Today marks the first day of the new CEO at the Newcastle Port Corporation, Grant Gilfillan, who has taken over the reigns from Gary Webb.

Grant has been CEO of Sydney Ports Corporation since January 2008 and will retain responsibility for residual operations in Port Botany following its recent long term lease to the private sector as well as port operations in Port Jackson.

Newcastle Port Corporation Chairman, Paul Jeans, said that Grant’s experience in the successful leasing of Port Botany will be of great relevance to the scoping study currently being undertaken into the long term leasing of the Port of Newcastle.

Before joining Sydney Ports, Grant worked in Africa, the Middle East and Europe (Romania) as a Senior Vice President, Managing Director and General Manager for DP World. Prior to this, he had served as Director of Operations for P&O Ports, Australia and New Zealand and as Managing Director of CSX World Terminals in Australia.

In May 2013, he was named as President of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) – a global peak body representing more than 200 major ports around the world.

In an earlier life, Mr Gilfillan was a mining engineer and mine manager in the NSW Hunter Valley and the north-west of Western Australia.