Montrose Port Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Vice-Chair and board member, as Hamish Watt stands down from the Vice-Chair position following his successful tenure on the Board of Non-Executive Directors. 

Hamish has been a long-serving board member, providing the Port with ten and a half years of his legal expertise and local knowledge of commercial and industrial activity in the North East of Scotland. 

Tom Brighton, who has served on the board since 2020, has been appointed as Hamish Watt’s replacement, becoming the new Vice-Chair of the Board. 

Having lived in Montrose since 1978, Tom brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role, with a global career in the oil and gas industry spanning 36 years which included working for Total, BG Group and Shell. 

Tom now works part-time as an independent consultant for the international energy sector, with his wide-ranging expertise making him a valuable asset to Montrose Port as it looks towards a more sustainable future. 

Speaking about this new opportunity, Tom expressed his gratitude: “I am honoured to take on the responsibility of Vice-Chair.

“The port has a rich history and bright future, with a variety of innovative projects in progress that will solidify the Port’s commitment to the local community and support the drive in the maritime and energy industries towards a greener, more sustainable path.”

In addition to Tom’s appointment, Montrose Port are also pleased to welcome Gill Summers as a new board member. Born and raised in Aberdeen, Gill has spent over 35 years as a lawyer, practising in corporate and commercial law as a partner at Brodies LLP until her recent retirement. 

Throughout her career, Gill has gained significant experience advising businesses, directors, trustees and stakeholders on matters of governance and compliance in the oil and gas, fishing, maritime, agriculture and forestry industries across the North East of Scotland. 

Gill expressed her enthusiasm for joining the board, saying: “Montrose Port Authority has a strong reputation for their commitment to the local community and the environment, leading the way for the maritime industry. 

“I’m delighted to be joining the board, as I’m keen to contribute to the remarkable work that the team is already doing. With my commercial knowledge and legal expertise, I am looking forward to working alongside the team to ensure we find new opportunities which will enable the Port to continue to thrive and grow into the future.” 

Discussing these new appointments, Chairman of Montrose Port Authority Board, Peter Stuart said: “Hamish has been a great board member and Vice-Chair and has helped steer the Port through its recent growth and diversification. 

We will miss his counsel and also his depth of local knowledge, but with Tom stepping up to Vice-Chair, and Gill joining us, I am confident that we still have maintained the level of expertise, legal acumen and indeed the local knowledge that the Board requires to be able to assist the Executive team in their ongoing efforts to run and grow the Port.”

The Board brings together a variety of specialists to provide their insight and expertise on a wide range of matters concerning the management, maintenance, progress and future development of the Port.

Montrose Port Authority is committed to being one of the most sustainable energy hubs across Scotland, and much of the new board members work will be to drive the Port towards achieving their sustainability targets while also looking for opportunities for the Port’s traditional sectors of general cargo and oil and gas. 

In October, Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Seagreen which is operated from a dedicated onshore Operations and Maintenance base at Montrose Port, was confirmed to be fully operational, being able to provide power to almost 1.6 million homes annually. 

In another milestone for Montrose Port, work is underway to install Shore Power infrastructure as part of a £1m joint venture with Plug Shore Power Ltd. which aims to provide electricity supply to berthing vessels in a bid to reduce emissions.

This innovative project is due to go live in early 2024 and plays a significant role in the port’s transition to net zero, as Montrose Port will be the first shipping port in Scotland to offer large-scale shore power to their customers in the offshore energy sector.