Dr Paul E. Kent is Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Ports and Logistics with international economics firm Monument Economics Group. Prior to Monument, Paul was SVP at Nathan Associates Inc. and Associate Director of Louisiana State University’s National Ports and Waterways Institute. He is a recognized global authority on port and logistics matters, having been engaged in more than 200 projects in 53 countries. He has also served as expert witness in international arbitration investment disputes, particularly on port concession and regulatory matters.

During his career, Paul has advised governments at national, regional, and local levels as well as private investors and asset owners. His clients have included national government ministries, multilateral financial institutions and development organizations, the United Nations and its regional economic commissions, regional economic communities, donor organizations, investment banks, and marine terminal operators. His experience includes institutional and regulatory reforms, privatization studies, strategic planning, master plan feasibility studies, investment due diligence assessments, growth strategy analysis, economic and financial impact assessments, and operational and organizational performance assessments. Selected engagements include Southern Vietnam’s Port Decongestion Strategy, Yangon (Myanmar) Comprehensive Port Development Plan, International Arbitration Dispute DPWorld Callao S.R.L. et al v. The Republic of Peru, Honduras Port Concession Performance Monitoring, Ethiopia National Logistics Strategy, Panama Canal Growth Strategy, Saudi Arabia’s National Port Strategy, the Suez Canal Area Development Program, Abu Dhabi Maritime Regulation Assessment, and Port of Los Angeles Organizational Benchmarking Study.

Paul holds a Ph.D. in Maritime Economics from the Central Scientific Institute for Water Transport Economics and Operations in Moscow, a Master of Science in Urban Studies degree from the University of New Orleans, and Master of Public Administration and B.A. in Political Science degrees from West Virginia University. The World Bank’s Port Reform Toolkit’s Regulatory Module is largely based on Paul’s doctoral dissertation, where he also created a model for monitoring the competitive behavior of marine terminal operators. Paul has also developed models for monitoring port performance, estimating terminal throughput capacity, assessing freight corridor performance, demand forecasting, and assessing economic and financial impacts. A frequent guest lecturer in ports and logistics at many universities and academic conferences, Paul is currently working on his book, The Business of Sea Ports: A Guide for Industry Practitioners, to be published in 2023.