Sir Vince Cable will speak on accelerating the uptake of zero-emission HGVs at Leaders in Logistics: Autumn
Former Cabinet minister Sir Vince Cable will headline a major London logistics event bringing together senior figures from some of Europe’s biggest retailers, carriers and supply chain businesses.
Leaders in Logistics: Autumn has confirmed Sir Vince among its keynote speakers for its 2026 edition, alongside senior executives from IKEA, JD.com and Rhenus.
Sir Vince, chairman of eFREIGHT 2030, will speak on “Accelerating the uptake of zero emission HGVs”.
He will represent a consortium of logistics operators, vehicle manufacturers, retailers and infrastructure providers working on the transition towards zero-emission heavy goods vehicles.
Mikael Redin, global head of replenishment and inventory management at IKEA, will also take to the stage.
He is expected to discuss the logistics supporting IKEA’s expansion into urban bricks-and-mortar stores.
Natalie Frow, managing director of Joy Logistics UK&I at JD.com, will outline how the business is scaling its European operations as it seeks to strengthen its position in the region.
Nils Thiesen, chief commercial officer for overland transport at Rhenus, will examine the changing relationship between logistics companies and their retail customers.
The four keynotes form part of a wider programme featuring more than 80 senior executives from across the retail logistics sector.
Senior producer Tristan Hipper said: “It’s rare to find a line-up of speakers with this level of responsibility on stage.”
“The insight they bring isn’t available anywhere else, and the fact they’ve chosen to speak reflects how critical a point the industry has reached.”
Other confirmed speakers include James Edge, chief executive of Landmark Global and executive committee member at bnode, and Patrick Lindby, chief commercial officer at DHL Freight.
Johan Holstein, managing director for group digital, AI and OOH at GLS, and Eliana Invernizzi, vice-president of planning and engineering at FedEx, are also due to take part.
Further speakers include Sven Kukemelk of Omniva, Conor Crosland of Holland & Barrett, Felix Hettlage of FIEGE and Saba Hasan of Asda Logistics Services.
Around 900 attendees are expected at the event, with major postal operators, carriers, third-party logistics businesses, marketplaces and retailers represented.
Postal companies due to attend include Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, La Poste, bpost and PostNord.
FedEx, UPS, Evri, GLS and Geopost are among the carriers expected, while DHL Supply Chain, DSV, GXO, CEVA and Maersk are listed among the 3PLs.
Marketplaces represented are set to include Vinted, Temu, JD.com, eBay and Amazon.
Retailers including adidas, Dyson, H&M, Decathlon, M&S and Mars are also expected to attend.
The event will focus on major challenges facing retail logistics, including decarbonisation, digitalisation, automation, urban delivery and changing relationships between retailers and logistics providers.