Cowes Harbour Commission is delighted to announce the appointment of Fiona Fitzherbert-Brockholes to the Board as the new Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability. The appointment follows the Commission’s successful open recruitment campaign, which this year attracted several extremely high calibre applicants seeking to volunteer their time and skills for the benefit of Cowes Harbour.
Cowes Harbour Commission is committed to the sustainable management and conservation of the harbour and Medina Estuary and looks to protect the natural environment and its ecological health, whilst at the same time driving sustainable innovation. As Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Fiona brings to the CHC Board extensive experience in sustainability consulting and climate change mitigation through her work with the Carbon Trust, OC Group (Ellen MacArthur), and Virgin Atlantic. She is currently meteorologist to the British Olympic Team and Cowes Week Ltd, having also been meteorologist to various America’s Cup teams. She is a keen sailor and has lived and worked in Cowes Harbour most of her adult life.
Chairman of Cowes Harbour Commission, David Riley said: “Fiona has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to contribute, and we welcome her joining the CHC Board at a time when the Commission seeks to increase its focus on the environment, which underpins the purpose and success of the harbour and is an asset that requires our care and consideration in the management of every aspect of CHC’s business and activities.”
Commenting on her appointment, Fiona Fitzherbert-Brockholes said: “I have used Cowes Harbour extensively as a racing and cruising sailor, meteorologist, dinghy and rib owner, and through my passion for the environment, nature and sailing, I hope to help the harbour and its stakeholders navigate the wide ranging and evolving challenges and opportunities that a sustainable way of working can present.”
At the April 2021 Board meeting, Chairman David Riley thanked retiring Commissioners Jo Gillespie and Chris Preston for their service over the past six years and confirmed the second term appointment of James Evans as Commissioner for Governance & Regulatory. Chairman David Riley also welcomed Jason Losty to his first term as Commissioner for Safety & Security following his previous 12-month co-option to the Board in 2020.
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Notes to Editors
Cowes Harbour Commission is the statutory Harbour Authority for Cowes Harbour on the Isle of Wight.
Cowes Harbour is a Trust Port, which means it has no shareholders or other owners, but is managed for the benefit of its users, or ‘stakeholders’. The port is run by an independent Board of Commissioners, appointed through a public selection process, who give their time on a voluntary basis.
Cowes Harbour Commission’s main function is to be the Statutory Harbour Authority for Cowes and to undertake commercial marine activities so that it can be self-financing. As the Commission has no shareholders, any surplus funds raised through its activities are reinvested back into the harbour and its facilities, to the benefit of its harbour users, or ‘stakeholders’.
In line with good governance and to benefit from new ideas and attitudes, the Commission rotates Board membership regularly. Commissioners can only be reappointed by the Board for two three-year terms, after which, if they wish to stay on for a third and final term, they are required to participate in an open recruitment exercise. A maximum of two additional Commissioners can be co-opted at any one time for specific purposes and serve for a period of 12 months.
Photo: L-R: CHC Chairman David Riley, Fiona Fitzherbert-Brockholes, and Chief Executive Gary Hall.
