Changes at the very top for Grangemouth port operator as CEO stands down

Mr Hammond, who, among his other roles, is in overall charge of the running of the Port of Grangemouth, will leave his post at the end of June 2024 and will be replaced by Stuart Wallace, who is currently serving as the company’s chief operating officer.

Mr Hammond, 62, will be working closely with Mr Wallace, 53, over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition prior to him stepping down from the company.

Already a member of the Forth Ports board, Mr Wallace will take up his new appointment on July 1, 2024.

Mr Hammond has been the CEO at Forth Ports for over 23 years and was awarded an OBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to the UK ports industry and to Scottish business.

He joined Forth Ports when it was a publicly run ports and river authority in 1989 as company secretary and was appointed chief executive in 2001. He has overseen

Forth Ports’ expansion to a point today when the company owns and operates eight commercial ports, including Tilbury on the Thames, six ports on the Firth of Forth

and Dundee on the Firth of Tay.

He said: “It has been the privilege of my career to lead Forth Ports. From the significant growth of the business both sides of the border to the challenges of

the COVID pandemic and Brexit, I have been fortunate enough to have been supported by the best team in the industry.

“The most consistent feature of my time at Forth Ports has been the stability that we have sought to create and, while I step down at the most exciting of times, I do so

with the confidence that I will leave behind a business that is in great hands and very well positioned to continue to flourish.”

A qualified chartered accountant, Mr Wallace joined Forth Ports in 2002, initially as financial controller for its Scottish region, prior to being seconded to the Port of

Tilbury to run general port operations and the London Container Terminal.

He returned to Scotland in 2013, having been appointed divisional director for the company’s Scottish operations. He was appointed chief operating officer in 2017,

joining the board at that point, and is responsible for all operational activities of the group.

He said: “I am proud and honoured to have been asked to lead this fantastic organisation as we face the challenges and opportunities of a just transition to

net zero and the significant expansion of Scotland’s renewable energy sector.

“With the great team that we have built right across the business, I am confident that Forth Ports will continue to thrive. I am immensely grateful to Charles for steering

the business into such a strong position and for his mentorship and support for me personally.

"I look forward to the next chapter in the Forth Ports story with relish.”