Peel Ports Group is pleased to confirm the appointment of Patrick Walters as group commercial director.

Patrick Walters is one of the leading commercial executives in the UK ports industry, having held top positions in P&O Ports, DP World and Associated British Ports.

Peel Ports group CEO Mark Whitworth believes that Patrick’s experience will prove invaluable as the business commits itself to extremely ambitious growth plans.

Mr Whitworth said:

“Securing Patrick Walters is a major coup for the company and he brings exceptional experience and credentials to Peel Ports.  Patrick joins us at an exciting time. We are well advanced with our £300m ($514m) investment programme, Liverpool2, which will enable the Port of Liverpool to handle post-Panamax containerships and we have similarly ambitious plans across our other ports and ancillary businesses.

“Patrick will assume direct responsibility for delivering our growth plans and for commercial negotiations, sales, property and business intelligence for the whole group. In the next few years we want to grow our core businesses, focusing on yield management and new commercial ventures and Patrick’s stature and experience will be a tremendous asset.”

Mr Walters is equally excited at the prospect of joining the Peel Ports team.

He said:

“Peel Ports is being transformed with a significant amount of capital investment and the prospects for Liverpool2 and other projects across the group mean the role is particularly attractive to me. Container shipping represents 20% of Peel Ports’ business and I am looking forward to working as part of Mark Whitworth’s team right across the group, including the Manchester Ship Canal, Clydeport, Sheerness and the facilities in Belfast and Dublin”.