Project and Logistics Management Strategies​

PALMS CV

Since its inception in late 2009, PALMS has delivered – and continues to - deliver a diverse and significant range of outcomes which have added substantial value and success to client's ventures.  A noteworthy number of these successes are articulated in the "client case studies" section of this website.  PALMS proudly has secured clients overseas, inter-state, intra-state and locally within its home base of metropolitan Perth.

Dennis Parsons commands a proven capability in senior executive business logistics, strategic planning and port development projects delivering trade facilitation and major regional economic growth. Dennis successfully changes cultural paradigms from process to service orientation and develops a focus on supply chain integration for port/terminal services in parallel with strategic development initiatives; this philosophy is known as Quality Port Management.

PALMS unique service offering is also augmented by Dennis Parsons’s significant exposure to business optimization, process improvement, change management and strategic management through four prior career paths. Each of those pathways has culminated in either business ownership or attainment of senior executive positions such as Business Owner, Director, Chief Executive Officer, General Manager or an Executive Officer.

PALMS CV includes engagement in relation to; mergers and acquisitions, iron ore mining and infrastructure development projects, advice to ports in relation to commercial (cost and price) and operational service parameters, advice to engineering and infrastructure providers in relation to plant, equipment, terminal, port and shipping interfaces, assistance with and participation in contracts and tenders documentation and bidding within the sector, expert industry advice for the purposes of supporting legal deliberation, logistics options and advice to container service operators, subject matter expert advice to Government/s supporting precipitant regulatory action including representations to the ACCC, strategic planning and policy advice and development of end-to-end [least cost pathway] supply chains and shipping services. PALMS processes review, recover, restore and release latent opportunity within the venture, project or supply client and gives the client the freedom to grow and develop the venture further.

Dennis Parsons engages subject matter expert consultants as sub-contractors to fill areas of proficiency where he is not eminently expert himself. This delivers an amalgam of niche resources to client deliverables through one entity to generate expedient and focused results without the need for complex engagement terms, high overheads and compromise of sensitive relationships/boundaries of influence when delivering multifaceted and sensitive goals.

A decade ago, as CEO of EPSL Dennis delivered a three-year recovery in two years, driving forward strategy, accelerating delivery a complete organizational review and restoring operability of the business; following an earlier systemic management failure and major environmental impact. His team simultaneously delivered a “five plus ten” year strategic development plan which is already delivering logistics solutions and capitalizing on supply chain interfaces. The port can now facilitate significant trade diversification and growth, land acquisition and IMT development with expansion plans that integrate seamlessly with road and rail in the regional, state and national supply chains; having already facilitated the first round-the-world container service for a regional WA port.

Earlier, as PKPC’s General Manager Marine working with the Board and other GM’s to facilitate growth of customers and business through the port and diversify the services mix from 2004 to 2007. Dennis was a key element of the PKPC marketing team as well as the Project Control Group for the MPB/AAT development ($160M), Dennis chaired the PKPC Shipping Strategy Group, PKPC Dredge Committee, PKPC Management Review Committee and the PKPC Port Security Committee.  The goal of PKPC was to become a logistics hub, for cargo and customers relocated to Port Kembla as an element of the NSW Government’s Ports Growth Strategy.  This successfully established Port Kembla as a third generation, logistics hub, port.

Initially, in ports, at Geraldton Dennis contributed to GPA strategic planning and port development initiatives; in addition to being the marine management member of the Project Control Group for the successful $116M Port Enhancement. The enhancement now delivers competitive advantages to the port and the Mid-West Region, including economies of scale; value added services, supply chain management improvements and freight transport logistics benefits to port stakeholders.  Key achievements during his tenure were the Port Enhancement Project, including public mediation, MGI Port Services Agreement and development of best practice towage and UKC service provision licenses. Other highlights were development of the Port Marine Safety Code, Berthing and Inter-berth priority code and KSI logistical implications paper for Geraldton Port and the “South Tomi” project

Prior to the decade of port management, Dennis was a sole-trader providing Pilotage services in the newly deregulated and highly competitive Great Barrier Reef environment, where his association's market share grew to 55%. Beyond operations, as the Secretary of Marine Coast Pilots (MCP) he was responsible for interface with managing agents and for association service business, liaison with AMSA, the QUT Fatigue Study Advisory Group, the pilots’ professional development training and other general administration matters of internal necessity.

Dennis’s initial employment was with Pacific Towing New Guinea in Lae, PNG. Following which he served on many world-wide trades within the Blue Star Group including both liner and reefer tramping vessels, BSL Westcoast USA/Pacific Islands trades with container, Breakbulk and Heavy Lift, ACT Container consortium vessels, Lamport and Holt Line and Austasia Line (Singapore).  Later, as Chief Officer and subsequently as Master with Keppel Group, Singapore, he provided shipping operations by way of chartered vessels to the dry-bulk sector and operated on voyage, time and period fixtures which variously involved FOB, CnF or L/TCOA terms. This career period involved active and engagement with all elements of the chartering and shipping sector and matters relating to shipping and voyage fixtures. Dennis was often entrusted with project duties such as major dry-dockings, re-flagging, survey and re-manning of vessels.

Captain Dennis Parsons is a Master Mariner FG Class 1 and holds a Graduate Diploma in Business (with distinctions) as well a Master of Business Administration degree. He has presented and written on many issues relating to transport and the application of logistics resources.  Dennis is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management as well as a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.