Martin Rolfe appointed to the Board of the UK’s largest port, the Port of London Authority

Martin Rolfe, CEO of NATS, has been appointed Non-Executive Board Director at the Port of London Authority (PLA), with effect from 1 June 2024.

As the serving CEO of NATS, provider of air traffic control for 2.5 million aircraft movements over the UK and North Atlantic each year, Martin is leading a transformation programme aligning technology, training and recruitment, all while maintaining a 24/7 safety critical operation.

An engineer by training and background, Martin held number of roles in the defence and aerospace sector prior to joining NATS in 2015. Martin also has significant experience as a Non-Executive Director, having served on the Boards of a number of technology companies and an NHS trust over the past decade.

Jonson Cox CBE, Chair of the PLA Board, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Martin to the Board. NATS, like the PLA, is responsible for the safe and effective management of a critical piece of our national infrastructure. I know his experience leading NATS’ investment in transformational change, technology and decarbonisation, will be invaluable to us in delivering our Thames Vision.

“Martin joins the PLA Board at a particularly interesting time, as we invest significantly in capital projects like the Marine Centre Transformation Programme, delivering a state-of-the-art port control centre which will ensure the port is ready to support our customers with their next 25 years of growth.”

Martin Rolfe, said:

“I can already see strong parallels between NATS and the PLA, not least the challenges and opportunities that come from running a safe, continuous operation to move goods and people as well as deliver services within the UK and beyond.

“I’m particularly looking forward to contributing through the PLA to the next chapter of one of the world’s most iconic rivers for the benefit of everyone that uses or relies upon it.”