The Montreal Port Authority Announces the Appointment of Paul Bird as Chief Executive Officer

MONTREAL, May 15, 2026 /CNW/ - The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) today announces the appointment of Mr. Paul Bird as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 8, 2026. Mr. Bird most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer of the MPA until March 2026.

Mr. Bird's appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer comes at a new strategic phase for the organization, marked in particular by the securing of a $1.16 billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support the Contrecœur terminal project, whose economic strength has been recognized by Standard & Poor's.

In accordance with sound governance practices, the Board of Directors' succession plan was implemented when the CEO position became vacant.

"We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Bird back to the MPA. Building on significant achievements during his six years at the Port of Montreal, he is fully committed to contributing actively to the commissioning of the Contrecœur terminal and to the continued development of new markets, for the benefit of Canada's and Québec's economic growth. The Board of Directors has full confidence in his appointment and assures him of its support in ensuring continuity of the MPA's mission," said Ms. Nathalie Pilon, Chair of the Board of Directors of the MPA.

"The MPA is a key link in supporting the growth of our domestic businesses, and I will leverage my leadership and operational experience at the Port, drawing on trusted relationships with our teams and our commercial and financial partners, to ensure the sound management of operations as thousands of businesses rely on us to diversify or reshore trade flows," said Mr. Bird, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Montréal.

Graduate in Applied Geology, Paul Bird has extensive experience managing large-scale projects. Having joined the MPA in 2020 as Senior Director of the Contrecœur expansion project and later serving as Chief Commercial Officer, he played a key role in securing environmental permits, finalizing design and engineering, developing partnership agreements, and initiating preparatory work for the terminal project. He previously spent nearly 10 years overseeing infrastructure for the mining, rail and port sectors at ArcelorMittal.

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the largest container port in Eastern Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity in Canada supports some 590,000 jobs and generates close to $98.5 billion in economic activity.

SOURCE Port of Montreal

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