Peel Ports Group, the UK’s second-largest port group, has appointed chief operating officer David Huck as its new Group Chief Executive Officer. He takes over a business that generates £820 million in annual revenue and handles about 60 million tonnes of cargo a year across its ports, terminals and logistics operations in the UK and Ireland.

Huck has spent 16 years with the group, including almost a decade on the executive team. As chief operating officer and chairman of the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Port Security Authority, he led ports and marine operations across six ports and statutory harbour authorities, 24 terminals and more than 2,000 employees and third-party logistics personnel, and delivered over £1.5 billion of investment and infrastructure.

The structural driver is the group’s pipeline of infrastructure and technology investments, which Huck will now lead. His priorities include continuing as a safety-leading port operator while accelerating cargo volume growth and supporting jobs and investment across the supply chain.

Mark Whitworth, executive chairman of Peel Ports Group, said, “As a member of our executive team since 2017, he has helped to create the business plan he will now be responsible for delivering, and there is no one more qualified to lead Peel Ports Group on the next stage of its growth journey.”

Huck succeeds Claudio Veritiero, who stepped down earlier this month after almost five years as chief executive to spend more time with his family.

Huck said, “We will now build on that momentum, pursuing our ambitious growth plans and continuing our journey towards becoming the UK’s leading port operator. Our focus will remain on delivering exceptional service for customers, investing in our infrastructure and people, and creating long-term value for the communities and supply chains we support.”

Before joining Peel Ports, Huck spent six years with Hutchison Ports UK, rising to deputy head of container terminal operations. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade in vehicle manufacturing, progressing to operations director.

For the sector, the promotion of an operations leader to chief executive points to a port group keeping its strategy anchored in operational delivery during a leadership change.

Source: Peel Ports Group / Container News