Port of London Board Appointment

Helen Alexander has been appointed as a non executive Member of the Board of the Port of London Authority (PLA) with effect from 1 June 2009.

Helen Alexander was recently nominated to be president of the CBI; she is also a non-executive director of Rolls Royce plc and Centrica plc.  Formerly chief executive of the Economist Group, a position from which she stepped down in 2008 after eleven years, she has also been a non-executive director of BT and Northern Foods.  Helen Alexander was made a CBE in 2004 for services to publishing.

The PLA is the pilotage and harbour authority for the tidal Thames.  The organisation oversees navigational safety on the river, which is home to the UK's second largest Port, busiest inland waterway, a thriving commuter route and home to a number of highly regarded rowing centres.

PLA chairman, Simon Sherrard, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Helen to the PLA board.  Her broad business knowledge should prove invaluable as the organisation continues to develop in discharging its main duty, helping people make the most of the tidal Thames safely."