Chris Smyth is the Group CEO of Perennial Freight, a role he has held for the past four years after successfully leading a Management Buy-Out of the company. Since 2024, he has also served as the President of the France-Ireland Chamber of Commerce, where he works to strengthen trade links between the two nations.
By Héloïse Chaudot
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
My focus is on growing the Perennial Freight Group, modernising our operations, and ensuring we provide a friendly, inclusive, and safe working environment for all our staff.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
The primary challenge is balancing the diverse needs of our customers and stakeholders.
You are constantly communicating with clients, staff, and our partners across the UK and Europe. It is a daily task to ensure everyone is happy with our direction and that we are delivering on our promises.
How do you keep your team motivated?
Communication is everything. You have to share your thoughts, your vision, and your plans with the team.
They need to know the strategy and what is expected of each of us. I believe in taking everyone on the journey. That sense of inclusion gives people the autonomy to succeed, which keeps the motivation high.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
The transport and logistics sector is facing significant pressure.
Rising fuel prices are the most obvious issue, especially as we try to manage those costs for clients who are under their own pressures. Constant changes in regulations, along with new carbon taxes and port charges, create a heavy burden for the business to navigate.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
Since Brexit, several new direct ferry routes have opened between Ireland and mainland Europe.
This has reduced the need for driver-accompanied transport. More companies are now shipping trailers unaccompanied, which is the most economical, sustainable, and efficient way to move freight today. We have also seen a sharp increase in online shopping volumes, most of which is moved via these direct routes.
Are there any major changes you would like to see in your sector?
I would like to see much more engagement between the government and the transport sector.
Decisions on regulations should be made together to avoid over-regulation. We also need more support for training new drivers and staff. We must work towards greener energy with proper backing as we move away from fossil fuels.
As an employer, are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
The driver shortage is a global problem. There simply are not enough new drivers entering the industry.
We are currently recruiting from South Africa and Sri Lanka, though that brings its own challenges with visas and permits. I believe Ireland needs to start driver training programmes in colleges to give young men and women the opportunity to support our own economy.
How did your strategy develop in the context of the banking crisis and economic crisis?
We have always taken a conservative approach to finance. Because we did not overextend ourselves, we were able to build up cash reserves. That discipline helped us significantly when credit markets tightened during previous crises.
How do you define success, and what drives you to succeed?
Success is doing a job to the best of your ability while being a decent person.
I have been very lucky to be asked to join a number of boards and organisations, such as the France-Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC), where I am president. I want Perennial Freight and the organisations I work with, like the FICC, to be in a better place at the end of my tenure than when I joined. To me, that is success.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given in business?
Never try to use your title to win an argument.
What advice would you give to others starting in business?
Play the long game, listen to people in your industry, and don’t be afraid to pay for good external advice. Nothing lasts forever, so be prepared to pivot and diversify when things change.
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
In May 2025, we completed our first acquisition of a freight forwarding business in Waterford called Emerald Cargo.
We have now fully integrated them into the Perennial Freight Group. Another highlight was presenting at the Ireland-France Business Awards at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin last November.
What’s next for your company?
We are planning another acquisition within the next twelve months and intend to launch additional new services in Europe. We are also growing our team to support that expansion.
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
I want the business to be larger and the brand to be even stronger. Our new Marketing and Communications Executive is currently reviewing our identity and surveying with over 500 clients. We will use those results to refresh the brand and launch a new website.
What is the best book you’ve ever read (non-business) and why?
I am not an avid reader of books these days, but The Lord of the Flies has stayed with me since my school days.
As I have gotten older, I appreciate it even more. It is a powerful reminder of how easily stable systems can be eroded by greed or a hunger for power, which is a lesson that remains relevant in both life and business.
What is your favourite hobby and why?
I like walking and training in the gym. It is that space where you can switch off from work and just focus.
As you get older, you start to question your mortality, so building flexibility and muscle will hopefully give me some longevity.
What is your mantra for life?
We are only here for a short time, so let’s make it a good time.
Read more CEO Q&As:
Donnacha Hurley, CEO of the Limerick Chamber