Staff

Born in South Wales, bred in the Peak District and coalfields of Staffordshire, Jim has a long affiliation with Orkney, spending family holidays in and around Birsay.

Joining the Royal Navy from school in ’87 as a Seaman Officer with the desire to become a Naval Aviator, he over a varied 30 year career became a Specialist Navigator (marine Pilot) and Master Mariner (warship). Sailing all 7 seas and visiting all the continents with the notable exception of Australia, Jim has travelled the world on a variety of naval vessels, from the smallest mine hunter to the largest aircraft carrier. He has commanded both ships and squadrons of vessels, held instructional and strategic posts and worked with an array of international organisations, navies and individuals.

Made a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation for his work on the navigation of Small Craft, he completed his career in the Ministry of Defence, leaving the service in 2017.

On leaving he continued his maritime career, working first at Peel Ports Great Yarmouth as the Head of Marine Service and Operations and then for OSI Maritime Limited as a Business Development Director.

Jim has returned to the islands he loves and looks forward to providing the strategic direction and leadership to secure a strong and prosperous maritime future for Orkney.

Douglas’s marine career started over 25 years ago in the white fish and pelagic fishing industry. In 1997 he moved to the offshore industry working on oil and gas support vessels in the North Sea. Douglas joined Orkney Towage Company Limited in 2002 latterly sailing as Chief Officer and then came ashore in 2017 as Port Safety and Counter Pollution Manager with Marine Services, before becoming Towage Marine Superintendent and recently the present role.

David joined Orkney Islands Council as Ferry Services Manager in 2005 and was involved in the formation of the Marine Services department in 2009 becoming Head of Marine Services (Support).

Prior to this David worked at Portsmouth and Shetland councils in marine and harbour roles and served at sea on oil tankers. Currently the Deputy Harbour Master, Strategy and Support, he is lead for the Orkney Harbours Masterplan that will see a transformation of the Harbour Authority facilities including the construction of a new facility in Scapa Flow that will support the ScotWind round of leasing.

David is also responsible for the in-house Marine Environment Unit, Port Safety and Pollution and strategic projects such as the new towage vessels that joined the fleet in 2020.

With a dynamic career in the maritime industry, Bradley brings experience from his time in the Merchant Navy, where he worked on containerships, General cargo vessels, cruise vessels, dredgers, and work boats. His journey continued ashore as a Marine Superintendent for the UK's leading dredging company, where he excelled in delivering complex operations and ensuring top-tier standards.

Now serving as the Deputy Harbour Master for Piers, Infrastructure, and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) at Orkney Harbours, Bradley utilizes his expertise to enhance our port infrastructure, safety, and sustainability. Committed to innovation and excellence, he joins us in our commitment to keep Orkney at the forefront of the port and maritime industry.

Ankit embarked on a distinguished maritime career after graduating from a prestigious maritime university in Australia. With a solid educational foundation, Ankit spent 16 years at sea, rising to the rank of a management level officer on mega container vessels. In this role, Ankit demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise, contributing to the efficient operation and management of some of the world's largest shipping vessels. In 2023, Ankit transitioned from a life at sea to a shore-based career in the UK to leverage extensive maritime experience in a new capacity. This move marked the beginning of a new chapter, bringing a wealth of knowledge and practical insight to the maritime industry on land. In April 2024, Ankit joined Orkney Harbours, taking on a pivotal role in one of the UK's key maritime hubs. With a career spanning over two decades, Ankit's transition to Orkney Harbour underscores a commitment to advancing maritime operations and supporting the growth and sustainability of the port's activities.

Kyrylo was born in Odesa, Ukraine, where his love for maritime operations began. He started his career in construction management, overseeing a plant and honing his project management skills. Afterward, Kyrylo spent eight years at sea in various roles, gaining deep insights into ship operations and crew management.

In 2022, Kyrylo moved to London, UK, marking a milestone in his shore career. There, he joined a boat cruise company’s operations department, spending 1.5 years coordinating schedules and logistics to improve passenger experiences. In April 2024, Kyrylo started his new role as Assistant Harbour Master at Orkney Harbours, where he applies his extensive maritime knowledge to ensure efficient and safe port operations. His diverse experience makes him a key asset to the harbour community.

Paul joined the team at Scapa in November 2019 and is responsible for the development of the core business incomes for Marine Services as Business Development Manager.

Paul served in the Royal Navy, worked in Siberia and Nigeria in the oil sector and spent a lot of time sailing around the worlds oceans doing geotechnical surveys.

Paul is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (FICS) having passed his professional exams in 2018.

David has over 10 years’ service with Orkney Islands Council and has accumulated over 30 years’ experience in ship operations and management, and is a fully qualified Chief Engineer and registered Incorporated Engineer.

He joined the management team at the Harbour Authority in 2010, and prior to this he was the Technical Superintendent with Orkney Ferries Ltd. David is responsible for the maintenance and availability of all of Orkney Marine Services Vessels, VTS, Linkspans and Harbour infrastructure. He is part of the operational management teams for the towage, ferries and harbour operations.

Jenni joined Marine Services, Marine Environmental Unit in March 2007 as a Biologist. In February 2012 she took on the daily management of the Marine Environmental Unit as a Senior Biologist.

Jenni is responsible for the marine ecological monitoring work carried out by the Unit. This includes marine non-native species monitoring, sandy and rocky shore monitoring, radiological monitoring, ballast water sampling and contract work carried out by the Unit.

Jenni has a BSc (Hons) degree in Zoology from University of Bristol, an MSc in Aquatic Ecosystems Management from Edinburgh Napier University and a PhD in Marine Biology from Heriot-Watt University.

Laura commenced employment at Orkney Islands Council after graduating in 2003.

After initially focusing on school transport within the education service, Laura took up the role of Transport Planner in 2009, Transportation Manager in 2013 and Service Manager – Transportation in 2022. Laura has a BA in Business Administration, Diploma in Management, PgCert in Transport Planning and Engineering and MSc in Transportation Studies and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (MCIHT).

The Transportation Service responsibilities include the public bus contract and day to day running of public bus services across the county, inter island air services contract, air, ferry and bus timetabling, concessionary travel and strategic transport policy.