Private Equity Portfolio Company – Ports & Maritime
£2,000 - £2,500 per day
Role Overview
The Chief Digital Transformation Officer will be accountable for end‑to‑end digital and technology‑enabled transformation across a ports and maritime platform, accelerating EBITDA improvement, operational efficiency, scalability, and transparency in line with the Private Equity sponsor’s value creation plan.
Operating as a close partner to the CEO, CFO, COO and PE Operating Partners, the CDTO will move the business from fragmented, asset‑centric operations toward data‑driven, integrated, and automated port and maritime systems, while maintaining operational resilience in a safety‑critical, regulated environment.
This is not a legacy IT role. The mandate is commercial, execution‑led, and outcome‑driven, with success measured in value delivered rather than systems deployed.
Mandate & Value Creation Objectives
- Translate the PE investment thesis into a clear digital value creation roadmap
- Deliver measurable EBITDA uplift through automation, productivity, and asset optimisation
- Improve operational visibility and control across ports, terminals, marine assets, and corridors
- Enable scalable growth, bolt‑on integration, and exit‑ready digital infrastructure
- Reduce execution and operational risk in complex, regulated port environments
Key Responsibilities
Digital Strategy & Transformation Delivery
- Own and execute the digital transformation agenda aligned to the PE value creation plan
- Identify, prioritise and deliver high‑impact digital initiatives (quick wins and structural plays)
- Establish a Transformation / Digital Office to drive execution discipline, KPIs and cadence
Core Ports & Maritime Systems Modernisation
- Lead transformation of critical operational systems, including:
- Terminal Operating Systems (TOS)
- Asset and maintenance management systems
- Marine operations, berth and vessel planning
- Supply chain, logistics and hinterland integration platforms
- Reduce system fragmentation and technical debt, while ensuring business continuity
Data, Analytics & Performance Transparency
- Build a single source of truth across operational and financial data
- Deploy dashboards and leading indicators to support:
- Throughput and asset utilisation
- Cost, productivity and margin tracking
- Safety, compliance and service performance
- Enable management and PE owners to make faster, better‑informed decisions
Automation, AI & Process Digitisation
- Drive automation across manual, paper‑based and labour‑intensive processes
- Introduce pragmatic AI and advanced analytics use cases where value is clear
- Improve working capital, planning accuracy, and operational predictability
M&A, Integration & Exit Readiness
- Support digital diligence for bolt‑on acquisitions
- Lead systems and data integration post‑acquisition
- Ensure the business has a robust, credible digital equity story for exit
Leadership & Change
- Act as a senior change leader, influencing executives and frontline operators
- Lead and develop internal digital, IT, and transformation teams
- Embed a culture of execution, accountability, and continuous improvement
Candidate Profile
Experience
- Senior digital or transformation leadership role (CDTO, CTO, CTrO, VP Digital, Head of Transformation)
- Experience in ports, maritime, logistics, infrastructure, industrials, or asset‑heavy regulated environments
- Proven delivery of large‑scale digital / operational transformation with measurable financial outcomes
- Strong exposure to PE‑backed or similarly high‑accountability environments
- Experience leading ERP, TOS, large platforms, or mission‑critical operational systems
- Location – Europe or UAE