Port boss heads back to Oz (From Daily Echo)

DP World Southampton boss Campbell Mason returns to Australia

11:40am Thursday 6th August 2009 in Southampton

CAMPBELL Mason, the Australian boss of Southampton’s container terminal, has announced he is to return home at the end of the year.

Since being appointed managing director of the terminal in April 2007, now renamed DP World Southampton, he has overseen one of the most turbulent times in its history.

During his tenure the port has witnessed two crane collapses, one in January 2008 which threw operations into chaos for several months and a second in July this year, which left an operator in hospital.

At the same time, the world economy has collapsed, hitting business at the docks hard and halting ambitious expansion plans. Although the terminal operator Dubai Ports World does not release figures for individual facilities, the Daily Echo has learned business has dwindled by more than ten per cent.

Mr Mason’s assignment came to an end at the close of the year and his decision to return to Australia is not thought to have any connection with the crane accidents.