Official succession at the Port of Long Beach

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners announced that Dr. Noel Hacebaga will succeed Mario Cordero as Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach, with the leadership change taking effect January 1, 2026. Cordero is set to retire at the end of 2025 after 8.5 years as POLB CEO.

Outgoing CEO Mario Cordero’s service record

Mario Cordero concludes a long public service career that included seven years on the Federal Maritime Commission and eight years as a member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners prior to his tenure as POLB CEO.

Hacebaga’s current role and responsibilities

Dr. Noel Hacebaga currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Port of Long Beach and has been with POLB for 15 years in senior management positions. In his COO role he oversees the port’s day-to-day operations, including:

• commercial services
• engineering
• finance and administration
• planning and environmental affairs
• strategic advocacy

Key initiatives led by Hacebaga

Throughout his POLB tenure Hacebaga has directed major operational and strategic efforts. He helped steer the port’s response to pandemic-era global supply chain disruptions, led the Business Recovery Task Force to coordinate industry, labor and government action to keep cargo moving, and developed the Supply Chain Information Highway, a digital platform to boost cargo visibility and data sharing across the national freight network.

Commercial deals and prior leadership roles

Hacebaga negotiated several high-profile commercial transactions for the port, including the multibillion-dollar sales of the Long Beach Container Terminal and Total Terminals International. As POLB’s former Managing Director of Commercial Operations and Chief Commercial Officer, he guided the port through major industry realignment and a record cargo recovery following a significant carrier bankruptcy.

He also served as Executive Director of the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility Joint Powers Authority, which manages a near-dock rail operation that serves both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.

Industry involvement and board service

Hacebaga has held leadership roles in several trade organizations and industry groups. His positions have included service on the board of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, participation in the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), and a term as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Intermodal Association of North America.

Endorsement from Los Angeles leadership

Long Beach’s appointment drew support from Port of Los Angeles Mayor Rex Richardson, who praised Hacebaga’s capacity to guide the port through a pivotal decade focused on climate action, digital transformation and major infrastructure investments. Richardson said he looked forward to collaborating to advance sustainability and competitiveness.

Hacebaga’s priorities and strategic outlook

In a recent interview, Hacebaga said the port’s mission is clear and its long-term plan provides a roadmap for the years ahead. He emphasized POLB’s ability to plan and execute and said the port will remain focused on delivering projects and keeping cargo moving reliably, sustainably and efficiently amid shifting trade policies and tariff uncertainty.

He identified a major infrastructure program as central to that effort: an industry-leading $3.2 billion capital improvement plan over the next decade intended to substantially increase rail capacity inside the port and strengthen rail connections across the national freight network.

Views on trade challenges and decarbonization

Hacebaga highlighted shifting trade policies and tariff uncertainty as primary near-term challenges, saying those forces reshape trade flows and require more effort to protect market share and seek new markets. He stressed the port will continue investing in infrastructure and advancing its transition to zero-emission operations rather than pausing those efforts.

He also noted ongoing collaboration with international partners, including green shipping corridor initiatives with ports in Asia, and pointed to POLB’s two decades of experience as the nation’s first Green Port as a foundation for growing cargo while reducing emissions.

Assessment of the 2025 peak season and recent cargo data

Hacebaga described the 2025 peak season as unusually volatile, with tariff announcements creating a series of mini-peaks and shipments arriving ahead of the usual season. He said gains in the first half of the year were offset by declines in the second half and that cargo volumes swung with policy-related announcements.

Despite the choppiness, August 2025 saw 901,846 TEUs handled at the port, marking the second-busiest August and the sixth-busiest month in the port’s 114-year history. Through October 2025 the Port of Long Beach moved 8,229,916 TEUs, a 4.1% increase from the same period the previous year and a record for that timeframe.