Port of Tauranga Limited's David Pilkington has been named Chairperson of the Year in the Deloitte Top 200 Business Awards.

David joined the Port of Tauranga Board in July 2005 and has been Chair since 2013.

Since then, Port of Tauranga has successfully completed its strategy to become 'big ship capable” and is now by far New Zealand's largest port.

The Company's market capitalisation has more than doubled during his tenure as Chair to more than $4.6 billion.

David's win last night scores a hat trick for Port of Tauranga Limited at the prestigious annual awards. Mark Cairns won the accolade for Chief Executive of the Year in 2012, while Chief Financial Officer, Steve Gray, won CFO of the Year in 2017.

David Pilkington.

Mark says David's win is well-deserved.

'I appreciate David's steady and pragmatic leadership style, as well as his deep understanding and experience in governance.

'He ensures a diverse range of opinions are heard from around the board table. His foresight has helped us stay focused on our long-term goals, while remaining flexible and responsive to our operating environment.

'David has a very direct approach and does not shy away from pulling the management team into line when he sees the need.”

David was a member of Fonterra's senior executive and has a strong background in marketing, international business and supply chain logistics.

He holds directorships in Port of Tauranga Trustee Company Limited and PrimePort Timaru Limited. He is also Chair of Douglas Pharmaceuticals Limited, Northport Limited and Rangatira Limited.