Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, announced he will retire at the end of 2025. His decision marks the close of an 8½-year tenure leading one of the world’s busiest seaports.
Cordero guided the Port through rapid cargo growth, a global pandemic, and major modernization projects. He became known for advancing environmental sustainability and strengthening competitiveness. He also gained recognition as a thought leader in global trade, often sought for public speaking and media commentary.
Before becoming CEO in 2017, Cordero served seven years on the Federal Maritime Commission, including four as chairman, and eight years on the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. In 2005, he helped launch the Port’s Green Port Policy, a landmark initiative that transformed environmental practices across the harbor.
“Leading the Port has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Cordero said. “I will miss being in the center of global trade, but I leave knowing the Port is in capable hands.”
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson praised Cordero as a visionary who “always kept people and community at the center.” Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna called him a calm, steady leader who guided the Port through “unprecedented times.”
Cordero, the son of Mexican immigrants, built a career as both an attorney and educator. Beyond the Port, he has served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Los Angeles branch and was recently named to the LA Business Journal’s “LA500” list for the seventh consecutive year.
The Board of Harbor Commissioners will soon outline the process to select his successor.
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