The Celtic Freeport has today welcomed Dr Chris Martin OBE MStJ DL as Interim Chair of the Board of Celtic Freeport Company Limited, following the resignation of Ed Tomp. The Freeport and its partners sincerely thank outgoing Chair, Ed Tomp, for his leadership and support in guiding the team over the past 14 months.
Chris joins as Interim Chair, with a distinguished career in leadership roles across ports, private, public and charitable sectors.
He served for 12 years as Chair and Vice Chair of the Port of Milford Haven, the UK’s leading energy port, where Chris championed regeneration, inward investment and community resilience. A strong advocate of regional development, he backed the Swansea Bay City Deal and was part of the team that helped establish the Celtic Freeport to drive economic growth across South West Wales.
He has also made a significant contribution to Welsh public life, chairing four separate health organisations over two decades, along with national and local charities and currently chairs the Life Sciences Hub Wales. In 2023, he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Dyfed and in 2025, he was awarded an OBE for distinguished service to the maritime and port sector.
The Celtic Freeport public-private partnership is led by Associated British Ports (ABP), Neath Port Talbot Council (NPTC), Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) and the Port of Milford Haven. The Freeport also brings together renewable energy developers, energy companies, industrial complexes, innovation hubs, academic institutions and education providers. Neath Port Talbot Council serves as the accountable body for public funding.
