INDUSTRY INSIGHT CONFERENCE RECAPS: LEADERSHIP
The perfect storm in maritime leadership Preparing ports for a generational shift
A t a time when global supply chains are under pressure and ports face unprecedented com- plexity, the maritime industry is con- fronting a challenge closer to home: a looming leadership gap. Speaking to industry leaders, Eric Gilmore, Director of Business Development at the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE), described the situation as a “perfect storm” in maritime leadership — one defined by mass retirements, evolving skill demands, and an urgent need for structured succession planning. A wave of retirements The numbers are sobering. “Ten to 15 percent of senior administra- tion is planning to retire in the next two years,” Gilmore said. In the West Coast and Pacific regions, “the aver- age maritime leader is 54 years old and almost 50 percent already eligible or nearing retirement.” For an industry that is both cap- ital-intensive and operationally com- plex, the implications are significant. Maritime may be global in reach, but it remains a niche sector in terms of workforce awareness. “It’s maritime blindness,” he said. “We know that we’re in it but it’s a niche industry to the rest of the world. For a lot of people, if they don’t see the dock, they don’t know there’s a port.” As experienced executives depart, many organizations are filling roles on an interim basis. “You’re probably seeing a lot of acting roles out there — acting directors, acting managers — because we’re just not sure about locking people in,” Gilmore said. Even more concerning, IAMPE’s research indicates that “only 20 percent of retir- ing executives feel confident in their succession plans.”
IAMPE’s Eric Gilmore told APP Winter Conference attendees of a looming leadership gap.
Since 2020, adoption has acceler- ated dramatically. More than 2,500 alumni have now completed IAMPE programs. Over 75 ports and num- erous maritime organizations have participated. Major adopters include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Long Beach, Georgia Ports Authority, Port of New Orleans, Port of Virginia, Maryland Port Administration, and the Ports of Indiana. Many host the program annu- ally, enrolling cohorts of 10 to 30 staff members at a time as part of strategic workforce development initiatives. The Hawaii Department of Transportation has also been a strong participant, with dozens of employees completing the coursework. A rigorous, academic-based model Gilmore emphasized that IAMPE’s certification is academic-based and competency-driven. It is not a passive conference-style experience but rather an intensive, graduate-level immersion. The full certification spans 4½ to 5 days and is divided into two components: 1.Maritime Port Manager (MPM) Designed for new hires through junior management, this foundational segment introduces participants to: • The global transportation system • Intermodal connectivity
At the same time, the competency profile for port leadership has changed dramatically. Today’s executives must understand artificial intelligence, ESG frameworks, cybersecurity, regulatory complexity, and public governance — topics that were far less prominent a generation ago. From napkin sketch to industry standard IAMPE’s certification program traces its roots to 2008, when port directors meeting under the North Atlantic Ports Association recog- nized the looming demographic shift. Informal conversations about “who’s next?” evolved into a more structured question: How could ports reliably identify professionals prepared to assume executive responsibility? The core problem was clear: “There’s nothing out there to tell us that any- body is prepared and ready to take on leadership roles at ports.” Over nearly a decade, industry leaders developed a professional cer- tification grounded in shared core competencies. The goal was simple but powerful: when a hiring commit- tee sees the Maritime Port Executive (MPE) credential on a résumé, they know that the candidate has com- pleted rigorous, standardized train- ing covering the full scope of port operations.
March 2026 — PACIFIC PORTS — 39
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