Purpose Drives an Ambitious Vision for the Tidal Thames

Most people underestimate the sheer size of the Port of London, the UK’s biggest and fastest-growing port. Its operations cover 95 miles of the River Thames from the North Sea to Teddington Lock. Thames Vision 2050 sets out the port’s path to net zero emissions, and includes ambitious economic, environmental and recreational goals for the tidal Thames.

In this episode of The Purposeful Strategist we talk to Robin Mortimer, CEO of the Port of London Authority, about how this impressive vision supports the PLA’s purpose, and how the authority plans to deliver it.

The PLA is responsible for promoting the safe and sustainable use of the tidal River Thames. Home to the UK’s biggest port and most diverse inland waterway, the Thames contributes over £6 billion annually to the UK economy and is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.

Robin joined the Port of London Authority (PLA) as Chief Executive on 31 March 2014.  Prior to joining the PLA, Robin had 20 years experience in the UK civil service working on transport, environment, infrastructure and overseas development. He was Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and three Secretaries of State for Environment and Transport.  He was the lead author of the UK Climate Change Act, which became law in 2007 and as a Director in Defra led the Government’s Adapting to Climate Change programme, oversaw the creation of the Canal & River Trust and directed policy on farming and the environment.

Robin became Chair of Maritime UK in January 2023 and chairs Estuary Services Ltd. He is a Board Member of the UK Major Ports Group, the Thames Skills Academy, the Thames Freeport and the Thames Estuary Growth Board, a Non Executive Director at Red One Ltd and a Younger Brother at Trinity House.

Robin Mortimer

Igniting entrepreneurial growth

Founded in 2015, London-based Ignition Law is driven by a clear purpose: to be the law firm for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs and the entrepreneurially spirited.

Since then, Ignition has grown to become a full-service law firm with 70 people, won multiple awards and achieved Certified B-Corporation status.

Founder and partner Alex McPherson explains how they did it, on this episode of The Purposeful Strategist.

Alex  founded Ignition Law in 2015 as a high-growth, full-service law firm dedicated to providing pragmatic and cost-effective legal services to start-ups, scale-ups, and entrepreneurial clients. With a focus on community-minded and ethical practices, Ignition Law has supported thousands of businesses, as well as leading business schools, universities, family offices, and investors.

Recently achieving B Corp certification, Ignition Law has solidified its reputation as a purpose-led law firm committed to positive social and environmental impact. The firm has earned widespread recognition, winning and being shortlisted for major industry awards, including The Lawyer Awards, Legal Business Awards, SME News, The Law Society Awards, Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards, LegalWeek Awards for Innovation, and The Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Alex graduated from Oxford University in 2003 and gained extensive legal experience at leading international law firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Hogan Lovells, where he also undertook client secondments at Tesco, ExxonMobil, and Goldman Sachs. He co-founded Ignition Financial, a corporate finance and tax boutique, and was shortlisted for the 2023 Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Beyond his work at Ignition, Alex is an Entrepreneurship Expert at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and serves on the Corporate Law Expert Panel of LexisNexis.

Alex McPherson

Purpose: Transform Domestic Electricity Use

What do you do when your business purpose requires your customers to change their behavior?

For Powervault, the London-based manufacturer of renewable energy storage systems, the answer is to use technology make the change not only easy, but financially rewarding.

Robin Stopford, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer explains Powervault’s approach in this episode of The Purposeful Strategist.

Powervault transform their customers’ energy usage, helping them lower their electricity bills and minimise their carbon footprint - with confidence. Since inception in 2014, Powervault has been at the forefront of energy storage technology.  Their high-quality, intelligent solar batteries are designed and manufactured in their UK factory.

Robin is the CEO of Powervault, a scaling clean tech company he joined in November 2023.  For the past 20 years Robin has led corporate development for both public and private equity-backed global industrial groups, including both strategy and M&A, latterly adding divisional leadership and turnaround to his roles.  Robin started his career at Rolls-Royce and Bain with a Wharton MBA.  Trained as a business coach Robin seeks to create an environment where people feel like valued members of a winning team on a worthwhile mission.

Robin Stopford