At 40 years of age Robin Silvester must be part of a very small group of young, energetic businessmen who are the President of a major port. Silvester is a rapid-fire speaker who lacks the grey hair and Captain’s title of his predecessors.
Appointed President and CEO of the Port of Metro Vancouver in February of this year, he brings to the port an international perspective and, particularly, an understanding of the Asian market.
Formerly part of P&O Ports’ global executive team, Silvester has worked at the executive level of the maritime industry worldwide and, in his own words: “I’m able to look at Vancouver with the perspective of someone seeing Vancouver from overseas as well as someone now living here.” While with P&O Ports Silvester was deeply involved in acquiring the businesses that eventually became P&O Ports Canada with its headquarters in Vancouver. He then became President and CEO of the Canadian division. This was followed by a move from Vancouver one year later to London and then to Sydney Australia.
Then, when P&O Ports was acquired by Dubai Ports World, Silvester moved to the Sydney-based United Group Limited and, prior to moving to Port Metro Vancouver, was appointed Chief Executive of United Services Group ANZ.
While Vancouver is no stranger to Silvester, Canada’s major port has changed significantly since 2004 when he moved to London. The Lower Mainland’s three port authorities have since merged into a single, larger, port authority with significantly more real estate to manage. And, his extensive background in property management and acquisitions was most likely a key factor in Silvester having been picked to fill the position formerly held by Captain Gordon Houston.
However, while the port’s management structure may have changed significantly, Vancouver’s reputation for being an unreliable port, rightly or wrongly, remains a widely held impression in the maritime community. Nevertheless, while the port’s hard-nosed waterfront politics remain the same;and the snowslides and washouts in the Rocky Mountans that block rail traffic haven’t gone away, and the poorly designed and congested network of railway tracks and highways serving the region’s terminals still exist, major projects are underway to fix the problems and to change the port’s reputation with the most effective communications strategy available: building a solid record for reliability and efficiency in the future.
In a major push by all levels of government and port users, multimillion dollar projects are now underway to increase the capacity and efficiency of the port; the foremost being the government funded Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative that will speed up the flow of road and rail traffic to all major port facilities with the addition of more efficient highways, new bridges and expanded rail facilities.
“Our focus has to be on ensuring the Gateway performs reliably and efficiently,” Silvester told AJOT. “The port’s role is bringing stakeholders together to get an objective understanding of the issues. Working with the terminals and the railways to make sure proper contingency planning is in place, is something we will continue.”
Very seldom does Vancouver’s port sector have the chance to see the federal and provincial governments work together on maritime projects. However, the Asia Pacific Corridor Initiative is an exception and it will eventually resolve many of the inherent problems that have, at times, frustrated shippers and their customers.
Interestingly, the problems that have plagued Canada’s largest port willl probably be fixed on Silvester’s watch.
Clearly, the young President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver has found himself sitting at the helm of the boardroom table at a very opportune time.
Port of Metro Vancouver’s rising star
by Leo Quigley Jul 26, 2009
By Leo Quigley, AJOTAt 40 years of age Robin Silvester must be part of a very small group of young, energetic businessmen who are the President of a major port. Silvester is a rapid-fire speaker who lacks the grey hair and Captain’s title of his predecessors.
Appointed President and CEO of the Port of Metro Vancouver in February of this year, he brings to the port an international perspective and, particularly, an understanding of the Asian market.
Formerly part of P&O Ports’ global executive team, Silvester has worked at the executive level of the maritime industry worldwide and, in his own words: “I’m able to look at Vancouver with the perspective of someone seeing Vancouver from overseas as well as someone now living here.” While with P&O Ports Silvester was deeply involved in acquiring the businesses that eventually became P&O Ports Canada with its headquarters in Vancouver. He then became President and CEO of the Canadian division. This was followed by a move from Vancouver one year later to London and then to Sydney Australia.
Then, when P&O Ports was acquired by Dubai Ports World, Silvester moved to the Sydney-based United Group Limited and, prior to moving to Port Metro Vancouver, was appointed Chief Executive of United Services Group ANZ.
While Vancouver is no stranger to Silvester, Canada’s major port has changed significantly since 2004 when he moved to London. The Lower Mainland’s three port authorities have since merged into a single, larger, port authority with significantly more real estate to manage. And, his extensive background in property management and acquisitions was most likely a key factor in Silvester having been picked to fill the position formerly held by Captain Gordon Houston.
