A rare life service hood was confirmed and placed on the shoulders of the 2024 National Courier Award winner, Louise O'Neil 2026 IOC Fellows' Gowning event.

2025, for the Institute of Couriers fellows gowning was an evening to remember with a rare life services awarded in what has become the express final mile event of the year. Louise O'Neil head of HR at Whistl and DFE Trailblazer education co-chair for express logistics was announced life services winner at the 2025 National Courier Awards, ‘A champion for next generation in express logistics, a champion for women in brand.’

She attended the House of Lords IOC gowning ceremony March 2026 to receive her life services recognition hood in front of fellow winners who formed circle to welcome her to gold hood of fellowship

Photo in group as life services hood awarded.

Louise O’Neil – gowned fellows hood for Life Services to Industry, Express Logistics 2026

Champion for next generation in the Express Logistics sector.

Champion of women in brand

Co-Chair of IOC Education group and Govt trailblazer for apprenticeships with DWP Skills England.

Louise O’Neil has a wealth of experience working for some of the UK’s leading business spanning almost 30yrs across multiple areas and sectors.

Twenty years in the evolution of her current brand.

Whistl leaders say it is sometimes astonishing how she contributes to the business and the people today.

The IOC recognised Louise as an individual whose vision, dedication, and leadership have had a profound impact on our industry and more importantly, on the lives of countless young people who now see a future in logistics.

IOC chair Carl Lomas, - ‘She has made a remarkable difference with fresh ideas for new talent, and brought the energy of the next generation to thrive and grow from both in and outside her brand.

She has championed initiatives that open doors for young people, offering them opportunities to learn, grow, and see themselves as future leaders in logistics. Whether through mentoring programs, partnerships with Government, schools and colleges, or creating pathways for apprenticeships and internships, she has shown what it means to not only lead in business but also to lead in community impact. She has led a women in brand programme to champion diversity.’

IOC CEO, Dr Tracey Worth – ‘Stepping outside her brand, she is Sector co-chair for the IOC education group, engaged with govt for the whole sector, giving expert advice to DFE, Inst of Apprenticeships and Skills England, working with the employer operator Trailblazer group in vision for next generation express logistics candidates.’

DFE Skills England Express Trailblazer co-chair, former SVP FedEx Trevor Hoyle, - ‘Matching vocational workplace learning to education standards and leading the sector subgroup for best practice. She is a champion of next generation for our sector.’

In recognition of her Services to Industry 2025 IOC Fellows life services win Louise O’Neil, from Whistl was called to the House of Lords March 2026 to receive her gold bar fellows hood from the family of fellows of Express Logistics.