Mersey Ports Port Director Phil Hall receives long service award after 20 years at Peel Ports Group

Mersey Ports Port Director Phil Hall receives long service award after 20 years at Peel Ports Group

Mersey Ports Port Director Phil Hall has marked two decades of service at Peel Ports Group after spending his entire working life at the port group.

Phil, 42, who grew up less than 10 miles from the Port of Liverpool, first began working at the port as a trainee accountant back in July 2003.

He has since risen through the ranks at the port group over the last two decades, taking on a variety of more senior roles before being appointed Port Director for Mersey Ports in 2021.

Phil has seen huge growth at the Port of Liverpool across his time at the business – with more than £500m invested on Liverpool2 and its biomass terminal alone – and expects the company to continue to improve its offerings in the Merseyside area in the coming years.

He said: “It’s incredible to think I’ve been here 20 years.

“As someone who grew up so close to the Port of Liverpool, it’s been great to rise through the business and is a real honour to be the port director here.

“There’s been so much growth at the Port of Liverpool over my time here – particularly in the last decade – and I’m certain this will continue in the coming years as we invest in the business and deliver more jobs for the local area.”

Phil graduated with a degree in Business Mathematics from Liverpool John Moores University in 2003 before starting work at the Port of Liverpool shortly after graduating.

He progressed through the company, taking on roles including Group Head of Finance, and Commercial and Unitised Cargo Director, before landing his current role.

As well as being port director for Port of Liverpool, his position also sees him oversee Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Heysham.

And he’s witnessed so many positive changes across the business during those two decades.

He said: “Operations at the Port of Liverpool look very different from when I joined, especially since the creation of Liverpool2 and the biomass terminal.

“There’s been so much investment in the local area to create jobs and support the wider economy over my time here.

“We have a real focus on net zero and becoming as sustainable as possible and that’s only going to continue being our focus in the coming years.

“There’s also a strong focus on DE&I, which is fantastic to see. The port industry has historically been very male-orientated, and we recognise there’s still a good way to go.

“But we’re making progress and we have witnessed vast improvements in this area in the last two decades, with more females across the business than ever before.”

And Phil believes even better times are ahead in the coming years for the port group in the Mersey area.

He added: “I’ve had a really positive experience working at Peel Ports Group. It’s a company that offers progression opportunities and I’m proof of that.

“I was brought up within the Sefton area, so it does show the opportunities are available for local people.

“It’s a very rewarding and challenging job, with no two days the same.

“Given how the business has supported me, I’d like to support other people in the business to reap the same opportunities I have been given.

“More generally, there’s a lot to be positive about and I think in the next decade we’ll see our ports across the business continue to grow and grow further.”

David Huck, Chief Operating Officer at Peel Ports Group, said: “I’ve worked with Phil for over a decade, and it’s been amazing to see how he’s risen through the business during that time.

“Everyone at the business would like to thank Phil for all his hard work over the years, and I hope we’ll be working together for many more years to come. He’ll continue to play a huge role in growing the business across Merseyside and beyond.”