Robert Hill was appointed Director in July 2021 after serving as Interim Director since September 2020. He joined the Institute as Head of Membership in February 2015 after nearly 30 years in the shipping industry. He has mainly been involved in liner shipping and port agency, including management positions for ship agency companies in New Zealand and a liner trade management role in Sydney, Australia.

Robert is from New Zealand and has worked in shipping in England, Germany and Australia as well as in New Zealand.

Robert has been a Member of the Institute since 1996, was branch secretary of the Australia/New Zealand branch for six years and held the position of Chairman of the Membership Committee 2013-15. Robert was made a Fellow of the Institute in 2012. Robert has an MBA in Maritime Management from the Australian Maritime College.