Long-standing chair and chief executive of Team Humber Marine Alliance, Mark O’Reilly, has stepped down.
The highly influential regional organisation has made Andrew Oliver chair of the directors and Camilla Carlbom Flinn chair of its advisory board as it re-organises the board following his decision.
THMA draws on membership including high profile international companies, national and regional supply chain businesses in the offshore wind and maritime communities.
Mr O’Reilly took the lead role at the 25-year-old organisation in 2010, and will continue to sit on the board of directors, while dedicating more time to his business consultancy Square 5 Ltd.
He said: "It has been an amazing journey. We have always had ambition, and we have marched on. I remember when the Hornsea zone was this mythical thing, and now it is happening here. We went to Germany and Denmark and were blown away by Bremerhaven and Esbjerg, now we have world-leading operations on the Humber.
"I had the term of 10 years in my mind, it allows for fresh blood and gives me a different challenge too.
"I came back after a break away in the new year to put it into action, but then Covid hit. Now I've got projects in mind, zero carbon ports aspirations, the blue economy, but I want to wind down a bit too."
Mr Oliver, a partner at Andrew Jackson Solicitors and a renowned specialist in shipping and maritime law, said that Mr O’Reilly deserved a public thank you for the impact of his work in championing the Humber.
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“Mark was highly active in the early days of offshore wind and played no small part in securing the investment of original equipment manufacturers to the region. He shone a light on the opportunities provided by the burgeoning renewables sector and has guided countless supply chain companies to take advantage, resulting in new energy and buoyancy, new jobs and the formation of a regional cluster.”
Under his lead Offshore Wind Connections was launched, a spring exhibition and conference that attracted hundreds of delegates annually - until the programme was interrupted by Covid.
Mrs Carlbom Flinn, chair of Stallingborough-based Carlbom Shipping, who also holds regional Swedish and Finnish honorary consulate posts, said: “Spotting the potential to export the expertise developed by Humber companies in offshore renewables, Mark promoted the region at an international level, ensuring the Humber became the ‘go to’ destination for international delegations such as those from the US and South Korea who were eager to learn from us, particularly in setting up the local supply chain and liaising with major stakeholders.
“He also made Team Humber pivotal in helping the formation of specialist training providers to ensure local people developed the skills needed for the offshore wind revolution, and he has routinely lobbied Government to put our region high on their agenda.”
Team Humber Marine Alliance recently opened an office in Scarborough to make it more accessible to maritime business north of the Humber and the supply chain inland towards York and Leeds.
The board is currently working to secure new growth in the maritime sector: in shipping, fishing and engineering, while helping guide diversification into offshore wind support services.
In an additional move, Iain Elliott, who is the chief executive of Humberside Engineering Training association, has become chair of Team Humber’s Maritime & Offshore Skills Group.