hosted by Chemical Business Association (CBA)

About this Session

“For all the effort that companies devote to improving the performance of their supply chains, relatively few have unlocked the full potential of digital technologies. A recent McKinsey study found that the average supply chain has a digitization level of 43 percent, the lowest of five business areas that were examined. A mere 2 percent of the surveyed executives said the supply chain is the focus of their digital strategies. Are their priorities misplaced? Perhaps. The same McKinsey research suggests that, on average, companies that aggressively digitize their supply chains can expect to boost annual growth of earnings before interest and taxes by 3.2 percent—the largest increase from digitizing any business area—and annual revenue growth by 2.3 percent.”¹

This panel session will discuss why companies need to understand their chemical supply chain, what digital transformations could mean and how equipped it is to withstand these changes. The panel will discuss security and transport aspects of moving the chemical supply chain into the digital age, and the need to understand how companies can ensure they have the people and skills required for this transition.

The panellists have been drawn from all sectors of the chemical supply chain and include Richard Gilkes the Chair of the CBA and Managing Director of the Stort Group who will outline the benefits of belonging to a trade association when tackling such important details.

Panel Host, Tim Doggett the CEO of the CBA

Panellists:

Richard Smith, Managing Director, Road Haulage Association
Richard Gilkes, Chair of the CBA and Managing Director of The Stort Group
Craig Wallbank, Implementation Manager, Chemical Weapons Convention UK National Authority
Heather Carroll, People & Skills Lead, CBA

Speaker Bio:

Craig Wallbank. Implementation Manager, CWC UK National Authority – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Craig has worked in the UK’s Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) National Authority (UKNA) since 2008, which is responsible for managing the implementation of the CWC throughout the UK including the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

Working on a range of compliance issues including verification and policy development, Craig has managed over 80 inspections of UK defence and commercial facilities by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). He is supports the UK delegation to the OPCW’s policy making bodies and is secretary of the UK’s CWC Advisory Committee, an stakeholder forum that provides oversight of the UKNA’s activities and expert advice on political and technological challenges.

Craig has managed several capacity building exercises to improve and enhance implementation of the CWC, both in the UK and other CWC States Parties. He has lead exchange visits with several National Authorities in Africa to share UK expertise and best practice, helped train OPCW inspectors and spoken and presented at several international conferences and workshops.

Prior to joining the UKNA Craig held several policy and project management roles across UK government.