Inside Alfa: Martin Cunningham Talks Logistics, and Industry Evolution

How did you first get interested in logistics, and what keeps you motivated in this field?

Even as a small boy I was always interested in how things got from A to B, world geography and where everyday items came from. I guess that helped point me in the direction of a career in logistics. Even though I have been doing this for a VERY long time, and much of it is rinse and repeat, I find that even now every day is a school day and there is always some interesting project to work on. I also really enjoy seeing my colleagues grow and progress which keeps me motivated.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in logistics today, and how do you think the industry is handling it?

I see the biggest single challenge as AI and its growing deployment. Whilst it could throw up some fantastic opportunities for those that embrace it there is also the chance it will leave others far behind. To be honest, I find the whole thing quite scary and haven’t properly got to grips with it yet. I think most of the industry is much like me, still figuring out how to get to grips with it.

How does your team approach risk management, and what’s one piece of advice you’d give to others about mitigating risks?

We are lucky in that we have an experienced team who are very risk aware and will bounce opportunities off each other to road test them for risk. My advice would be to take out insurance where it is cost effective and make sure your staff are properly educated on the different types of risk in this business.

If you could change one thing about the logistics industry, what would it be and what impact do you think it would have?

It has long been my belief that there aren’t sufficient barriers to entry as you don’t necessarily need much capital to start a logistics company. This means that all sorts of cowboys can get involved. I would make it that you need more licenses, qualifications etc to trade in the logistics business so that we can eliminate or significantly reduce the cowboys. This would lead to an increase in quality and reputation and make the industry be seen as a true profession, which it is.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started in logistics?

That it’s like the Hotel California. You can check out but you can never leave! Actually, if somebody had told me that I would probably still have joined.

Could you describe a difficult moment in your career that shaped the way you work today?

There have been many difficult moments in my career and I lived through many different crises which could have been global, regional and national. Thankfully, there have also been more occasions where it has been very enjoyable. When I started the economy was a bad shape for the first few years so that taught me the value of a dollar and to keep a tight rein on costs. That has stayed with me until today. More recently, I found those first 6 to 9 months of Covid very difficult. Partly because of some the crazy things that were happening to try to move PPE but also the Working from Home and Hybrid working concept. As I am old school I found this very difficult to work with at first but I have become used to it now and it does have some advantages.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started in logistics?

That it’s like the Hotel California. You can check out but you can never leave! Actually, if somebody had told me that I would probably still have joined.

What’s one resource or feature within the network you think more members should take advantage of?

Attending the Annual Conference and more networking generally.

What’s one thing your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you?

A lot of people who don’t know me very well are surprised when they find out that I am actually a qualified Accountant. Apparently I don’t fit the stereotype.

Thanks, Martin, for sharing your insights with the Alfa community!