Lesley O’Brien OBE

Biography

Lesley O’Brien OBE FCILT is an award-winning business professional with over 40 years’ experience in the transport industry. She is an advocate for women in the industry and the small transport operator. As well as running haulage company Freightlink Europe and consultancy Freight Train, Lesley is a Trustee of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) Benevolent Fund, a member of the RHA Security Committee and Regional Council and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

She is a tireless ambassador of the transport industry and served 9 years as an RHA Main Board Director. In 2020 she launched transport forum, Freight People, to unite and encourage those working in the transport industry to support one another in addressing industry issues and to discuss hot topics. Lesley uses her voice whenever possible to support and encourage those underrepresented in the industry, to raise standards, improve road safety and change industry perception.

In 2020 she was awarded the OBE for services to diversity and inclusion in the transport industry and in 2022 was elected to the Motor Transport Wall of Fame and voted Northern Transport Personality of the Year by Transport News. She is a regular contributor to the Commercial Motor Legal Panel, Motor Transport Vox Pop and is invited by the BBC and other media to discuss topical and transport related issues.


Technology: A Legal View and an Operator’s View – Advantages, Disadvantages and Pitfalls

Join the debate on technology with LMP Legal lawyer Charlotte Le Maire and operator Lesley O’Brien as they discuss in-vehicle technology, the advantages it brings to operators, comparing that with the legal responsibilities placed upon operators as a result of having that technology.

Charlotte and Lesley will debate the consequences of not managing data properly, and the common pitfalls operators can fall into, as well as discussing how operators can walk on the right side of the law whilst still managing the realities of a commercial operation.