It is with heavy hearts and gratitude this week that Ports Australia bids our long-serving Policy and Operations Director, Ash Sinha farewell.
Ash has been part of the Ports Australia team since early 2016, time which has earnt him endless respect across the industry as someone willing to share his wide understanding of how ports serve the world. Ash has been integral to bringing the personnel of Australia’s ports sector together under the Ports Australia banner, as well as collaborating with our members to produce thought-leading publications and documents for the betterment of the industry.
Being a family man, we appreciate Ash’s dedication to travelling around Australia’s ports to meet industry members, government affiliates, and run Ports Australia working groups. Working groups are an extremely proud aspect of our agenda at Ports Australia, and they would not be run at the level of professionalism and productivity they do today without Ash pioneering their development over the years.
Ash’s efforts in advocacy and policy directing shine most brightly through the various documents he’s either spearheaded or contributed to. Some of those efforts were under the Ports Australia name while others were Ash’s submissions to government policymakers.
For the sake of the industry we serve, we hope Ash stays in it for a long time to come given the wealth of knowledge he’s built while at Ports Australia. We wish him the best of luck with his future endeavours – he will be missed!
Fortunately, sadness is met with excitement as we welcome our new Policy and Operations Director, Margie Barbouttis. Margie joins the team already skilled in policy work and well versed in the processes of the logistics industry. Her first few months with Ports Australia – while tainted by COVID-19 – have seen her dive right into the role with an eagerness to learn about what makes ports so essential in Australia.
Ports Australia CEO and now long-time colleague and friend of Ash, Mike Gallacher added his own sentiment:
‘Ash has been an invaluable member of the Ports Australia team. Driving policy debate around issues such as coastal shipping, sustainability and helping to lift the profile of port and maritime related issues both within Government and the wider community. Ash is widely acknowledged across the supply chain sector for his knowledge and is often sought for his sound practical advice in addressing the many challenges that confront the sector. I wish Ash all the very best as he takes on a new role within the ports sector in Queensland and will enjoy continuing to work with him in his new capacity.
Ports Australia welcomes Margie Barbouttis as our new Director Policy and Operations. With extensive experience in policy and project development and coordinating specialised working groups in areas outside the port industry, Margie has already shown an appetite to broaden her understanding of the role ports play in enabling this nation’s trade in the short time she has been with us.’
