Finance specialist joins Port of London Authority board

A specialist in finance and business matters has joined the Board of the Port of London Authority (PLA).

Mr Pommy Sarwal, lately a partner in corporate finance at Deloitte & Touche, has a very wide experience of advising business and industry.

Mr Sarwal first qualified as a chartered accountant in 1976, at the start of a successful career in corporate finance. His experience includes advising both private and public sector clients in sectors as diverse as energy, water, ports, airports, public transport, road, rail and defence. He has worked with both UK companies and businesses based in the USA and Europe.

Since 2002, he has been a partner in the Specialised Finance Group of Deloitte & Touche. He is a member of the Ports Advisory Group of the DTi Trade and Investment Division and also a non executive director of Chatham Historic Dockyard. Mr Sarwal is a Sloan Fellow of the London Business School. He took up his appointment to the PLA Board on 1st June 2006.

PLA chairman Simon Sherrard said:

“I am delighted that Pommy Sarwal has agreed to join the PLA Board. His wide experience in finance and business – including the ports sector - will be most valuable as we continue our work to secure the Port of London as a vital part of the economy and transport infrastructure of London and the south east in the years ahead.”

A photo of Pommy Sarwal is available on request. Contact: Martin Garside, PLA, Tel: 01474 562366.

Note to Editors:

The PLA is the port and navigation authority for 150km (95 miles) of the tidal Thames from the sea to Teddington. It provides navigational, pilotage and other services for users of the Thames. London is one of the top three ports in the UK and handles over 50 million tonnes of cargo each year. The Port comprises over 70 independently owned and operated terminals and port facilities, which handle a wide range of cargoes. London also has a busy passenger boat trade for tourists and commuters and is a popular destination for passenger cruise ships. The tidal Thames is also used widely by those with small recreational craft of many types.