Qube Managing Director, Maurice James, is stepping down from his position on 30 June and will retire formally from the company at the end of December 2021.
“Maurice indicated his desire to retire early last year but agreed to stay on to lead Qube through the COVID-19 pandemic and to the conclusion of the Moorebank monetisation process,” said Qube Chairman, Allan Davies.
“This period has given the Board the opportunity to carefully identify his successor.
“After considering a range of external and internal candidates the Board has unanimously chose Chief Operating Officer (COO) Paul Digney to step up to Managing Director of Qube from July 1 this year.
“Paul spent his entire working life in the port and logistics industries and was part of the original team which managed the assets which would later form the basis of Qube Holdings Ltd.
“Since his appointment to the role of COO in 2016, Paul has been accountable for all operations across Logistics, Ports and Bulk Division which deliver the majority of Qube’s revenues.
“Paul is, in our view, unquestionably the right person for the job of leading Qube.”
After he steps down, James is expected to be available to provide guidance and mentoring for Digney.
The Qube Board, according to Davies, wanted to ensure James’ skills were still available to the company in 2022 and beyond.
“As a result, Maurice has agreed to remain as Non-Executive Director of Patrick and, if required, have a non-executive role in regard to Qube’s ongoing Moorebank project after he retires from Qube at the end of December 2021,” said Davies.
James said the time now was right to step back as monetisation of Moorebank is nearly complete and the company was recovering well from the effects of the pandemic.
“I am very thankful and proud to have led Qube for a decade during which I believe we have built a unique business which has reshaped the import and export supply chains, delivered world class efficiency for our customers and strong returns for our shareholders,” he said.
“Paul will be a strong leader as he has been instrumental to the development of Qube’s integrated logistics model and acquiring key strategic businesses and assets since Qube’s inception.”
Digney said it has been a privilege to work with James for over 20 years.
“I know I speak for many of us when I say Maurice has been a great leader and mentor to us during his time at Qube.
“I am very excited with the opportunity that the Board has given me to lead the fantastic Qube team into our next growth chapter.”