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>About the PLA's Executive Committee

About the PLA's Executive Committee

Robin Mortimer, Chief Executive Officer

Robin Mortimer joined the Port of London Authority as Chief Executive Officer on 31 March 2014.

Prior to joining the PLA, Robin had 20 years’ experience in the UK Government civil service across a range of Government Departments. He was Private Secretary to the Environment Secretary from 1996-97, Deputy Prime Minister from 1997-98 and to the Transport Secretary from 2001-03. He led the work on the UK Climate Change Bill in 2006 and in 2007, became a director in Defra where he set up the UK’s Adapting to Climate Change programme, oversaw the creation of the Canal & River Trust and directed policy on air quality and the natural environment.

Robin is chair of Maritime UK, the umbrella and representative body for the UK maritime industries. He is also currently chair of Estuary Services Ltd (a PLA subsidiary) and a board member of the UK Major Ports Group and Thames Skills Academy. He is a director of the Thames Estuary Growth Board and the Thames Freeport. Robin has recently been appointed as a non-executive director of Red One Ltd, a fire and safety organisation operating in the industrial and maritime sectors.


Steve Lockwood, Chief Financial Officer

Steve Lockwood is the PLA’s Chief Financial Officer and joined in July 2023.

Steve is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and has over 25 years of experience in finance, primarily in IT and telecommunications.

Prior to joining the PLA, Steve was working for BT as Finance Director for the International Markets Division outside the UK, and CFO for Continental Europe. During his 17 years at BT Steve held a variety of roles both inside and outside of Finance ranging from Client Delivery Director, Deal Architect and European Head of Commercial Finance where he was successful in winning over £2bn worth of new business (which also included being lead finance analyst for BT’s Sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Games). Prior to BT, Steve held a number of finance positions in Fujitsu Services, Express Dairies and Finelist Group.

 

 

James Stride, Chief Harbour Master

James Stride joined the PLA as Chief Harbour Master on 6 November 2023.

He has over 30 years' experience working in the maritime sector.  His first 24 years was as a Warfare Officer for the Royal Navy during which he qualified as a Navigator, Hydrographic Surveyor, Meteorologist and a Principal Warfare Officer before taking Command of HMS DUNCAN and taking the Type 45 Destroyer out from build.

Joining Carnival Corporation & plc's maritime team in 2015, he undertook a number of operational support, maritime governance and leadership roles in both Southampton and Hamburg.  This included as Carnival Maritime's Nautical Director being responsible for the Corporation's European Fleet Operation Centre supporting over 30 cruise ships deployed globally and latterly as Carnival UK's Vice President Maritime Governance / Designated Person Ashore being responsible for Captains' line management, governance, nautical, operational support and crisis management.

He holds a BSc(Hons) in Oceanography and Physical Geography and an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London. He is undertaking a PhD in Disaster Management with Bournemouth University.

Steven Clapperton, Director of Marine Operations

Steven Clapperton joined the PLA as Director of Marine Operations in September 2021.

Steven leads the PLA’s marine operations team, which includes marine services, civil and marine engineering, and hydrographic services. His responsibilities include managing the authority’s significant vessel fleet and marine infrastructure, salvage operations and debris clearance. He will also take on a range of other senior management responsibilities. Prior to joining the PLA, Steven was maritime director & harbour master at the Port of Tyne for the preceding 5 years. He first worked at the Port of Tyne from 2005 to 2013 as a senior pilot, before joining DNV GL and working on various marine projects, including a period of secondment to an international oil major. Steven is a Master Mariner and Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.

 

 

 

Siân Foster, Director of Corporate Affairs

Siân Foster joined the PLA as Director of Corporate Affairs in August 2023.

Siân worked for Virgin Atlantic for 12 years in a range of external affairs roles, before advising the Civil Aviation Authority on communications, stakeholder engagement and public affairs.

She joined us from the Money & Pensions Service, where she had been Director of Corporate Affairs since 2018.

 

 

 

 

Karen Fuller, Director of Human Resources

Karen Fuller joined the PLA as Director of Human Resources in August 2022.

Prior to joining the PLA, Karen was people & safety director at social enterprise bus operators, HCT Group. She was HR director at transport operators, RATP Dev UK and RATP Dev London, for some 14 years before joining HCT.

 

 

 

 

 

Grace Rawnsley, Director of Sustainability

Grace Rawnsley joined the PLA in February 2023 as the Director of Sustainability and Net Zero Transition.

Grace is a sustainability professional who has a wide range of experiences across the environmental sector over the last 20 years.

Grace leads the environment team. Her responsibilities include our internal sustainability work on net zero and climate adaptation as well as our externally focused work on water quality, air quality, biodiversity, decarbonisation and climate adaptation.

Prior to joining the PLA, Grace spent 13 years at the City of London Corporation in a variety of sustainability and transformation roles. Most recently, she led the implementation of the City of London Corporation’s climate action work as their Climate Action Programme Director. Prior to the City of London Corporation, Grace worked for a variety of well-known conservation charities including the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the RSPB.

 

 

James Trimmer, Director of Planning and Development

James Trimmer is the Director of Planning and Development and has been a member of the Executive Committee since September 2013.

James is a Chartered Surveyor and a Chartered Town Planner.

James joined the PLA in 1999, initially as the planning officer. Before this, he spent ten years working within both the public and private sectors, ultimately advising a number of ports and terminal operators throughout the UK on strategic planning matters. He is corporately responsible for land and marine planning issues, statutory consenting and compliance and the PLA’s facilitation of developing freight and passenger transport on the River Thames.  Prior to his current role he was responsible for environmental issues including the PLA’s commitments on Net Zero. He is the PLA’s project director for the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheme.