The Port of Long Beach will be under new leadership in the new year following retirement of longtime CEO and advocate for sustainability and modernization at the U.S.’s second busiest container port.

On Dec. 8, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously appointed current Chief Operating Officer Noel Hacegaba as the incoming CEO of the Port of Long Beach, effective Jan. 1, 2026, to succeed Mario Cordero after more than eight years at the helm.

“I know that I am leaving the Port in very capable hands with Noel at the helm, following his many years as my right-hand man,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Noel has the talent and collaborative approach to drive competitiveness and accelerate our zero-emissions goals during a period of tremendous growth at the Port.”

Hacegaba has served in senior management roles at the port for 15 years, rising to COO, where he oversees daily operations. In recent years, Hacegaba directed the Business Recovery Task Force during the COVID-19 pandemic to anticipate, gather and report critical business information as the supply chain was disrupted. He also spearheaded the development of the port’s Supply Chain Information Highway, a digital platform designed to improve cargo visibility and data sharing across the national freight network.

“We have a unique opportunity to clarify our vision, simplify our mission and amplify our impact throughout surrounding communities and across the global supply chain,” Hacegaba said in a Dec. 9 news release.

Hacegaba’s leadership will shape the agenda, on everything from technology deployment to cargo visibility, at one of the nation’s gateways for trans-Pacific trade.