Peel Ports names new chairman, chief executive
Tom Allison is stepping down from his role as chairman, with Mark Whitworth taking over the position. Claudio Veritiero will replace Whitworth as Peel Ports’ chief executive.
Whitworth and Veritiero will enter their new roles effective 4 April.
The leadership changeover has been in the works for two years, according to Whitworth.
Allison will be leaving his role as chairman to become a non-executive director for the company. He was appointed chief executive of Clydeport in 1997 and helped create Peel Ports Group in 2003. Under Allison’s leadership, Peel Ports has grown by an average of 10% year on year in the past decade.
Whitworth praised Allison’s work as chairman.
“Tom has been an outstanding mentor throughout his time with our group and has overseen an unprecedented period of success,” Whitworth said. “His business acumen and strategic counsel have been critical over the last 25 years and we are privileged to have him continuing to support the company as a non-executive director.”
Whitworth became the chief executive of Peel Ports in 2010 and has led on several large schemes, including the launch of Liverpool2, a £400m deep-sea terminal.
“For more than a decade we have consistently been at the forefront of the UK ports industry for the delivery of growth and investment,” Whitworth said. “This has been a transformational period for the business and one that has enabled the group to create thousands of high-value jobs within our existing and new facilities.”
Whitworth added that it was the appropriate time for a leadership change.
“We have ambitious plans to maintain the growth trajectory, which in turn will continue to create positive results not only for our company but also for the regions and communities we operate within, for many years to come,” he said.
“The time is right for change and Claudio will be integral to making that change happen as he leads the business into an exciting new era.”
Veritiero joined the Peel Ports team as deputy chief executive last year. Prior to joining Peel Ports, he was the chief executive officer at Kier. He has more than 25 years in infrastructure, logistics and property development.
“Since joining Peel Ports a year ago, I’ve been taken by the calibre of our people, our operations and our customer relationships,” Veritiero said. “I’m delighted to be taking on the role of CEO and will look to build on the unprecedented success that Mark has led over 12 years. One of my priorities will be to take stock of the changing needs of our customers and the port communities in which we operate so that we can further enhance our offering and customer experience.”
“Ports are a vital catalyst for the whole economy, not just the supply chain, with a crucial role to play in creating jobs and enabling economic regeneration. I look forward to working closely with the leadership teams across the business, our customers and our commercial and community partners, as we deliver the next phase of our growth journey.”
Peel Ports owns the Manchester Ship Canal, Port of Liverpool, Heysham Port, Clydeport, London Medway, Great Yarmouth, and the Marine Terminals container terminal in Dublin. Peel Ports also owns BG Freight and has a freight and logistics services company – Peel Ports Logistics.
