Sir Brian Shaw

PONLHeritage has learned that Sir Brian Shaw died on 5 February at the age of 77.  Sir Brian was the former chairman of Shaw Savill Line and one of the key figures in the early years of the development of containerisation and the establishment of Overseas Containers Limited (OCL). 

One of the highlights of Sir Brian's involvement with Overseas Containers Limited was serving on the steering board with Kerry St Johnston and P&O's Harry Beazley that was set up in late 1973 to drive the containerisation of the Europe-New Zealand and Europe-Southern Africa trades.

Sir Brian was chairman of the Furness Withy Group from 1979 and was also chairman of the Council of European and Japanese National Shipowners' Associations (CENSA) from 1979-1984 and president of the General Council of British Shipping from 1985-86.  He was chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping from 1987-1992 and was knighted in 1986.  He was an Elder Brother of Trinity House, the UK lighthouse authority and was chairman of the Port of London Authority from 1993-2000.

Sir Brian's business interests were not restricted to shipping.  He was a director of the Bank of New Zealand from 1973 to 1977 and Grindlays from 1977-1996.  From 1988 he was on the board of the UK's Automobile Association as its chairman from 1995 until its sale to Centrica in 1999.

A full obituary for Sir Brian Shaw can be found at:

• Daily Telegraph (UK)

• The Independent (UK)