Alastair is the Director of The Sustainable Shipping Initiative - an association of leading shipping industry organisations who are working together towards a more sustainable shipping industry. Alastair is also chairman of the Sailors Society, a charity that supports seafarers and their families at sea and at home.

Previously Alastair was General Manager - Fleet Management for Rio Tinto and was responsible for supervising the specification, construction, bringing into service and on-going operation of seventeen ships ranging from 70-205,000 deadweight bulk carriers. In 2011 Alastair joined the inaugural board of the World Ocean Council and in 2013 was appointed Chairman. He was a director of Rightship Pty. Ltd., the dry and wet ship vetting company from 2008 and in 2009 was appointed chairman until 2013. Alastair has been a member of the Class NK, Lloyds Register and DNV British Committees and remains a member of the Lloyds Register Classing Committee. He was also a director of the UK Chamber of Shipping from 2013 to 2014.

Alastair started his career as a deck cadet and qualified as Master Mariner before coming ashore as cargo superintendent and ship operator in South Africa. He then moved into chartering before moving to coal marketing and coal projects, including coal processing, coal terminals and coal mine acquisition. At that time he completed an MBA. He joined Rio Tinto in 2001.