Former Hanjin executive Kwon to replace Lacy at Oakland
The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners has appointed former Hanjin executive James J. Kwon as its new maritime director.
Kwon was president and chief executive officer of Total Terminals International LLC in Long Beach, a joint venture between Hanjin Shipping and Macquarie Bank. TTI was founded by Hanjin and Marine Terminals. Corp.
He'll be responsible for the operations, management, and marketing of the port's maritime division, which includes planning and development of maritime terminal facilities. The division is one of the port authority's three
revenue-generating sections, which also include the aviation division, which manages Oakland International Airport, and the commercial real estate division responsible for managing the city's urban waterfront.
Kwon is replacing Wilson Lacy, who came to Oakland in 2004 and oversaw record container volumes, then resigned in March after former Oakland Executive Director Jerry Bridges left to head the Virginia Port Authority. In the time leading up to the announcement of Bridges' successor, some suggested Lacy was the frontrunner. The port instead tabbed Bridges prot'g' Omar Benjamin.
While Kwon inherits a growing port, he also knows about growth. TTI's terminal in Long Beach was consistently the busiest, in terms of TEUs, in the nation's second-biggest container port. TTI also operated erminals in Oakland and Seattle, and revenue grew by 250 percent and container volume by 30 percent during his tenure.
Former Hanjin executive Kwon to replace Lacy at Oakland
