Port boss hands over reins 'with pride'

At 60, Jon Mayson is eager "to explore new avenues". Picture / Alan Gibson

Jon Mayson, the 33-year Port of Tauranga stalwart, will address shareholders for the last time today at the port's annual meeting.

Mayson will formally hand over his chief executive role to former Toll Owens boss Mark Cairns tomorrow, but today marks his last official day in the job.

He will stay on to assist with the transition at New Zealand's largest export port until December.

"I recognised the time was right to move on. I will look back with incredible pride," said Mayson, in an interview. "I have no regrets."

In his nine years as chief executive, Mayson is credited with turning Tauranga into one of New Zealand's fastest-growing ports and a formidable rival for its main competitor, the Ports of Auckland.

Over the next two months, Mayson said he will act only as an adviser.

"I told Mark, 'On Tuesday, you're it, sunshine'. I'll be there for him, but he [Cairns] needs to feel he truly has his feet under the desk," said Mayson. The 60-year-old makes it clear that he is not officially retiring in the sense that he feels he is "still young enough to explore new avenues". Mayson will continue as president of the national board of Export New Zealand, and maintain his directorships on the boards of North Port and the Port of Marlborough.

Mayson announced he would step down last February and Cairns was named as his replacement on August 4, the company's share price rising 10 cents to $4.70 on the news.

Mayson said he has immense confidence in Cairns, whom he hired to head Owens Cargo in 2002 when the port owned the company. Toll Owens, the country's biggest port cargo handler, was formed last December from the merger of Owens Cargo and Toll Logistics. The new company is jointly owned by the Port of Tauranga and Australia's Toll Holdings.

A fall in forestry exports, expected to last up to five years, hit the Port of Tauranga harder than expected last year, offsetting gains in container and import volumes.

Full-year net profit to the end of June was a flat $33.65 million, compared to $33.56 million a year ago.