The Board of Commissioners

Chairman

Professor Bob Cripps BSc.(Hons), CEng, FRINA, FIMarEST, FCMI

Professor Bob Cripps is a Naval Architect and he is currently Director of Longitude Consulting Engineers. Previously he was Director Engineering College at BAE Systems Surface Ships, Technical Director at VT Halmatic, Engineering Manager at the RNLI and a Senior Ship Surveyor at Lloyds Register. Bob is a Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton, Bournemouth University and University Campus Suffolk.

Bob has lived in Poole for over 20 years and he is married with two grown up daughters.

Vice-Chairman

David Norman

David Norman is a Shipmaster with extensive command experience covering a wide range of vessel types including square rigged sailing vessels. A longtime customer of Poole Port both as a recreational sailor and as Operations Director for Condor Ferries. He has world wide experience of Ferry Ports and their management and operation. He is also a trustee and director of a conservation charity.

Chief Executive

Jim Stewart – BA (Hons), MBA, FICS

CEO – Poole Harbour Commissioners
Chair – Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership
Chair – Western Gateway Transport and Business Forum
Chair – Connected Dorset
Chair – Poole Harbour Steering Group
Vice Chair – Great South West Powerhouse
Board Member – Maritime UK
Council Member – British Ports Association

Commenced shipping career as a shipbroker on The Baltic Exchange in the City of London in 1980, and in 1990 founded international shipbroking company (offices in London and New York). After gaining an MBA at Cass Business School London was appointed Managing Director of Crescent Shipping (UK ship owning and operating company). In 2002 was appointed Chief Executive of Poole Harbour Commissioners.

• Former Chair of British Ports Association
• Former Chair of Maritime UK
• Former Chair of UK Port Skills and Safety
• Former President of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Awarded fellowship of Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
• Awarded honorary Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at Bournemouth University

Commissioner

Angela Piromalli

Angela Piromalli established Rock Recruitment in 2007. Angela was named Entrepreneur and Businesswoman of the Year in the South West Venus Awards in 2010 and 2011 respectively and has been a finalist in both the IOD Director Awards and Dorset Business Awards.

In 2013 Rock was a finalist in the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Best Company to Work For with under 20 employees and is currently waiting to see if they have won Best Corporate and Social Responsibility Practitioners.

Angela has recently been appointed the new Chair of the Dorset branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD). She is the youngest and the first female Chair of the region.

Commissioner

Captain Brian Murphy

Captain Brian Murphy has been in the marine industry for the past 27 years attaining command of a large container vessel on a worldwide trade. His career path diverted closer to home with 2 years at Condor Ferries before joining Poole Pilots Partnership. He remained there as a Class 1 Pilot for 4 years before joining Poole Harbour Commissioners in 2004. Since then he has managed the pilotage service and harbour control while carrying out acts of pilotage and harbour master duties. Brian is qualified in port operations and took over as Harbour Master in April 2008. Brian is a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a Fellow of the Nautical Institute.

Commissioner

Philippa Goodwin

Philippa Goodwin, a chartered management accountant (ACMA), holds the position of Finance Director on the Board of Bournemouth Water Ltd.

Previously Divisional Finance Director at Ageas Insurance managing the Rias and Castle Cover brands, she has also held senior commercial finance roles at Centrica, the AA and Motorola.

Philippa also holds an MBA from Imperial College London and a BA (Hons) from University of the West of England (UWE).

Commissioner

Dr Alice Hall

Dr Alice Hall is a marine biologist who currently works for Bournemouth University. She is involved in various international research projects associated with Poole Harbour. Her main areas of expertise are ecological engineering and biological monitoring. She has been involved in some of the largest intertidal ecological engineering projects in the UK to date and won the CIRIA Big Biodiversity Innovation award in 2019. Alice has been conducting research and consultancy work in the harbour for the last six years and is a qualified European Scientific Diver. She was previously the secretary for the Poole Harbour Study Group, which involved the organisation of several international conferences.

Commissioner

Martin Pate

Martin Pate is a Solicitor and Managing Director of MJP Law, a solicitors’ practice based in Dorset. Martin started his career with the London Metropolitan Police and then the Department of Transport and Environment in London, working for a number of departments and agencies. Martin is a keen sailor qualified to RYA Offshore Yacht Master and former Commodore of East Dorset Sailing Club in Poole.

Commissioner

Tom Russell

Tom Russell is from a family of Poole fishermen and has been on the harbour all of his life. He operates two commercial fishing boats from Poole and is the Chairman of the Poole and District Fisherman’s Association he is also the local representative of the Fisherman’s Mission.

Commissioner

Doug Cramond

Doug Cramond is in the Royal Town Planning Institute. Living in Poole for 30 years he has worked in local authorities and private practice. Within his company, Doug deals with commercial projects and environmental issues and is a consultant Planning Inspector. He enjoys small craft, walking and running, ideally within sight of Poole Harbour. Doug was appointed as a Commissioner in November 2012.

Commissioner

Rob Bridewell

As the son of a Poole Docker, Rob started his 33 year Dock career in 1986. For the past 14 year’s he has been a foreman at the Port of Poole and has vast experience in the day to day running of the port operations.

As a training instructor of 22 years, Rob also spends his time training new Stevedores to become Competent Plant Drivers whilst understanding and adhering to strict health and safety requirements.

As a commissioner he looks forward to representing our workforce, facilitating growth to the working Port and securing jobs for future generations whilst maintaining the preservation of the harbour.

Commissioner

Lee Hardy OBE

Born in Poole and anchored in Dorset throughout his life, Lee Hardy concluded a long, operationally focused, career in the Royal Navy in 2015 while leading an Overseas Territory on behalf of the UK government. His broad experience of marine and maritime matters was gained in frontline and staff appointments at sea and then exploited in the training environment, in the development of capability requirements and procurement, in specialist intelligence both in the UK and overseas, and in Command. He was appointed an Officer in the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2016.

Upon leaving service life he established an independent consultancy company and now advises a variety of public and private entities on a range of Blue Economy matters, particularly those relating to innovative technology, maritime domain awareness and enforcement. He is also fully engaged in the local voluntary sector.