The Board of Directors of the Cartagena Port Authority unanimously approved this morning the proposed appointment of José María Gómez Fuster as the new director of the Port Authority following the resignation of Fernando Muñoz, who will return to his responsibilities as Head of the Business Development Department, where he will continue to carry out the important work of marketing to further diversify traffic, attract new clients and grow in cruise tourism.
In response to questions from the media, the Vice President of the Port Authority, Pedro Pablo Hernández, explained that the new director will take office on June 15. “First of all, I want to thank Fernando for his work leading the Port Authority. He knew it was a transitional position, but that hasn't prevented him from rising to the challenge and giving his best for the institution he loves and respects, and for which he has demonstrated his worth and dedication over his 24 years.”.
“Now a new chapter begins at the Port Authority, with José María Gómez returning to Cartagena after a stint as director at the Port of Castellón. A civil engineer from the University of Granada, José María boasts 11 years of experience in the port sector, where he has demonstrated his commercial acumen, innovative spirit, and strategic vision, making him the ideal candidate to lead the Port of Cartagena,” Hernández emphasized, adding, “I firmly believe the Board has made the best decision for the Port Authority and its port community.”
José María Gómez Fuster joinedthe Port Authority in 2010 as Head of Planning, a role that enabled him to spearhead the Master Plan for the New Cartagena Dock and the Special Plan for the Escombreras Dock, as well as the Digitalization Master Plan. In 2016, he was promoted to Head of Operations, where he performed outstanding work until 2021, when he left to become Director of the Port of Castellón.
During his time as Head of Operations, he demonstrated his vision for opening the Port to other lines of business in order to diversify traffic. He championed the Port's position as a leading hub in the offshore industry for the maintenance and repair of platforms and oil tankers, worked to intensify our commitment to renewable energies such as LNG, eco-cooling, and hydrogen; and was responsible for developing the Escombreras space optimization plan, which is allowing us to grow in traffic volume and attract new businesses until we have new expansions that address our lack of space in the port facilities.
The members of the Council have expressed their gratitude for the work carried out in these months by Fernando Muñoz as director.
Furthermore, the Board of Directors has approved the administrative concession to the Fishermen's Guild of Cartagena for the "Occupation and Operation of Huts for the storage of equipment for shipowners" for a period of three years.
