Executive Search underway at Port of Prince Rupert with President and CEO position now listed

An office in sunny Cow Bay awaits the right candidate
as the Port of Prince Rupert begins the process
of seeking out a new President and CEO

The quest for a new President and CEO is underway at the Port of Prince Rupert, with a call for applicants being handled by the executive search firm boyden which has offices in five major Canadian cities.

As we outlined in December, the Port's Board of Directors began to put together it's approach to seeking out the new CEO just before the Christmas period, coming three months after the departure of Don Krusel the long time navigator of port development, with the Port announcing his retirement in a September 11th media release.

Since that time, the President and CEO tasks have handled on an interim basis by Joe Rektor, the Chief Financial Officer for the Port Authority.

With the start of the new year comes the launch of the search for the best candidate that can continue to build on the foundation that was put in place by Mr. Krusel and to take the port into its next era of development.

The Port of Prince Rupert position is currently posted to the Port Authority website and not only features some background to the history of the position, but also a review of the recent past including the growth of the Port's global footprint.

The retirement of a long-term President & CEO (“CEO”) has created an opportunity for a new organizational leader to bring a fresh perspective to continue on the successes of PRPA over the past 10 years. A decade ago, the Port and town were struggling when they embarked on a new container strategy that has proven highly successful.

A focus on the future for the Port is also part of the call for applicants, which includes a short synopsis of what a successful candidate will bring the to the Port and the nature of some of the engagement with the community that is expected from the top position.

PRPA has a sustainable growth mandate due to anticipated increases in Canadian trade. It also has land available for expansion of existing terminals and development of new ones. Working to further the Port’s relationships with First Nations, local governments and project proponents will be key to facilitating the anticipated growth in a sustainable manner. 

The new CEO will conduct business in the public light in a multi-stakeholder environment, and will shape the impact of the organization on a broad range of people in the local community, the transportation sector, and across the corridor. 

Expanding related services, such as logistics and warehousing provided by the local business community in order to become a full service port operation, will also be vital to success. Furthermore, the organization is working towards a vision to be the most secure port in North America.

A quick glimpse of the home base for the Port is also part of the Job Prospectus being provided to would be applicants

Prince Rupert is a small coastal city of about 15,000 people, including its surrounding communities, in a one-of-a-kind setting on Northwest BC’s Pacific Coast. The City includes several small coastal communities within its direct proximity. 

Trade, transportation, and the Port are the most important local economic drivers, but vital industries like commercial fishing and tourism continue to contribute significantly to its socioeconomic health.

The search for the right candidate is taking advantage a range of methods of sharing the opportunity, from traditional career ads in major newspapers to job search options as LinkedIn, Indeed and Eluta, to name a few of the online forums available for career advancement.

More items of interest related to the Port of Prince Rupert can be found from our archive page.