AS DOUG Morrison left school at 16 his mother's advice was to work in an organisation with the word Board' in the title the electricity board was top of the list. This, she said, was the route to a "safe" job. Instead her steer set him on a career path which would result in him becoming an influential player in a regional economy, board director of a FTSE 250 company and head of one the busiest ports in the UK.

As a self-confessed "unruly" 16-year-old, Doug was appointed as junior clerk in the admin offices of the British Transport Docks Board.

His main responsibilities were lighting fires before the office opened, running errands and making the tea. But at 54 he is now port director of Southampton, the UK's number one vehicle-handling port, number one principal cruise port, and number two container port.

A Scotsman born and bred in Ayr, Doug had lived with the importance of the port to the local economy and community and this grass roots, intuitive understanding informs his strategy for Southampton.

His appointment to manager of his home town port, Ayr and Troon, in 1998 was the achievement of a lifetime's ambition and he says he would have happily stayed in the post. But ABP's CEO had other plans. A successful move to Yorkshire was closely followed by the move to Southampton and appointment to the ABP Holdings board.

He dismissively attributes his success largely to "luck and being in the right place at the right time".

But this is clearly a man who is intuitive, grounded and charismatic and it's easy to see that he has proved so successful because of these attributes and the power of his personality.

The 750-acre Southampton port operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, plays host to more than 700,000 cruise passengers, handles 40 million tonnes of cargo and provides direct employment for more than 10,000 people.

"I'm very aware of the role the port plays in the local community and that its success sends ripples right through the region. Basically I'd like to think that we are good corporate neighbours," says Doug.

"Recent research suggests it generates £2 billion each year for the regional economy. That's a responsibility which can't be taken lightly and it's my aim to work as closely as I can with the broader community. I genuinely believe we should all be proud of the success of this facility."

With his money where his mouth is, Doug has introduced port tours and has given up some of his Sunday's along with volunteers from his team, to bus local people around the docks and see them in action.

So what's Doug's vision for the port for the next generation, especially in the wake of the Dibden Bay decision?

"I see my development strategy focusing on the three c's cars, containers and cruises," he explains.

"Our container terminal can accommodate the largest container ships in the world and I'm excited by its potential for more growth. We have been working with the excellent team at SCT who recently won a substantial new contract. We are continually looking for any new business opportunities.

"Then there's development of the cruise business which continues to expand at a pace. Southampton is recognised as the capital of the UK's cruise industry and we're proud that two of the most prestigious cruise brands, P&O Cruises and Cunard Line base their fleets here. Earlier this year saw the arrival of the worlds' largest cruise ship, RCL Freedom of the Seas and next year the cruise ship the, Navigator of the Seas will put Southampton in the headlines when she docks here.

"We are already in detailed discussions with the cruise companies which will result not only in a £10m enhancement to our existing facility but hopefully in a new multi-million pound investment for a fourth cruise terminal.

"The deep sea car trade has more than doubled since 2000. The £4.2m investment made into Empress Terminal which we opened last year increased our car and vehicle storage capacity to 5,200 we now need to maximise the potential of the two terminals.

"I'd also love to see the city rise to the challenge which is presented by the tourism and leisure market and hope that I personally can contribute to that as well as the benefits the port can deliver.

"Basically however successful a business I inherited I can't allow it to stand still we are a plc and so ultimately responsible to our shareholders but we also have a significant responsibility to the regional economy and our staff. We need to continually invest and strategically expand our operations.

"Everything you see at the port has been reclaimed from the sea and personally I have to say I believe that reclaimed land is the future for our development. That was the solution which Dibden Bay offered but I can't now foresee another significant Dibden Bay application in my time."