An exciting time to take the reins

THE new chairman of Hull and East Yorkshire Bondholders said he is excited to take over the reins of the organisation at such a crucial period in the region's development.

Goole entrepreneur Peter Aarosin was yesterday unveiled as the man who is taking over from current chairman Jim Dick, who stepped in to save the organisation following the demise of Hull Forward.

Mr Dick, who said he would do the role "for a year", has now been at the forefront of the scheme for almost three years, leading it as it moved to a private sector-led model.

During that time, membership has increased from about 130 members to 172.

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However, as a founder member of the Image Group, the forerunner to the Bondholder Scheme, Mr Dick has long been a pioneer of work to improve the image of Hull and the wider region.

Mr Aarosin, whose companies operate in the shipping, logistics and renewables sectors on both banks of the Humber as well as in Europe, said: "It is quite an ask for me to follow in Jim's footsteps, as he has led the organisation selflessly for a long time.

"I am very excited to take on the role as these are exciting times for Hull and the Humber.

"I have been here for more than 30 years and I don't honestly think there has been a time where there has been more excitement about the opportunities and the potential.

"I think what is going on in the Humber will change not only what is going on in this area but also our lives and what happens in the future."

Speaking at the Bondholder Breakfast, which took place at the Mercure Royal Hotel Hull, Mr Aarosin urged members to continue being proactive and positive in order to "take full advantages of the opportunities in front of us".

And he said he looked forward to a time when the Hull and Humber brand was as recognisable as the major ports throughout Europe.

"When I am travelling and go to a corner of China and mention Rotterdam, everybody would be able to place it on the European coastline, but when I mention Hull or Humber, it becomes more difficult," he said.

"We must change that. Let's get together and do things a bit more joined up so we can get across this more coherent message.

"My dream is to be able to travel around the world and everybody know where the Humber is, just like they do now with Rotterdam."

Mr Aarosin will take up the position on March 1.