The Latest Appointments and Departures Within the Global Transport Sector

WORLDWIDE – The BIMCO Board of Directors has approved the nomination of Nikolaus Schües, CEO of Reederei F. Laeisz (Germany) to stand for election as the next President Designate of BIMCO in the summer of 2021, succeeding Sabrina Chao, Chair of Wah Kwong Shipping Holdings Limited (Hong Kong).

Schües has served as BIMCO Vice-President and Board Director for Germany and is currently appointed in his personal capacity. As CEO of Reederei F. Laeisz, he oversees a fleet of container ships, car carriers, LPGs and research vessels.

BIMCO Presidents serve a two-year term. Organisational continuity is ensured with the incoming President (President Designate) sitting on the Board for two years, before being put up for election as President. The outgoing President then remains on the Board for an additional two-year term as Immediate Past President and thereafter Past Presidents are ex-officio Board members.

UK – V.Group has announced the appointments of René Kofod-Olsen as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and of Graham Westgarth as Chair of the Board.

Kofod-Olsen brings a wealth of experience from almost three decades in the global shipping industry. In 2012 he was appointed CEO of Topaz Energy & Marine, a position he held until the company’s divestment in 2019. He stepped down after completing the integration process in 2020. He will join V.Group on November 1.

Graham Westgarth, who has been CEO of V.Group since April 2019, will be assuming the role of Chair of the Board, taking over from John Pattullo.

UK – West of England P&I Club has announced that Captain Simon Hodgkinson has been appointed as Global Head of the West’s Loss Prevention Department. Hodgkinson joins from Polarcus, where he was Head of Marine Operations and responsible for the performance of a fleet of ultra-modern seismic vessels. In addition to his work at Polarcus, Hodgkinson served on the DNV GL Technical Committee Middle East for six years and is a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners and the Nautical Institute.

The West’s Loss Prevention team is further strengthened with the promotion of Dean Crossley to Loss Prevention Manager, and the appointment of James Oliver as a Loss Prevention Officer.

UK – Lars Lippuner has been announced as Director of Solent University’s Warsash Maritime School. Lippuner joined Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy in 2012, taking control of the operations and business development of Warsash Superyacht Academy. He went on to lead the overall commercial operations for the University’s Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering in 2017.

UK – AMCO has announced the appointment of three new members to the company’s Board of Directors. Joining the board are Seán Trainor, Business Development Director; Dave Careless, Financial Director; and Mark Jones, Operations Director.

UK – Xpediator has announced the appointment of Robert Ross as CEO of the Group. Ross, currently joint Interim CEO and CFO, will become Group CEO with immediate effect and a search will commence shortly for a new CFO.

BELGIUM – Peter Andries has joined the ICTS Group as Country Manager for Belgium.

SWEDEN – Handheld Group has announced the appointment of Stefan Rundburg as its new Director of Purchasing. Rundberg joins Handheld after a long career at Swedish retail giant JULA.

INDIA – Mahendra Agarwal, Founder and Managing Director of Hyderabad-based Gati, has resigned from the Boards of Gati, Gati-KWE, and Gati-Kausar, effective immediately.

Photo: President Designate of BIMCO, Nikolaus Schües.