DP World Integrates P And O Into New Management Structure

by Lorys Charalambous, Tax-News.com, Cyprus

02 June 2006

DP World, one of the world’s top three container terminal operators, has established a new management and business structure, integrating the P&O businesses acquired in March.

The company announced last month that the terminal business will consist of seven regions, with a "lean" Dubai-based head office led by CEO Mohammed Sharaf.

The new regions include:

• The UAE, which will be led by Mohammed Al Muallem, who led the integration of Dubai Ports Authority, Dubai Customs and the Free Zone;
• Australia which will be headed by Tim Blood, an engineer who joined the company in 1993 as Terminal Manager in Melbourne;
• Europe and North/West Africa, which is to be led by Roger Roels, a veteran of the shipping and ports industry;
• Middle East and South/East Africa, which will be headed by Grant Gilfillan, an engineer who worked for P&O Ports in Australia in a senior management capacity;
• The Indian subcontinent, which will be led by Ganesh Raj, who has 20 years experience in the port and liner industry;
• Asia Pacific, which will be led by Peter Wong, who joined DP World on completion of the acquisition of CSX World Terminals in February 2005; and
• The Americas, which will be led by Dave Sanborn, a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, who held senior management positions with APL and CMA-CGM prior to joining DP World in 2005.

P&O’s other businesses, P&O Ferries, P&O Estates and P&O Maritime Services will come under the management of DP World’s parent company, P&F World FZE, headed by Jamal Majid bin Thaniah as Group CEO.

P&O CEO Robert Woods is due to retire in September and will stand down as co-CEO of DP World from the end of June. He will continue in a senior advisory role with the company, overseeing the P&O North America business until its sale, expected in coming months, and serving as Chairman of P&O Ferries and Chairman of P&O Maritime Services, in addition to retaining the roles of non-executive Chairman for Southampton Container Terminal and Tilbury Container Terminal, both in the UK.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, praised Mr Woods for his "outstanding" leadership.

"(Mr Woods) has helped establish a foundation for the future that will ensure the long term success of the company," he commented.

“The new structure now reflects the scale and characteristics of the enlarged DP World business and will enable us to meet the challenges of further growth planned to meet the needs of our customers in the future," he observed.

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