Welcoming Ian Heigh as Fleet Forum’s Delivery Director

Fleet Forum is pleased to welcome Ian Heigh as our new Delivery Director. Ian brings more than 30 years of experience across humanitarian operations, logistics, and supply chains, working at operational, organisational, and sector levels to strengthen how humanitarian delivery systems function. His career spans frontline leadership in major emergency responses, advisory roles supporting organisational reform, and strategic initiatives aimed at improving sector-wide coordination and performance.

Throughout his career Ian has worked with a wide range of humanitarian organisations, governments, and international partners, supporting operations in complex environments across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Experience Across Operations, Strategy and Systems

Ian began his career in emergency operations with the Red Cross movement, coordinating large-scale humanitarian responses and logistics operations across multiple regions. His work included managing complex fleet operations and supporting the development of logistics capability across the global Red Cross network.

Building on this operational foundation, Ian later moved into advisory and delivery leadership roles supporting organisations such as WHO, NRC, SCF, UNICEF, WFP, DG ECHO, and the Global Fund. In these roles he worked with senior leadership teams to strengthen supply chains, develop coordination mechanisms, and translate strategy into practical operational improvements.

More recently he has contributed to initiatives focused on strengthening humanitarian supply systems across organisations, supporting efforts to improve coordination, governance, and operational performance across the sector.

Reflecting on his career, Ian emphasises the importance of the people and partnerships that underpin humanitarian operations.

“Your experience and your motivation build over time,” he says. “I’ve worked in a dozen major disasters with loads of good people — it’s hard to pick one moment.”

Strengthening Operational Systems

Ian joins Fleet Forum at a critical time when humanitarian organisations are under increasing pressure to operate more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and demonstrate measurable operational performance.

“Operational systems such as fleet and transport management play a critical role in humanitarian operations,” Ian explains. “They often work behind the scenes, but they form part of the infrastructure that enables organisations to deliver assistance reliably in the field.”

Improving how organisations collaborate around these systems, he believes, can strengthen humanitarian supply chains more broadly as operating models evolve toward more localised and networked forms of delivery.

Fleet Forum provides a platform where organisations can share experience, develop practical solutions, and improve how fleet and mobility systems support humanitarian operations.

The Role of Fleet Forum

After reconnecting with Fleet Forum after many years, Ian was struck by how the organisation has evolved into a well-known and respected platform for collaboration across the humanitarian fleet and transport community.

By connecting research, member services, applied support, and advisory work, Fleet Forum aims to translate shared knowledge into practical improvements in fleet performance, safety, and sustainability.

As Delivery Director, Ian will focus on strengthening Fleet Forum’s service portfolio and delivery model, supporting members to improve fleet and mobility systems while expanding collaboration across organisations working on shared operational challenges.

For Ian, Fleet Forum’s role is both practical and strategic — supporting improvements in fleet operations at organisational and system levels while contributing to wider discussions on how fleet management can strengthen humanitarian supply chains and improve operational impact for people affected by crisis.

Welcome to the Fleet Forum team Ian.