Port Manager/Chief Executive/Managing Director

Job Category: Corporate / Senior Management

Description

Objective

Having successfully concluded a major investment for a UK port which involved the leasing of the facilities for a minimum of 100 years I now wish to use my skills to assist other organisations that need a financial boost or change in management to meet their own growth/expansion projections

Experience

Woods Consultants Ltd (June 2007 - )

Major projects to date include:

- 3 Years as Ports & Harbours Package Manager for two offshore wind projects

- 2 years as Senior Services Manager running afloat services at one of HM Naval Bases and servicing moorings and navigation aids belonging to the MOD in the UK and abroad

- Undertaking a detailed marine transport assessment for a new coal fired power station including berth utilisation and equipment specification
- Commercial (financial) investment appraisal of a large eastern European port
- Review of bulk shipping requirements in the Baltic for an American Investment Bank

Great Yarmouth Port Authority (1998 – June 2007)

Port Manager (August 1999 – June 2007)
Board Member (appointed February 2000)
Director - East Port Great Yarmouth Ltd.
Director - Great Yarmouth Pilotage Ltd.
Director – Great Yarmouth Stevedoring Ltd

Senior Executive Officer with overall responsibility for implementing Board Strategy in a Trust Port with a turnover in excess of £5 million. Heading a team of approximately 60 Management and Staff covering all disciplines required in running a modern day company and port operation.

My most significant achievement was the concluding the transaction that has secured the building of the Outer Harbour at Great Yarmouth, a development that will eventually see in excess of £100 million being invested.

Headed preparations for a change in the Authority’s constitution in accordance with the recommendations contained in the (then) DETR Trust Ports Review including formal and informal consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

When I became (Port Manager) senior executive officer of the Authority there were debts in excess of £1million, on leaving in May 2007 there were no debts (other than ordinary trading debts) and all bank indemnities had been released. The policy was to only pay for what could be afforded from cash flow.

The principle business of Great Yarmouth Port is providing facilities in support of the Southern North Sea Natural Gas Fields (approx 65%). Other commodities handled cover a range of bulk and break bulk cargoes including agricultural and timber products.

During my time as head of the organisation we have introduced several modern day practises including:

ISO 9002 – Management Processes and standards
ISO 14002 – Environmental Processes and standards
Investors in People (in a totally unionised environment)
Changed working practises from closed departmental offices to open plan (within the confines of a listed building)

Amended Financial reporting procedures

- Budget Setting
- Budget Monitoring
- Variance Reports
- Management Accounts
- Capital Investment
- Special Major Projects

Capital Investments and Special Major projects were often outside of the ‘normal’ budget and required analysis papers to be presented to the Board for approval.

I was promoted to Port Manager in August 1999 having originally been employed as Commercial Manager (Deputy Chief Executive) with responsibility for all contract negotiations with customers and suppliers, a role that continued as Port Manager with no replacement Commercial Manager being appointed.

As Port manager I reduced the senior management team by two persons.

Self-employed Commercial Consultant (Feb 1997 – May 1998)

Working within the European Union T.A.C.I.S. programme as Commercial and Marketing Consultant to the Commercial Sea Port of Novorossiysk in the Russian Black Sea. Advising, as part of a team, covering all aspects of port management and how to adapt to operating in a free ‘market’ economy.