Strategic Leadership Team

Following a 20 year career in the Royal Australian Navy, Peter settled in Darwin in 1997 and has been primarily engaged in management positions within the shipping industry.  

Peter spent six years with Swire Shipping as Business Development Manager for the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. During that time he was heavily involved in the development of the AustralAsia Trade route concept.  Peter was also a member of the International Business Council during this period including 2 years as Deputy Chairperson.

Following his time with Swire Shipping Peter joined Perkins Shipping as the Coastal Trades Manager and continued in this role following the acquisition of the business by Toll.

Peter joined Darwin Port in 2011 and was initially responsible for trade development, including the cruise and defence sectors, property management and media and stakeholder liaison.

Peter was appointed the Chief Executive officer at Darwin Port in September 2022 after acting in the position during the processing period.

Sarah-Jane Archdale joined Darwin Port in September 2016 previously working in private practice in both Australia and London.  During the course of her career, Sarah-Jane has specialised in construction and major projects advising on construction, infrastructure and energy contracts as well as providing procurement advice. Sarah-Jane has been involved with a broad range of international projects in Europe, Asia and Australia.

As Group Company Secretary & Chief Corporate Governance Officer, Sarah-Jane is responsible for providing legal, governance, compliance, and regulatory advice to Landbridge and Darwin Port along with carrying out company secretarial functions.

David is responsible for all waterside operations that promote the safe passage of all commercial, domestic and foreign vessels in the Port of Darwin.  He has a number of high performing teams that report to him including the Darwin Port Pilotage Team, the Pilot Vessel Operations Team, the Harbour Control Team and the Integrated Operations Scheduler.

David has a long-term work career based in Darwin. He has vast marine knowledge that includes offshore and onshore exploration and production in the Timor Sea and at Darwin LNG.  Prior to arriving in Darwin in 2016, David had time working in the USA, UK and SE Asia on various projects and maritime technology development like FLNG and deep water FPSOs.  He has co-authored maritime publications through his association with the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) leading to enhanced maritime safety measures, particularly with the safe handling of liquefied gases.  Prior to the pursuit of a career in oil and gas, he sailed on the Australian registered Bluewater fleet transporting liquefied commodities on various tankers and frequently delivering petroleum products to Darwin.  David joined ASP Ship Management in the early nineties as a cadet and did all his training through the Australian Maritime College, graduating in 1996.   

Ryan brings 15 years of experience across asset management, reliability engineering, and project delivery, with a strong background in the mining, civil construction, and maritime industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Charles Darwin University providing a strong technical foundation in complex infrastructure systems, asset performance, and engineering operations.

Before joining Darwin Port, Ryan spent more than a decade building specialist expertise in heavy asset lifecycle management, reliability improvement, and operational efficiency across demanding, high-stakes environments. His experience spans Reliability Centred Maintenance, whole-of-life asset strategies, capital planning, procurement, and data-driven decision-making, consistently delivering reduced downtime, extended asset life and cost efficiencies across large mobile fleets, fixed infrastructure, and marine systems.

Ryan joined Darwin Port in 2022 as Senior Manager Maintenance & Engineering, where he led the end-to-end management of critical port infrastructure assets. In 2026, he was promoted to General Manager, Strategy & Growth. In this role, Ryan provides executive leadership across strategic planning, trade growth, asset management, capital investment, and sustainability, supporting Darwin Port’s long-term development as Northern Australia’s premier trade gateway.