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Barry Williams Tribute and Funeral Arrangements
TRIBUTE FROM BARRY'S FAMILY
It is with much sadness we advise that our father, Barry Williams, died on the 9th of November 2025 at 18.00hrs age 78. Barry had worked for OCL, (and then P&O, PONL) for over 30 years and is regarded as an industry stalwart.
His career covered the early years on containerisation, then through the development of PONL across the wider Europe and contributed to become the second largest containership company in the world.
Whilst he held numerous senior management and corporate directorships across the group there is no doubt that his founding relationships and experiences were forged in the Barking corner of East London. This experience blossomed across wider Europe and for years, based in Rotterdam, drove a difficult but successful integration through the merger of P&O Containers and Royal Nedlloyd into a cohesive merged identity where many of those key players remain firm friends today. After departing P&O Nedlloyd in 2004 Barry continued to play a leadership role in the shipping, transport and logistics arena.
He joined Amber Road in 2004 as chairman of the board and together with his CEO Jim Preuninger, developed a USA base logistics technology provider through a successful IPO (NYSE) and eventually became a major global player before successfully being purchased for a record transaction to E2 Open.
Barry then rejoined the ESSDocs Board as President of the group in 2019. Working with the Goulandris brothers he was tasked with driving strategic partnerships in the logistic technology arena. This was finally succeeded in 2023 when ESSDocs was acquired to become part of the major USA based ICI organisation.
This concluded a long and successful career where many great friends of OCL remain so today.
TRIBUTE FROM TIM HARRIS
Barry was a different sort of senior manager to his colleagues. He had not been to one of the older universities but he was their equal in intelligence and drive. Not for him the cloistered charm of Oxbridge but the Barking school of the real world. This gave him the great advantage of understanding his industry, that of the new world of containerisation, from the inside out.
Typically it was Barry who led the way in the Company in the new era of the internet and how it might be applied to logistics. It was therefore unsurprising that when PONL was sold, as an entrepreneur he started up a number of successful ventures using the new, developing logistic technology.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
We have been advised by Barry’s daughter Naomi that Barry’s funeral will take place at 11.30 Monday 1st December at his local parish church:
The Street
Assington
Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 5LG
Naomi has added that all are welcome to attend the funeral. There will be a private wake for the family/close friends.
But of all Barry’s qualities perhaps the one that stands out most is his capacity for leadership and friendship. He excelled in building teams and in this respect particularly noteworthy was his success with his Dutch colleagues in PONL.
The continued support for, and participation in SCARA is remarkable twenty years on from the PONL sale. Unfortunately in our Anglo-Saxon world where financial services rule, the benefits that such expertise, teamwork and comradeship can bring count for little when City fees are to be earned from breaking up and selling off.
Barry never complained, he just got on with his life but made sure that he maintained old friendships made during a lifetime of real achievement. We shall miss him.
23/11/2025
Initial notification, Tuesday 18/11/2025
We have received very sad news from John Adams that Barry Williams has died aged 78. Barry passed away on Sunday 9th November at Colchester Hospital with his family around him.
Funeral arrangements, when known, and a tribute to Barry will follow.
Belinda McCormack
SCARA Membership Secretary
Photo right: Barry Williams sat in the bottom right with other members of the P&O Nedlloyd Executive team in the Chairman's Dining Room, Beagle House in 2004.
The other senior management in the picture, starting from the back left: Tara Basi, Jacob Tas, Rutger Van Slobbe and Nigel Pusey, then front row from the left Paul Windfield, Philip Green and then Barry.
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