Leadership

He originally joined PD Ports as Chief Technology Officer in 2020, retaining this responsibility as COO. His work centres on accelerating growth, optimising services for customers and driving transformational change with continued innovation, investment and expansion across the business to indrive enterprise value.

Prior to PD Ports, Paul spent the majority of his career at Formica Group, which he joined in 2001 and spent 10 years in various financial roles in the UK, Europe, Asia and North America. He then became Business Development Director for Europe, before relocating to Shanghai, China, to work on the strategy and growth of the Asian business. In 2012, Paul was appointed Global CIO of the Laminates & Panels Group, a €1bn revenue division of Fletcher Building. In 2015 he was appointed COO of Formica EMEA, where he helped navigate the turnaround of the European business and structured and delivered a significant capital investment programme.

A native North easterner, Paul is a qualified accountant and holds both a BA in Accountancy from Northumbria University and an Executive Masters in Enterprise Management from Durham University. He is also a Trustee for the Percy Hedley Foundation, a £40m turnover North East charity that provides education and support for children & adults with special needs.

Her role covers a broad range of key functions including HR; health, safety and environment; business continuity; and security. With a strong leadership background covering over 20 years in the oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as well as shipbuilding, manufacturing and engineering, Michelle has a proven track record of delivering people strategies that achieve clear business results. Prior to PD Ports, she was Global Chief People Officer at Indicia Worldwide.

As we continue towards our vision for the future, Michelle will play a key role in driving the business forward, making sure we’re a safe and rewarding place to work, while keeping us on course to reach net zero across our operations by 2040.

Beginning her career at PwC, she spent 11 years in professional services working across a variety of industries. Liz then joined Royal Mail PLC, where she held several senior positions both in and outside of finance, most latterly as the Chief Financial Officer for Royal Mail UK.

Liz is passionate about gender equality in the corporate setting and is committed to promoting this further in the maritime sector, acting as Executive Sponsor for PD Port's Women's Network Group. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, she also holds a degree in Accountancy from Sheffield Hallam University.

Having been employed at board level for over 30 years, Jerry has been a key tactical and strategic decision maker throughout his career. He has successfully driven us through a number of milestones, such as the establishment of port operations following national privatisation of much of the UK Port sector, portcentric transformation of container operations on the Humber and in the Tees Valley, the reinvention of Teesport in the wake of the closure of steelmaking on Teesside and the establishment of an extensive and growing footprint, and focus, by PD Ports in the energy transition sector.

Jerry has also been instrumental in the positive negotiation and closeout of a number of major international investments in our business including the world’s largest biomass power station, MGT, at Teesport, and the rekindling of a long term contracted partnership with one of Teesside’s major industrial assets.

In January 2025, Jerry was appointed as an Operating Partner in Brookfield, our shareholder and a leading global investment firm, to work within teams delivering key infrastructure developments across the Brookfield portfolio.

Simultaneously he remains Chairman at PD Ports.

An experienced operational leader, Grant is recognised for his practical approach, clear decision-making and ability to bring teams together in demanding environments. He places safety, accountability and operational discipline at the heart of his leadership, while ensuring that people, skills and resources are effectively aligned with customer and business requirements.

Grant plays a key role in shaping and delivering business strategy, identifying opportunities for sustainable growth, operational expansion and long-term customer partnerships. He is particularly focused on how automation, technology and improved data can increase efficiency, strengthen safety performance and create more resilient port operations. His approach ensures that innovation is introduced in a practical way that supports the workforce, enhances service delivery and improves the customer experience.

Through visible leadership, strong relationships and a focus on continuous improvement, Grant works to deliver sustainable growth for PD Ports, its customers and the communities it serves.

Her career began with a graduate programme at Gist, where she progressed through a range of operational and general manager roles across the UK and France.

Since joining PD Ports, Rachel has played a key role in developing the logistics business before taking responsibility for Unitised in 2024. She leads a diverse operation spanning container terminal, ferry terminal, transport and freight activities, bringing a strong focus on operational excellence, people development and continuous improvement.

Rachel is also passionate about supporting future talent and creating opportunities for people to develop their careers across the logistics and maritime sectors.

Starting as Contract Manager, he quickly progressed through operational leadership roles before becoming responsible for UK Warehousing in 2024.

Today, Chris leads PD Ports’ warehousing operations across the UK, supporting major customers including Cummins, Taylor's of Harrogate, Tioxide Materials, KP Snacks, Delmonte and Specialized.

With a strong belief in teamwork and empowering people, Chris focuses on creating high-performing teams while delivering safe, efficient and customer-focused operations. He is also committed to developing future leaders and creating opportunities for colleagues to progress across the business.

Having held senior roles across a number of major UK logistics and port businesses, Richie brings extensive operational and commercial experience to PD Ports.

As Director – Humber, Richie is responsible for driving performance and growth across PD Ports’ Humber operations, including Groveport, Keadby, Howden and Immingham. His focus is on developing the region’s port and logistics capabilities, strengthening customer relationships and creating new opportunities across bulk, breakbulk and portcentric operations.

Richie is passionate about developing people and building high-performing teams that deliver for customers and the wider Humber economy.