However, while the port’s management structure may have changed significantly, Vancouver’s reputation for being an unreliable port, rightly or wrongly, remains a widely held impression in the maritime community. Nevertheless, while the port’s hard-nosed waterfront politics remain the same;and the snowslides and washouts in the Rocky Mountans that block rail traffic haven’t gone away, and the poorly designed and congested network of railway tracks and highways serving the region’s terminals still exist, major projects are underway to fix the problems and to change the port’s reputation with the most effective communications strategy available: building a solid record for reliability and efficiency in the future.
In a major push by all levels of government and port users, multimillion dollar projects are now underway to increase the capacity and efficiency of the port; the foremost being the government funded Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative that will speed up the flow of road and rail traffic to all major port facilities with the addition of more efficient highways, new bridges and expanded rail facilities.
“Our focus has to be on ensuring the Gateway performs reliably and efficiently,” Silvester told AJOT. “The port’s role is bringing stakeholders together to get an objective understanding of the issues. Working with the terminals and the railways to make sure proper contingency planning is in place, is something we will continue.”
Very seldom does Vancouver’s port sector have the chance to see the federal and provincial governments work together on maritime projects. However, the Asia Pacific Corridor Initiative is an exception and it will eventually resolve many of the inherent problems that have, at times, frustrated shippers and their customers.
Interestingly, the problems that have plagued Canada’s largest port willl probably be fixed on Silvester’s watch.
Clearly, the young President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver has found himself sitting at the helm of the boardroom table at a very opportune time.
At 40 years of age Robin Silvester must be part of a very small group of young, energetic businessmen who are the President of a major port. Silvester is a rapid-fire speaker who lacks the grey hair and Captain’s title of his predecessors.
Appointed President and CEO of the Port of Metro Vancouver in February of this year, he brings to the port an international perspective and, particularly, an understanding of the Asian market.
Formerly part of P&O Ports’ global executive team, Silvester has worked at the executive level of the maritime industry worldwide and, in his own words: “I’m able to look at Vancouver with the perspective of someone seeing Vancouver from overseas as well as someone now living here.” While with P&O Ports Silvester was deeply involved in acquiring the businesses that eventually became P&O Ports Canada with its headquarters in Vancouver. He then became President and CEO of the Canadian division. This was followed by a move from Vancouver one year later to London and then to Sydney Australia.
Then, when P&O Ports was acquired by Dubai Ports World, Silvester moved to the Sydney-based United Group Limited and, prior to moving to Port Metro Vancouver, was appointed Chief Executive of United Services Group ANZ.
While Vancouver is no stranger to Silvester, Canada’s major port has changed significantly since 2004 when he moved to London. The Lower Mainland’s three port authorities have since merged into a single, larger, port authority with significantly more real estate to manage. And, his extensive background in property management and acquisitions was most likely a key factor in Silvester having been picked to fill the position formerly held by Captain Gordon Houston.
However, while the port’s management structure may have changed significantly, Vancouver’s reputation for being an unreliable port, rightly or wrongly, remains a widely held impression in the maritime community. Nevertheless, while the port’s hard-nosed waterfront politics remain the same;and the snowslides and washouts in the Rocky Mountans that block rail traffic haven’t gone away, and the poorly designed and congested network of railway tracks and highways serving the region’s terminals still exist, major projects are underway to fix the problems and to change the port’s reputation with the most effective communications strategy available: building a solid record for reliability and efficiency in the future.
In a major push by all levels of government and port users, multimillion dollar projects are now underway to increase the capacity and efficiency of the port; the foremost being the government funded Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative that will speed up the flow of road and rail traffic to all major port facilities with the addition of more efficient highways, new bridges and expanded rail facilities.
“Our focus has to be on ensuring the Gateway performs reliably and efficiently,” Silvester told AJOT. “The port’s role is bringing stakeholders together to get an objective understanding of the issues. Working with the terminals and the railways to make sure proper contingency planning is in place, is something we will continue.”
Very seldom does Vancouver’s port sector have the chance to see the federal and provincial governments work together on maritime projects. However, the Asia Pacific Corridor Initiative is an exception and it will eventually resolve many of the inherent problems that have, at times, frustrated shippers and their customers.
Interestingly, the problems that have plagued Canada’s largest port willl probably be fixed on Silvester’s watch.
Clearly, the young President and CEO of Port Metro Vancouver has found himself sitting at the helm of the boardroom table at a very opportune time.
