The Board of Associated British Ports , the UK’s largest and leading ports operator, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan  Lewis as its Chair in succession to Dr Phil Nolan who has decided to stand down from the role.

Jon brings decades of business leadership experience, predominantly in major infrastructure sectors such as energy, engineering and construction. He has held CEO roles at AmecFosterWheeler plc and, most recently, Capita plc, where he led both organisations through periods of growth and transformation. Jon is currently a Non-Executive Director of Equinor, a global leader in the energy transition, where his role includes being Chair of the Safety, Sustainability and Ethics Committee.

Jon is expected to take up the role after completion of ABP’s Board meeting in September, at which point Phil will step down. Phil, Jon and the Board will work together in advance of this handover point to ensure a smooth transition.

Jon Lewis, ABP’s Chair Designate, said: “I’m excited to be taking on the Chair role at Associated British Ports. As an island nation, ports have been vital to the UK for millennia. But their importance and contribution has never been greater as they maintain their historic role as our main gateways for global trade and play an increasingly pivotal new role as enablers of the energy transition.

“The opportunity to join ABP, the sector leader, and continue the transformation of the company and its portfolio is exciting, and I look forward to working with the Board, Henrik and the Executive Team to deliver on the strategy.”

Dr Phil Nolan, ABP’s outgoing Chair, said: “I’m delighted to be passing the tiller over to Jon, who brings a great combination of senior leadership in relevant sectors, technical understanding and experience of steering businesses through transformation to growth. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at ABP. It’s been a great privilege to be Chair and I’m proud of what the business has achieved through testing times. The foundations have been laid for a strong and sustainable future and I’m confident that Jon will take it from strength to strength.”

Henrik L. Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of ABP, said: “The Board and Company of ABP extends its huge thanks to Phil for successfully steering ABP through seven transformational years as Chair, during which Phil has steered ABP through the challenges of the COVID pandemic, Brexit and major global supply chain upheavals. Despite these challenges ABP has continued to grow and thrive, with the Board under Phil’s leadership supporting a programme of ambitious investment and increased involvement with the green energy sector.

We look forward to welcoming Jon as Chair. His deep experience of businesses in the major infrastructure and capital projects delivery sectors will be invaluable to ABP. In particular his engagement with the energy transition through his roles at AmecFosterWheeler and Equinor is directly applicable to ABP’s green growth mission, a key to our future success.”

ABP is the UK’s leading ports group, with 21 ports handling a quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade worth £150bn+ to the UK economy and supporting 215,000 jobs across the UK. We are also a significant player in providing infrastructure for green energy. The company is committed to delivering on its twin missions of Keeping Britain Trading and Enabling the Energy Transition.

Delivery is underpinned by an unwavering commitment to safety, an ambitious sustainability strategy, ‘Ready for Tomorrow’, and by the organisation’s people. By delivering on the missions ABP creates and catalyses the growth of good jobs and prosperity in coastal communities around Britain. We are backed by five blue-chip pension and infrastructure investment groups that share our ambitious strategic vision.