William Everard appointed to Port of London Authority Board

William Everard

William Everard has been appointed to the Board of the Port of London Authority (PLA), the public trust whose responsibilities include ensuring safety of navigation on the tidal Thames. 

Mr Everard brings to the Board over 40 years' experience in the shipping and marine industries.   He spent the majority of that time working in the family shipping firm, FT Everard and has served as President of the Chamber of Shipping. 

William Everard has close working knowledge of the river, having spent many years based at FT Everard's offices on the banks of the Thames at Greenhithe.  Today he is a member of committees for Bureau Veritas and Lloyd's Register, chairman of several pension schemes, a Member of the Council of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Warden of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights. He lives in Blackheath, south east London.

PLA Chairman, Simon Sherrard, said:

"The broad scope of the PLA's responsibilities calls for a Board comprising a diversity of skills.  We are particularly pleased therefore to welcome William who brings a wealth of maritime experience, combined with an acute awareness of safety and environmental issues.  We are very much looking forward to his contribution over the coming years."

Mr Everard will take up his appointment from 1 July 2008.

Contact: Martin Garside, Port of London Authority. (Tel 01474 562366 or email). 

Notes to Editors:

• The Port of London Authority (PLA) is responsible for navigational safety and related matters on 150km (95 miles) of the tidal Thames from the sea to Teddington in west London.
• The PLA provides navigational, pilotage and other services for users of the Thames
• London is one of the top three ports in the UK and handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo each year.
• The Port comprises over 70 independently owned and operated terminals and port facilities at different locations on the Thames. These handle a wide range of cargoes.
• London also has a busy passenger boat trade for tourists and commuters and is a popular destination for international passenger cruise ships. The tidal Thames is also used widely by those with small recreational craft of many types.
• A photo of William Everard is available on request.