Our property division brings together an unrivalled land bank spanning 21 multi-modal locations around the country, with 960 hectares of port-based development land.
Drawing on 60 years of experience, ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer) provides specialist marine environmental research and consultancy services.
UK Dredging (UKD) operates the largest British-owned dredging fleet and specialises in the provision of reliable and cost effective port maintenance dredging services.
Henrik L. Pedersen was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Board of Associated British Ports Holdings in August 2018. Henrik joined ABP from APM Terminals, a global ports company owned by the Maersk Group, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer. During his 20-year tenure with the Maersk Group he held a wide range of senior leadership roles based in Denmark, USA, China, Panama, Singapore and the Netherlands. Henrik, a Danish national, holds a finance degree from Copenhagen Business School as well as having completed various executive studies at Columbia, Harvard and IMD business schools.
Mani Atwal was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the Board of Associated British Ports Holdings on 1 October 2024. He joined ABP in May 2022 and was formerly Deputy Chief Financial Officer and, prior to that, Group Head of Finance. Mani has more than 20 years of experience, in the UK and internationally, developing key financial processes, managing commercial finance matters and M&A activity, that has contributed to the success of many businesses. Before joining ABP, he was Group Financial Controller for Qatargas in Doha and prior to that held senior roles at organisations including Shell and Total.
Mani is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Julian Walker became ABP Chief Commercial Officer in September 2019 and additionally Regional Director, Wales and Short Sea Ports in July 2023. Prior to joining ABP, he held the role of Chief Operating Officer at Cory Riverside Energy. He has also held senior roles at P&O Ports (now DP World), Euroports and, most recently Impala Terminals, which is part of the Trafigura Group, where he held the position of Chief Operating Officer. He holds an MBA from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
Francis Paonessa was appointed Capital Projects and Engineering Director of Associated British Ports (ABP) in April 2024. Francis joined ABP from Thames Water, where he led the capital projects portfolio. Prior to that, Francis was Managing Director of Infrastructure Projects at Network Rail where he headed up the UK’s largest programme of infrastructure delivery. Francis holds a PhD in Fluid Mechanics and a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Manchester. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Simon Bird joined the ABP Executive Board in September 2015 as the Humber Director, responsible for the four major ports of Goole, Grimsby, Hull and Immingham. A highly respected professional in the world of business, he has brought with him to the role a wealth of experience including 15 years as Chief Executive of the Bristol Port Company. Whilst at Bristol, Simon served first as Vice-Chair and then as Chair of the UK Major Ports Group representing the Ports sector at a UK and international level. He also served for a time as the UK Government’s Senior Port Advisor. Prior to his role at the Port of Bristol, Simon held a number of roles as a Board Member at the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, International Water Limited and British Aerospace plc. Prior to starting his industrial career, Simon held a Short Service Commission with the Royal Navy. Simon is a Non Executive Director of KNOP ( a company which operates shuttle tankers globally), he serves on the Board of The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and is chair of the Humber Freeport. Simon also has an honorary commission in the rank of Captain in The Royal Naval Reserve.
Alastair joined ABP as Regional Director for the Southampton Region in May 2016. Prior to joining ABP Alastair spent much of his career in the aviation industry, where his degree in mechanical engineering, along with his accountancy experience, enabled him to support airlines and airports worldwide in strategy formulation, business and performance development and restructuring. This experience has helped develop Southampton’s profile as the UK’s number one export port, Europe’s number one cruise turnaround port, and a critical link in supply chains serving businesses and manufacturers throughout the nation.
Alison Rumsey joined ABP as Chief HR Officer in July 2019. Prior to ABP, Alison was Group HR Director and member of the Executive Committee at Network Rail.
As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Alison has over 30 years’ experience in providing HR leadership to major organisations for Infrastructure, Rail, Financial Services and Government.
Alison is proud to have been nominated for Chief HR officer of the year, EMEA leaders of distinction in 2017.
Angela Morgan has been the General Counsel and Company Secretary of Associated British Ports since 1 July 2019, having previously held the role of Senior Solicitor. Angela has been at ABP for a number of years having first joined the legal team in 2008 and has extensive experience in dealing with the diverse range of matters which arise in relation to ABP. Prior to ABP, Angela worked as a solicitor at leading law firms in both London and New Zealand. Angela holds a double degree in Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
Paul Bristowe has been the Chief of Staff at Associated British Ports since 1 July 2024 with executive accountability for Health, Safety, Security & Environment, Marine, Corporate Communications, UK Dredging and ABPmer. He joined ABP in 2022 and previously held the role of Head of Marine for the Humber ports.
Prior to joining ABP he served for 25 years in the Royal Navy operating across the globe as a helicopter pilot and warfare officer. He subsequently spent 8 years at BP leading commercial shipping and trading operations teams. He is a Chartered Manager, a Master Mariner and holds an MBA from Cranfield University.