Clarksons has appointed Niamh Staunton as its chief financial officer, with effect from Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Staunton also joins the board of the London-listed shipping services group as an executive director.

Staunton joins Clarksons from bp, where she most recently served as senior vice president for finance and risk in the company's supply, trading and shipping business. She brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across finance, treasury, risk management and capital markets, built through senior roles at bp and Morgan Stanley.

Replacing a 19-year veteran

Staunton replaces Jeff Woyda, who stepped down as chief financial officer and chief operating officer after 19 years with the company. Clarksons first announced her appointment in June 2026 and confirmed the 11 November start date in October.

Chief executive Andi Case said Staunton joined at a particularly exciting time as Clarksons approaches its 175th anniversary next year, adding that her experience and perspective made her a fantastic fit for the group. Staunton said she had been hugely impressed by the quality and ambition of the people throughout the group and looked forward to building on its financial strength and leading market positions.

Strong recent trading

Staunton arrives after a strong run for the FTSE 250 company, which recently raised its 2026 underlying pre-tax profit guidance to at least 135 million pounds, against 90.6 million pounds reported for 2025. Clarksons, which provides shipbroking, research, logistics support and investment banking services to shipping and offshore markets, has a market value of about 1.6 billion pounds.

The appointment comes as shipping markets remain firmly in focus, with Clarksons' broking and research teams tracking freight rates, vessel values and trade flows across the world's shipping lanes.