Jouke Schaap, Container Director Peel Ports
– Company also hires 22 new recruits from within 15m radius of port –
Peel Ports, owner and developer of the £400m Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal, has appointed APM Terminals’ Jouke Schaap to head up its entire container operations.
The position has been created to drive commercial opportunities focussed on the company’s network of terminals and port-centric logistics facilities.
Most recently Head of Commercial for Maasvlakte 2 container terminal in Rotterdam, Jouke has overall responsibility for Peel Ports’ container businesses in Liverpool, Dublin and the Manchester Ship Canal. He took up his position in May.
Peel Ports’ container terminals handled over 980,000 TEU in 2015, representing over 9% of the UK and Irish market. The opening of Liverpool2 will see the annual throughput at the Port of Liverpool more than double and by 2025 it is anticipated that Liverpool’s share of the UK container market will be between 15-20%.
Mark Whitworth, Chief Executive Officer at Peel Ports, said: “We’re very pleased to have secured an individual of Jouke’s calibre to lead the next phase in the future of our container business. His experience, especially that at Maasvlakte 2, will be critical in achieving our ambitious financial and performance targets. Although Liverpool2 is obviously our flagship terminal, our overall presence around the Irish Sea is the real strength, offering cargo owners an unrivalled range of options for moving goods to and from the heart of the UK and Irish markets.”
Jouke Schaap, Peel Ports’ new Container Director said: “Peel Ports is shaking up the UK container industry through its investment in Liverpool2 and the Cargo200 campaign. So, it’s a very exciting time to join the company, especially as I will be based in one of the world’s great maritime cities. I am looking forward to using my commercial experience as Peel Ports looks to maximise the potential of its unique network of container facilities.”
Jouke began his career as a consultant with Deloitte, gaining an MBA during his time there. He then joined the Port of Rotterdam, initially as Business Development Manager Logistics, before going on to head up its breakbulk division for six years. Following this, he moved to APM Terminals’ commercial team for Maasvlakte 2.
Previously, Peel Ports’ container business was led by David Huck, who has recently been promoted to Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
Peel Ports has also filled 22 new positions at the Liverpool2 container terminal, with all the successful recruits coming from within a 15 mile radius of the port. The majority of the posts are highly skilled positions within the operations control room, with other roles including operations analysts, operational co-ordinators and a yard strategy manager. The new intake also includes four women.
Colin Darroch, Head of Container Terminal Operations said: “It must be an exceptionally rare occurrence to have an entire intake selected from so close to the port. While the four women we recruited were all appointed on merit, we’re especially pleased to welcome them, as it sends a positive message about the prospects for females in the maritime industry.”
About Peel Ports Group
Peel Ports Group is the UK’s second largest port group, owning and operating six of the UK’s most important ports (Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal, Medway (Sheerness / Chatham), Clydeport and Great Yarmouth). It also owns BG Freight shipping line and operates a container terminal in Dublin.
Peel Ports handles 65 million tonnes of cargo every year, which is around 13% of the total UK major ports traffic. Over 35 container services (from 26 shipping lines) call through its network of ports every week. Headquartered in Liverpool, it employs around 1,200 staff, and had revenue of £596m and EBITDA of £212m for the year ending 31 March 2016.
About the Peel Group
Peel Ports Group is part of the Peel Group, one of the UK’s foremost privately owned investment enterprises. The Peel Group strategy embraces a broad range of sectors – land and property, transport and logistics, retail and leisure, energy and media – with assets owned or under management of more than £5 billion. Group investment policy is focused on actively managing our diverse portfolio, enhancing the quality of our assets, and recycling capital over the long-term.
