Invest Northamptonshire

Sectors

Simon Kay, General Manager, Panasonic Logistics Europe Ltd

As the General Manager of Panasonic Logistics (the brand name of Matsushita Electronics Company, Osaka, Japan) Simon Kay is responsible for the distribution of consumer electronics products throughout the UK and Ireland.

Simon has worked in logistics throughout his career, gaining industry experience within warehouse, transport and procurement. Currently, Simon advises at a European level on logistics and environmental issues. Simon has worked for Panasonic for 22 years in various management roles and was part of the project team tasked with building the company's distribution centre in Northampton. Simon is extremely proud of the fact that he started at the bottom of the industry and worked his way to the top through hard work and determination, something he is quick to point out to his team – that opportunities exist if you are prepared to work for them. Panasonic is an organisation that believes in developing its people, and Simon has undergone management training at the company’s international training centre in Japan as well as at management training schools such as IMD in Switzerland. Simon is also a member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport.

"Northamptonshire is a hidden ‘jewel in the crown’. It has a varied history, excellent leisure facilities and boasts some of the most beautiful countryside to be found. It is also a wonderful place to live and raise a family - there is always something to do, whatever your interests. The county is extremely well situated from a logistics perspective, with an excellent road network linking all of the major cities and towns. So much so, that I firmly believe that Northampton is now considered the centre of the country’s logistics industry."