Port of Oakland Announces Industry Leader John C. Driscoll as Maritime Director

Oakland, Calif.–January 14, 2014– Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle just announced maritime industry leader John C. Driscoll as the Port’s new Director of Maritime.

Port Executive Director Chris Lytle said, “We are positioned to expand our maritime business and we are fortunate to have John, a proven leader in the industry, join our senior management team at this time of tremendous opportunity. John’s private sector experience in maritime operations, marketing and sales will help us grow our business, which will ultimately benefit our business partners, customers and community.”Mr. Driscoll most recently served as the Vice President of Export Sales CMA CGM (America) LLC, a leading global container shipping group. Mr. Driscoll’s official start date with the Port of Oakland is Jan. 27, 2014.As Director of Maritime, Mr. Driscoll is responsible for building and growing maritime business through efficient operations, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning. Mr. Driscoll will oversee the full range of maritime operations including administration, finance, customer service, planning and development, and seaport security.John Driscoll has more than 30 years of commercial experience in international maritime transportation, having worked for Sea-Land Service, Maersk Line and CMA CGM. Mr. Driscoll served in an executive capacity with CMA CGM since 2005. He successfully led the expansion and development of the company’s interests in the Caribbean, Central America, and Northern South America, producing double-digit growth on average each year. In 2008, he was promoted to Senior Vice President where he oversaw sales, trade, and marketing for the company’s entire U.S. operations. During Mr. Driscoll’s eight years with CMA CGM for the USA, the average annual increase in business volume was 14.1 percent.Mr. Driscoll began his career with Sea-Land Service in 1980 serving in a variety of sales and operations positions with Sea-Land’s Atlantic Division. In 1999, Mr. Driscoll served as the General Manager of Sales and Customer Service for Central America until Maersk purchased Sea-land where he had General Management responsibility leading their activities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. With Maersk’s acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd in 2005, he was given the country responsibility for Brazil in order to integrate an organization with over one billion dollars in revenue and 550 employees. In December 2005, Mr. Driscoll assumed his most recent positions with CMA CGM. Mr. Driscoll is a native of Bethesda, Maryland. He attended the University of Maryland and graduated with a B.S. in Business Management with an emphasis on Transportation and Marketing. Mr. Driscoll is married to his wife, Linda and he has three sons, ages 12, 16 and 18.About the Port of Oakland:The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport and Oakland International Airport. The Port's jurisdiction includes 20 miles of waterfront from the Bay Bridge through Oakland International Airport. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.