Gulftainer names new group chief operating officer

ABU DHABI (Gulf News): Gulftainer, the Sharjah-based port operator, has appointed Fred Castonguay as its new group chief operating officer to oversee the growth of the company in various markets.

With experience spanning nearly 25 years, Castonguay has held several international positions in terminal operations including as Vice President of Operations at Ports America Group and President and Chief Operating Officer for Ports America Outer Harbour in Oakland, California.

He has also served in senior executive positions with major terminal operators in the US, China, Hong Kong and South America, where he was responsible for overseeing strategy enhancements, ensuring operational efficiencies, turning around underperforming portfolios, as well as participating in high-value mergers and acquisitions.

“Fred will ensure the team maintains Gulftainer’s quality standards and that we fulfil our commitment to providing best-in-class services to the thriving logistics industry in the markets we currently operate,” Peter Richards, group chief executive officer at Gulftainer, said in a statement on Sunday.

“We also believe his experience will add value to our business development pipeline in target markets, including the Middle East, North America and Africa.”

Gulftainer operates and manages ports in different countries and it recently won a 50-year concession to operate the Port of Wilmington in Delaware, USA.

Currently handling an annual throughput of 6.4 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units), Gulftainer aims to expand its global portfolio in the next 10 years to triple business volume worldwide to more than 10,000 vessel calls and increase container handling three-fold to 18 million TEUs.