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Interview: Richard Smith
motortransport.co.uk
Across the divide
R
ichard Smith was interviewed by MT for the first time in his previous life as ops director of Samworth Bros after the firm won the 2017 Motor Transport Training Award for setting up its driver academy. He had been recruited into the business in 2013 after nearly 10 years with Wincanton by then MD Richard Burnett, who then became chief executive of the RHA in 2014. Smith worked with Burnett on five occasions over the past 30 years, joining him again as operations and commercial director of the RHA in 2017, taking the reins as MD in December 2021 when Burnett quit. Smith completed his MBA at Chester in 2014 and had 20 years’ experience in transport and logistics with firms including TDG and Italian manufacturer Tennax before joining the RHA. The reasons behind Burnett’s departure have never been spelled out, but it became clear that relations with transport secretary Grant Shapps had become fractious after squabbles over who was to blame for the HGV driver shortage. Eventually Burnett decided enough was enough and returned to the industry as MD of events haulier KB Event. Our interview with Smith takes place at the RHA’s Westminster offices in Greencoat Place, just a stone’s throw from Parliament and the DfT’s offices in Horseferry Road. “I’ve got a working relationship with DfT,” he says. “And I’m developing a working relationship with the secretary of state. That is progressing in my new position. When Richard went to live the dream at KB Event he left me a legacy of lots of good things.” Smith was appointed MD rather than chief executive because the RHA took the opportunity to restructure its management in line with a new five-year plan. That has seen the executive team slimmed down to Smith, director of policy and public affairs Rod McKenzie and HR director Laura Taylor. “We had evolved over the last five years to the point where it was decided to move from a forward-looking, visionary CEO to a membership-up strategy with board sign off led by an MD,” explains Smith. “The two require 24 MotorTransport
The RHA is focusing on its role as a trade association to further the interests of members... and that means being more conciliatory. New MD Richard Smith talked through the fresh approach with Steve Hobson very different people and where Richard was the face of the RHA, under my tenure the RHA will be represented by people like Moreton Cullimore [RHA chair], Rhys Williams [regional operations manager] and Rod McKenzie [a former editor at the BBC]. “We are starting to see in the last six months, certainly in our social media, that we are a membership-led organisation.” There is also a breath of fresh air on the board with more younger members joining. Moreton Cullimore is the youngest ever chair of the organisation and Emma Barber-Collins, of WH Barley Transport & Storage, the youngest vice chair. “The board’s job is to make sure the exec is challenged by the membership. It was actually the exec that put the proposal on the new structure to the board to make sure the membership is really feeding into the governance of this organisation. The chairman leads the board, the MD leads the exec and I report to the chairman.”
Changing tack
The new strategy also means a shift away from the RHA being seen as a very public critic of government to a more collaborative approach of working with policy makers. “I think we had become something of a one-trick pony,” says Smith. “We worked from the outside, and we will carry on doing that, but we need to become more public affairs focused. We have to consider the broader base of stakeholders not just keep banging on at Big Ben. We represent four nations – over 8,000 hauliers, 84 coach operators, van operators and 300 professional members.” Another key shift is to give as much attention to regional and local government as devolved administrations gain more power and budgetary responsibility. ➜ 26 6.6.22
