The Logistics Cluster is a community of partners actively working to overcome logistics constraints and to drive best practices and solutions aimed at improving the humanitarian response to emergencies.
Partnership is a core value of the cluster. As highlighted in the 2016-2021 Strategy, the Logistics Cluster is built on partnership, and as such it strives to involve a diverse and representative group of humanitarian actors, on the global, regional and local levels, that steers its strategic direction, allowing true involvement and ownership by partner organisations.
Since 2006, the biannual Logistics Cluster Global Meetings (GLMs) have been the fora for organisations to discuss common issues and experiences and take joint strategic decisions on the cluster governance. During the meetings in 2016 it was decided by large majority to create a Strategic Advisory Group (SAG).
The growing participation and involvement of partners and the increased number of operations called for stronger and better structured governance, hence the SAG was established to foster shared ownership of the cluster and improve decision making.
The overall objective of the SAG, as defined by the ToR, is to promote and drive the implementation of the strategy, ensuring that the decisions taken and the pursuing actions represent the diversity of the cluster partners. The SAG is composed of eight members elected for two years. The Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator is the Fixed Chair of the SAG. The Chair only votes as tie breaker. WFP, as the Lead Agency of the cluster, has a permanent seat. NGOs and Governmental Organisations have three and two seats respectively. Representatives are elected during the GLM. One Field Logistics Cluster Coordinator is also elected to participate to the SAG as an observer. The SAG meets twice a year in conjunction with the GLMs in addition to monthly teleconferences. Minutes and other pertinent documents are shared on this page. SAG members can be contacted regarding the strategy, governance and core functions of the Logistics Cluster.
STRATEGY & WORKPLAN
Drive and oversee implementation of the strategy and workplan.
GLOBAL ACTIVITIES
Advise on priorities for global activities and the allocation of global funding.
Partnerships
Advise and support on engagement with possible strategic partners.
Working groups
Endorse the creation of and provide strategic support for Working Groups.
Advocacy
Internal and external for adequate resources to implement cluster activities and operations.
Susan Hodgson
Head of Humanitarian Supply Chain, Save the Children
Susan began her career in the British Army, serving for 22 years in locations such as Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany, Cyprus, Sierra Leone and Iraq. She then transitioned into the humanitarian sector, working with a range of organisations, including the American Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Concern and GOAL across various functions including programme, logistics, security and operations as well as in country management. Sue took on her current role as Head of Humanitarian Supply Chain for Save the Children in 2017, where she leads a team working to make improvements in the humanitarian supply chain.
Fabrice Perrot
Director of Logistics, Solidarités International
Fabrice began his career in social work, managing socio-cultural organisations in rural and urban communities in France before moving in to the humanitarian sector in 2010. During his time with Solidarités International, Fabrice has worked as Head of Base and Field Coordinator in DRC, Haiti and Bangladesh, as well overseeing logistics coordination for West Africa and Haiti. He has headed up the logistics department since 2014, and was appointed to his current role of Logistics Director in 2017, now overseeing four departments: Supply Chain, Operational Logistics, IT and Information Systems, and Facility Management.
Mary Jelliti
Logistics and Procurement Manager, GOAL
Mary spent 8 years working for the UK book retailer Waterstone’s in front and back of house, before moving in to the humanitarian sector in 2008. During her career, Mary has worked with Save the Children UK, Oxfam Intermón, PACT and the Danish Refugee Council in countries as diverse as South Sudan, Libya and Lebanon. Her career at GOAL started in 2015 as a roving Logistics Advisor, before moving to a HQ role as the Logistics Coordinator of the Dublin team before finally being appointed to her current role as Logistics and Procurement Manager in 2017. This role includes supporting GOAL programming, managing the HQ and roving teams, and directing policy and fostering innovation in GOAL Logistics and Procurement.
Pierre Tripon
On 1 February 2021, Pierre TRIPON joined DG ECHO in Brussels as Programme Manager for Logistics and Transport in A2 Unit (Capacities and Operational Support) where he brings 10 years of humanitarian field experience as logistician and Country Director for Action contre la Faim (ACF) and Médecins du Monde (MDM) in Asia, Africa, Caucasus and the Caribbeans. He was also the Chairman of Résonances Humanitaires from 2012 to 2016, a France-based non-profit organization providing support and guidance to humanitarian workers to find a job upon return from the field. Prior to this, he worked as a logistics expert and a business developer linking European and African companies to develop long lasting fruitful common businesses. Born in 1972, he holds a Master degree from ESSCA business school in France.
Theo Lingens
Deputy Head of Logistics Division, German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW)
Theo first started working in humanitarian logistics as a volunteer with the German Red Cross, with his first deployment a mission to support refugees from the German Democratic Republic. He then became a permanent staff member of the Red Cross in 1990, deploying on several missions for the German Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross. Since 2002, Theo has worked in THW Headquarters in Germany, responsible for all logistics issues on THW Missions abroad. Theo has been an active participant in Logistics Cluster activities since 2005 following the Humanitarian Reform.
STEPHEN CAHILL
Chief of Humanitarian Logistics Services, World Food Programme
In June 2021, Stephen Cahill was named Chief of Humanitarian Logistics Services, the part of WFP Supply Chain focused exclusively on supporting humanitarian and development partners with the provision of supply chain services. Prior to his current role, Stephen was the Chief of Logistics from 2019 to 2021. While covering this role in 2020, Stephen played a central role in designing, implementing and overseeing a global platform of common logistics services in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, supporting over 400 organisations. Stephen was Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator from 2015 to 2019, and Head of Logistics for WFP in Ethiopia from 2011 to 2015. Stephen has worked in a variety of emergencies including Mozambique in 2019, Sierra Leone during the West Africa Ebola Outbreak in 2014 - 15, and the typhoon Haiyan response in the Philippines. Prior to joining WFP, Stephen was a director at a major international shipping company in London.
Athalie Mayo
Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator, World Food Programme
Athalie joined the Logistics Cluster in 2019 from WFP’s Supply Chain Division where she worked in UNHRD and most recently bilateral service provision, supporting WFP partners with their logistics and procurement needs. Throughout her time with WFP, Athalie has tried to focus on collaborative approaches to understanding and meeting the needs of all humanitarian actors. Athalie’s professional career began in the British Army specialising in information analysis to support decision making. After some time in the private sector she moved into Field Security where she fulfilled a number of roles for WFP and other UN agencies before transitioning to WFP Supply Chain. Athalie is a speaker of English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Christophe Morard
Logistics Cluster Coordinator, Syria
Christophe first mission was in Kyrgyzstan in 1994. His first assignment with the Logistics Cluster goes back to 2006 in Lebanon where he was seconded by Save the Children. In 2009, he was assigned as logistic officer with WFP in Somalia, he joined the Logistics Cluster Global Support Team in 2013. Since then, he has been deployed in several emergency responses including Haiti, DRC, West Africa – Ebola response. He covered the Logistic Cluster coordinator position respectively in South Sudan, Yemen and currently in Syria.