It has been great to see so many people during London International Shipping Week. There have been some wonderful events and some of the discussions have been fascinating.

A particular highlight for me was the official launch of Thames Freeport on Wednesday morning when the Chamber secured not just the Transport Secretary but the Chancellor as well for the event at the Savoy. We had nearly 200 people to hear the Chancellor announce £300m of investment from DP World into Thames Gateway.

As the week comes to a conclusion it is also time for me to bid farewell to the Chamber. Today is my last day before I head north to take up the role of Chief Executive of the Aberdeen Harbour Board.

It has been a great honour and privilege to lead the Chamber and my three years here have been incredibly exciting and rewarding.

We have faced some huge challenges, from security incidents in the Middle East, Brexit, Covid-19 and the response to the pandemic to the global challenge of decarbonisation.

But I am incredibly proud that the Chamber has responded to all of these challenges with huge professionalism, assisting our members whilst raising the profile of both the Chamber and the UK shipping sector. The team here at the Chamber from policy, to events and membership are incredibly knowledgeable, dedicated and professional and I thank them for all their support.

As I leave the Chamber, I am delighted to confirm that my last action is to commit the Chamber and our members to a net-zero goal by 2050. It is vital we continue to do all we can to move the shipping industry to a sustainable future and that means reaching net-zero by 2050.

My successor Sarah Treseder will take up the role of CEO on 4th October and I know many of you reading this will have met Sarah this past week. From my time getting to know Sarah these last few months I know she will continue to help the Chamber go from strength to strength, and although she doesn’t need it I wish her the very best of luck.

Finally, a massive thank you to our members and everyone I have worked with over the last 3 years, in particular the highly committed team at Park Street and fellow Executive Board members.  I know I leave the Chamber in an incredibly strong position with a larger, more engaged and more representative membership base, highlighting the vital role the shipping industry plays here in the UK and around the world. And a special thanks to the Presidents I have been fortunate to work for, Michael Bibby and John Denholm, for their guidance and support.

Bob