Management

• PETER RICHARDS - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

  With over 12 years of seagoing experience and 34 years of expertise in the operation and management of Ports and Container Terminals, Peter Richards joined Gulftainer’s headquarters in the UAE in 1987. He has served as Managing Director, General Manager, Operations Manager, Terminal Manager and Operations Superintendent with the company. Mr. Richards is currently the CEO and Executive Board Member of Gulftainer and CEO of Gulftainer’s US arm, GT USA.

  Mr. Richards steered Gulftainer’s diversified growth from being a simple port operator to an integrated logistics supplier. He has played an instrumental role in expanding Gulftainer’s global footprint to Europe, and the Americas, in addition to securing consultancy contracts regionally; and in 2015 took the reins to drive the company’s global expansion plan into the USA.

  Building Gulftainer’s reputation in its home ports, which in turn enabled the company to export its competencies and productivity world-wide, Mr. Richards established the company’s credentials as a premier international port operator.

  A qualified Master Mariner with Diploma in Nautical Science, Mr. Richards has gained the reputation of being able to operate a very tight ship with excellent productivity and maintaining a loyal, long-term staff. His commitment and vision, as well as entrepreneurial maturity, has been recognized by numerous industry bodies including Sharjah’s International Maritime Club (IMC), who awarded him the Golden Helm Excellence Award in the Trade and Export category, the Propeller Club, Port Canaveral who named Peter the Maritime Person of the Year and Logistics Middle East magazine, which has regularly named Peter one of the top five most influential executives in Gulf Cooperation Countries Logistics Industry.

• Daniel Wright - Group Chief Operating Officer

  

  Daniel Wright is a senior leader with over 30 years of experience in global supply chain and logistics, specialising in ports and container terminals worldwide.

  Currently serving as Group Chief Operating Officer at Gulftainer, he is responsible for driving operational growth across the company’s international portfolio of ports and terminals. Since joining Gulftainer in 2012 as Terminal Manager, Daniel has held key senior roles, including Managing Director of Gulftainer UAE and Director of Operations Support.

  His career began in the UK at Royal Mail, and in 2008, he transitioned to Hutchison Port Holdings at the Port of Felixstowe, where he took on an operational management role.

• Arvind Giri - Chief Financial Officer

  Arvind is responsible for spearheading the financial strategy for the Group.

  A seasoned Corporate Finance professional with 23 years of experience, Arvind has worked across multiple sectors, including Oil and Gas, Environmental services, Textiles, and Consulting in varied finance leadership roles.

  He has successfully led M&A deals and raised capital for numerous large and mid-size projects in the UK, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa. This includes many award-winning deals of multibillion-dollar magnitude for large infrastructure projects.

  In his previous role at Averda Group, Arvind held an overall responsibility of partnering growth and managing capital structure and Cairn India Holdings-UK, wherein he was also an Executive Director on the Board of the company.

  Arvind holds a Masters degree in Finance and Control, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Treasury & International Finance.

• Vinay Sharma - Director Information Technology

  Vinay Sharma is the Director of Information Technology for Gulftainer, responsible for spearheading the technology strategy for the group.

  With over 25 years of experience in technology strategy development and execution, he has built innovative technology-enabled solutions and platforms, implemented process automation, and fostered a culture of technological excellence.

  Prior to his current role, Vinay served as an IT Director, where he gained vast experience in various business verticals of the global supply chain, manufacturing, contracting, and distribution. Vinay holds a master’s degree in computer science, an Executive MBA from SP Jain School of Global Management, and has completed various executive programs in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and corporate governance.

  He is actively involved in various forums, including CIO associations, and is a member of ports and logistics industry-focused groups.

• David Westmoreland - General Counsel

  David Westmoreland is a General Counsel at Gulftainer, highly accomplished legal professional with a wealth of experience spanning over 17 years. As a United Kingdom qualified lawyer, he has consistently delivered commercially pragmatic legal advice to prestigious companies, including FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 firms, across diverse regions such as the UK, Middle East, Asia and the US.

  Prior to his current capacity, David played a pivotal role at Ball Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, where he served as the head of the legal function for the Middle East and Asia region. He also held key positions in the regional leadership team and served as a board member for various joint ventures. His strategic insights and leadership have been instrumental in driving success for the organisations he has been a part of.

  David is a graduate of Exeter University and has also participated in executive programmes at Ball Corporation, Deloitte and Sidley Austin LLP.