PD Ports has announced that Paul Foreman, currently Chief Operating Officer, will become Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2026, succeeding Frans Calje following a competitive recruitment process.
Calje will step down after almost ten years as CEO and more than 18 years with the company in total, departing with the business in a stronger financial and operational position than when he assumed leadership.
Foreman’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for PD Ports, which has ambitious plans to accelerate growth, optimise customer services and adapt to evolving industry and technology requirements through continued investment and expansion.
As operator of Teesport, the largest port in the north-east of England, PD Ports contributes £1.4 billion annually to the Teesside economy, supports 22,000 jobs across the wider supply chain and directly employs more than 1,400 people across 11 UK sites.
Frans Calje described his departure as timely, having set a ten-year timeframe as the appropriate tenure before fresh leadership would best serve the business’s continued evolution. He expressed pride in leaving PD Ports safer, stronger and positioned for a sustainable and financially stable future.
Becky Lumlock, Brookfield Operating Partner, thanked Calje for his integrity-driven leadership and expressed confidence that Foreman’s innovative and strategic mindset, which has been central to long-term business planning, will steer the company to new levels of success.
Foreman acknowledged Calje’s achievements, including the transformation of the container and bulk business, improved safety standards and significant balance sheet strengthening, and expressed enthusiasm for leading an organisation central to the prosperity and economic growth of Teesside and the wider north of England.
In a concurrent governance change, Executive Chairman Jerry Hopkinson will transition to a Non-Executive Chairman role from September 1, stepping back from day-to-day executive activities while continuing as a key strategic adviser, chairing the PD Ports Board in his capacity as Operating Partner for Brookfield.
