Montgomery Named CEO of Ports America

New Jersey-headquartered marine terminal operator and stevedore Ports America Group, Inc. has appointed Mark Montgomery as president and CEO. He replaces former president and CEO, Michael Hassing.

Montgomery was previously president and CEO of Ports America Chesapeake (PAC) from 2010 to 2014, and currently serves as a senior advisor and operating partner to the Infrastructure Investing strategy of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (Oaktree), where he brings more than 30 years of maritime industry experience.

Montgomery led the company through a successful Public Private Partnership with the Maryland Port Administration at PAC in 2010. He also serves in board roles at the Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), PAC, the Delaware River Stevedore joint venture in Philadelphia, the CP&O joint venture in Norfolk, the Port of Miami Terminal Operating Company and the Eller-ITO Stevedoring joint ventures in Miami. Mark also serves on the Board of the National Association of Waterfront Employers, the North Atlantic Ports Association and the General Stevedoring Council.

Concurrent with the transition, Dave Starling will assume the responsibility of chairman of the board of directors. Starling has more than 40 years of experience in the North American rail, intermodal and global shipping logistics industries. Most notably, he served as the CEO of Kansas City Southern (KCS), a publicly traded Class I railroad. He currently serves on the board of directors of Greenbrier, an international railcar manufacturing and leasing company. Prior to KCS, Starling held management, leadership and operational positions at the Panama Canal Railways Company, American President Lines, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad and Burlington Northern. Furthermore, he currently serves as a senior advisor to Oaktree’s Infrastructure Investing strategy.

“Ports America provides the only tri-coastal terminal operating footprint in North America. Our position provides us an excellent springboard to achieve our goal of expanding the logistics solutions we currently offer our clients,” Montgomery said. “The company will remain focused on providing best-in-class service to many of the world’s leading shipping lines. I also believe there is a tremendous opportunity to provide improved workflow solutions to beneficial cargo owners to drive dramatic growth for the company.”

While Dave Starling will replace James Kowalishin as chairman of the board, Kowalishin will continue to serve on the board of directors.