Paul Carvell, Chairman of The Delivery Group, has been named Freeman of the City of London and Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Carmen in recognition to his 40 plus years long career in the transport and logistics industry.

“I feel extremely honoured to have been recognised and elected to the position of Liveryman. Although the history of the Carmen dates back many centuries, the work that the Company does now is highly relevant and beneficial. Much of the focus is on charity and fundraising and we are also able to meet regularly with senior politicians and industry heads,” said Carvell about the election.

The Worshipful Company of Carmen is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, whose origins date back to 1517. The organisation is part of a City-wide fellowship of historic and modern guilds reflecting trades, crafts, industries and professions and it allows only 500 liverymen at any one time.

Paul graduated from Oxford with a degree in geography and transport economics and went straight into logistics after that.

My family all went to sea so I think transport and logistics was simply in my blood,” he said. “The industry has changed so much over the decades but the most significant development is that transport and logistics is now a recognised and highly sought after skill-set. Historically, as an industry, we used to be something of an afterthought but we are now sitting at board-level and at the sharp-end of strategic decision-making.”

“Exciting challenges lie ahead for me with The Delivery Group and for the industry as a whole. The power is with customers – they are telling us what they want rather than adapting to what businesses offer. Finding solutions to meet and exceed these customer expectations keeps things fresh and dynamic. It’s a fantastic industry to be a part of and, through the work of the Carmen, we will continue to raise the industry’s profile,” Paul concluded.