Over the past year, PNG Ports Corporation Ltd (PNG Ports) has taken a significant step forward in shaping its leadership for the future. It appointed four exceptional professionals to senior roles, in line with its most ambitious infrastructure programme since the relocation of Port Moresby’s terminals to Motukea and the expansion of Lae Port.
The appointments reflect a deliberate strategy pursued by the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) over the past decade – to build and nurture leadership talent from within while also recruiting outstanding expertise from outside the organisation.
The newly appointed senior leaders include Chief Operations Officer (COO) Felix Bauri, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Deborah Onga, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dorothy Kore, and Senior Civil Engineer – Major Projects Denmark Gimiseve, who also heads the Joint Implementation Unit (JIU) overseeing the A$621.4 million Australian Government investment in the national port upgrade programme.
Chair Harvey Nii emphasises that “these appointments are more than simply staffing changes. They reflect a long-term strategy to cultivate a new generation of leadership talent that will carry the organisation forward for the next 50 years.”
Building Leaders from Within
COO Felix Bauri is a standout example of PNG Ports’ ability to develop its own people. Beginning his career two decades ago through the Graduate Trainee Program, Bauri has worked his way through a diverse range of roles across the port network, from Wharf Superintendent to Regional Business Manager.
After serving multiple acting stints in senior roles, he was formally appointed COO in 2024. Nii describes Bauri’s corporate knowledge as “second to none” and notes his operational expertise is vital to PNG Ports’ performance across its 15 port operations.
Bringing in Fresh Perspectives
In contrast, CCO Deborah Onga joined PNG Ports in April 2025. A commercial lawyer with extensive experience in large-scale property development, she is leading efforts to advance the 400-hectare Lae Industrial Park adjacent to Lae Port and to secure its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status.
She is also tasked with unlocking the commercial potential of all ports in PNG Ports’ network, including the 12 Community Service Obligation (CSO) ports currently funded by the SOE.
Bringing with her property experience as well as more than a decade of aviation industry expertise, PNG Ports’ Chief Financial Officer, Dorothy Kore, joined the SOE in August 2024. Complementing her strong accounting background with an MBA in International Business, Kore also brings highly regarded strengths in project and change management. These capabilities underpin her leadership of core responsibilities spanning financial management and reporting, treasury accounting, and corporate strategy. They are proving particularly valuable in navigating the financial dimensions of the AIFFP-funded port upgrade programme—most notably the complex tax components.
Alongside this, she is driving the modernisation and upgrade of the accounting system and port operations system.
Senior Civil Engineer – Major Projects, Denmark Gimiseve, who joined the SOE in late 2023, brings 15 years of engineering expertise across high-profile projects such as APEC Haus, Angau Memorial Hospital, and the National Football Stadium.
Highly regarded for his technical skills and project management capability, Gimiseve has been “instrumental” in progressing PNG Ports’ nationwide programme of port upgrades since becoming head of the JIU in March this year.
Developing the Talent Pipeline
Today, Bauri, Onga, Kore, and Gimiseve are part of a 12-strong senior leadership team that combines long-serving employees with fresh external talent.
Human Capital Manager Rex Kini notes that “PNG Ports’ dual strategy of developing its own people while recruiting top professionals from outside the organisation has proven highly effective.”
Central to this has been the Graduate Trainee Program, which has trained 60 graduates since inception – 90 per cent of whom secured full-time positions, with most staying at least five years.
Four other senior managers are alumni of the programme. Beyond this, PNG Ports invests heavily in leadership programmes for high-potential staff, including rotational placements, stretch assignments, strategic projects, acting appointments, and external study support.
Strong Results, Strong Future
This strategy is paying off. In the past decade, PNG Ports has strengthened its operational efficiency and global standing, with Lae and Port Moresby climbing the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index. At the same time, profitability has been consistent, allowing substantial dividends to be returned to the State.
The company’s leadership evolution underscores its broader ambition of being led by an exciting new generation of talented professionals – people who combine deep corporate knowledge with fresh perspectives – ensuring PNG Ports continues to deliver value to the nation.
