ABP appoints new Group Head of Health, Safety and Environment

Sally Ford, ABP Group Head of Health, Safety and Environment

Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, has today announced the appointment of Sally Ford as Group Head of Health, Safety and Environment to help further strengthen the company’s focus on continuous improvement in these areas.

Sally Ford joins ABP from Southern Water, where she was Director of Health and Safety, Security and Wellbeing. She brings over 30 years of health, safety, and environmental management experience in organisations that operate critical national infrastructure, including rail, telecoms, and water sectors.

Sally Ford, said: “I am a big believer that history is one of our greatest teachers and it is fascinating to see how, as is the case with many industrial businesses, the focus on health, safety and wellbeing has really shifted from seeing them as ‘nice to haves’ to ‘non-negotiable’.”

“I look forward to joining the talented team at ABP and building on this positive momentum by helping to embed safety, wellbeing and a commitment to protecting the environment into everything we do.”

Reflecting on Sally’s appointment, Paul Bristowe, ABP Chief of Staff, said: “Sally joins us at an important time as we look to further strengthen our focus on health, safety and the environment. We look forward to giving her a warm welcome to ABP and working together to achieve this goal.

“Being a good neighbour to the communities surrounding our ports as well as a leading employer is very important to us. It is only with a firm commitment to both of these areas that we can deliver our twin missions of Keeping Britain Trading and Enabling the Energy Transition in a way that creates lasting value, both economic and social, for the UK.”

Sally will take up her new role on 13 October 2025, reporting to Paul Bristowe, ABP Chief of Staff.