A shipping executive has been awarded a lifetime achievement award for his "outstanding" services to the industry by the UK-based Seahorse Club, the European shipping and logistics society.
The "John Richman Lifetime Achievement Award" was given to Robert Minton-Taylor at the Seahorse Club Annual Media Awards in London to honour his 37 years of "dedication and professionalism" to the freight transport industry and his 43 years in journalism and public relations (PR). Shipping is crucial to the well-being of world trade as some 90% of world cargoes are transported by sea.
For the past 30 years, Mr Minton-Taylor has worked for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, a Scandinavian shipping and logistics company where he was most recently the company's global media relations manager.
He now combines his main role as an associate senior lecturer at Leeds Business School part of Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom with his communications consultancy practice, Minton-Taylor Consultancy, specialising in issues management and international media relations.
Leeds Business School has been at the forefront of PR education, both nationally and internationally since 1990. Mr Minton-Taylor joined the University in 1995.
Barbara Colledge, Dean of Business & Law said: "We are so proud of Robert and his achievements. He has always been a valuable addition to the Leeds Business School teaching staff and it's great to see his hard-work being recognised."
Last November Robert Minton-Taylor won gold as the Xchangeteam "Freelancer of the Year" from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
He has won 11 awards for his work including Best Design for PR for Atlantic Container Line one of his clients at the Burosn-Marsteller agency.
Mr Minton-Taylor was most recently responsible for the media launch of the world's first concept green ship, E/S Orcelle, which gained the prestigious "Thor Heyerdahl Award" from King Harold V of Norway, and in creating the shipping industry's premier environmental debating forum, The Environment Club.
Mr. Minton-Taylor has previously worked as head of promotional services for the ports and ferry operator, European Ferries (now known as P&O Ferries).
He began his career in 1967 as a magazine journalist and became a board director of the international consultancy, Burson-Marsteller where he worked as head of leisure, transport and travel working with clients in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.