Team Profile

Nicholas Finney OBE

Chairman
Freshwater Public Affairs and Waterfront Conference Company

Nicholas Finney established The Waterfront Partnership (renamed Waterfront Public Affairs in 2007) and the Waterfront Conference Company in 1990 following a career in the ports industry. Both businesses were sold to Freshwater-UK in 2007, and Nicholas continues to act as the Chairman for Waterfront Conference Company.

Nicholas is an acknowledged expert on transport, particularly maritime and ports issues, including the commercial, environmental and regulatory issues affecting the maritime industry. As Director General of The British Ports Federation (BPF) and the National Association of Port Employers (NAPE) Nicholas led the campaign for the abolition of the Dock Labour Scheme and for the privatisation of the Public Trust port authorities and was awarded an OBE in the 1990 New Years Honours List.

Nicholas was a member of the UK’s Competition Commission (formerly the Monopolies and Mergers Commission) from 1993 to 1999 and has widespread experience of competition legislation and regulatory reform. He has a wealth of experience of the complex public policy issues surrounding seaports, privatisations and labour reform and his particular seaport expertise also extends to public policy issues relating to constitutional reform.

He is currently a member the of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK) and is a longstanding member of its policy committee. He has spoken at many international conferences and regularly writes articles on transport matters, regulation and labour reform. He is a commissioner on the Independent Transport Commission and a member of the steering committee of the National Infrastructure Planning Association.

< back to team profile