Mr. Sharp has over 30 years experience in the transportation industry - mainly the rail industry in the UK. He is currently Director-General of the International Air Rail Organisation, a world-wide group of organisations across the air and rail industry with an interest in rail links to airports.

He has undertaken consultancy work for a number of companies interested in airport rail connections, and has also been retained by Heathrow Express as a consultant.

He has a Masters degree in Transportation and Traffic Planning from the University of Birmingham, and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

He is a member of the Transportation Research Board's Committee on Intermodal Transfer Facilities, and the Aviation Forum of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Andrew is married with two children, and lives in St. Albans, the historic city 20 miles north of London where he was born.

Patrick Hicks has been involved in the transport, shipping and ports sector since 1978. After working for a number of leading rail and shipping operators, his focus for the past 25 years has been on providing information services to the transport industry - through trade conferences and exhibitions, publications and consultancy.

In addition to his information services activities, Patrick Hicks is also Secretary of the Container Owners Association, an industry organisation established to promote the container business. Many of the world's leading container companies are members.

Andy Buxton began his career in the scientific civil service working for the Admiralty researching submarine escape and rescue systems. On moving to the RAF's Institute of Aviation Medicine he specialised in the design cooling systems for pilots and soldiers. In 2000 he received an international award for innovation in mathematical modelling of protective clothing systems.

Working for QinetiQ he developed their Human Factors research in the rail sector and led the UK rail industry's major Human Factors response to the Ladbroke Grove crash. He subsequently worked closely with the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

He left QinetiQ in 2005 and joined his wife, Jill's company, WB James Ltd. Together Jill and Andy provide communications and publicity support for the IARO and the UK's Highways Agency.

In 2005 Andy and Jill also founded Sleepbreeze Ltd, to develop a low-energy personal cooling product for the travel and domestic markets. As such they were finalists in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sustainable Business Awards in 2007. Andy has recently joined the Hampshire ambassadors scheme to help promote business and tourism in the county.

Andy was educated at North East London Polytechnic, and Exeter, Modena and Istanbul universities. Andy & Jill count gardening and model railways among their hobbies.

Jill started her career as a qualified librarian providing information services within the public sector, primarily in the education sector. On gaining her MBA she founded W. B. James Ltd to provide specialist business services to both public and private sector. Her areas of expertise include information management, communications, business development and strategic planning. She has worked in a number of market sectors over the past ten years, including, defence, defence diversification, rail, highways and manufacturing.

Jill also works as a project manager with particular experience in project costing and the management of project finances.