·S5 E11
From Harbor Commissioner To Global Regulator: Lessons From Mario Cordero, CEO, Port of Long Beach
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Episode Description
🚢 A special By Land and By Sea Podcast episode — and a bittersweet moment in maritime leadership
This week, I had the privilege of sitting down with MARIO CORDERO, who will be retiring this month after leading the Port of Long Beach through some of the most consequential years in supply chain history.
And just this week, the Port announced that Dr. Noel Hacegaba will step in as the next CEO — marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for one of America’s most important gateways.
This interview is unique because it wasn’t just a formal conversation — it was a personal one.
Mario and I worked together more than 10 years ago at the Federal Maritime Commission, and it is genuinely bittersweet to see him step away from this role. Not because he hasn’t earned a well-deserved breather — he has — but because this moment represents the closing of a major arc in his long, impactful career.
Mario has never been someone who “just sits around,” and I have no doubt he will continue contributing to the industry in new and meaningful ways. After a bit of travel, as he told me with a smile.
We talked about his earliest days, his years at the FMC, his role shaping the 2015 congestion report, global regulatory conversations, and what it was really like to lead Long Beach through the surge years.
It was thoughtful, candid, and truly special.
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⚓ JUST-IN-TIME LEARNING™ SPOTLIGHT
Curious about how FMC and MARAD divide responsibilities?
Or how their authorities connect to the issues Mario discusses in this episode?
Check out our Just-in-Time Learning™ micro-course:
👉 “FMC vs. MARAD: Who Does What in U.S. Maritime Policy?”
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