Who’s Who: Maritime Movements for January/February 2024

WORK BOAT WORLD:

Philip Malone has joined UK-based maritime nuclear energy company Core Power as its new Vice President of Engineering.

In his new position, Malone is responsible for providing the strategic, technical, and design leadership required to bring advanced nuclear energy technologies to the maritime sector, leaning on his operational, nuclear engineering, and program execution experience.

Malone graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy and served as a commissioned officer in the US Navy. His navy service included time as reactor officer on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln from 2013 to 2016. From 2017 to 2021, he led the Ford-class New Construction Program (PMS 379) as the Major Program Manager.

Manta Marine Technologies, formerly known as Yara Marine Technologies (YMT), has unveiled its new leadership team following its recent acquisition by Geneva-based Okapi Supply Trading Advisory.

The Manta Marine Technologies team will now be led by CEO Ina Reksten, who previously served as YMT Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer. Outgoing CEO Dr Thomas Koniordos has been appointed as Chair of the Board, while former Chief Sales Officer Aleksander Askeland will be the new CFO and Richard Engelhart Bjercke will be the new CCO.

Edda Wind has appointed Hermann Hovland Øverlie as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) following the resignation of Tom Johan Austrheim.

Øverlie currently serves as Senior Vice President Business Development in Flex LNG and has experience as CFO in the Amar Group. He also has extensive experience from financial/liquidity planning, risk management, and financial analysis from Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers and DnB.

Øverlie holds a master’s degree in Financial Economics from BI Norwegian School of Management. He will start with Edda Wind on March 1, 2024.

Austal Australia has appointed Kathryn Toohey as a Non-Executive Director of the company.

Toohey brings program management, government procurement, digital and technology expertise to Austal, through her experience in senior executive roles in the Australian Department of Defence, including Head of Land Capability with the Australian Army, responsible for the modernisation and sustainment of all Army equipment and infrastructure including helicopters, tanks, communication systems and watercraft.

In her last appointment within the Australian Defence Force Headquarters, Toohey was responsible for integrating capability across the three services as part of the Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group. She retired from Australian Army service as a major general.

Toohey is also a Non-Executive Director of Defence Health, Cylent International, Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants (a division of the Australian Football League) and ACT Basketball. She is also a member of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Executive Council and provides a range of advisory and consulting services.

She holds an Executive Master in Business Administration (Complex Project Management), a Master of Management in Defence Studies; a Graduate Diploma in Information Technology and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Honours). She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the INSEAD Advanced Management Programme.

Nippon Paint Marine has selected Gladys Goh to serve as its newest President.

Goh joined Nippon Paint Malaysia in 2006. She concurrently serves as Senior Vice-President, Strategic Innovation and Marketing at the NIPSEA Group.

St Johns Ship Building has appointed Joe Rella as President of the compay.

Rella received his undergraduate degree in Marine Engineering from the US Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. He brings over four decades of commercial and US Navy maritime experience to St Johns Ship Building.

In November 2023, former CEO Gunvor Ulstein returned to the Ulstein Group as acting CEO.  In an Ulstein Group Board meeting on January 25, 2024, she was appointed CEO of the Ulstein Group.

Ulstein has held several positions in the company, including the top executive role, a position she held for almost 22 years until 2020.

The Kraken Technology Group has designated Mark Exeter to serve as its new Chief Operating Officer.

Exeter joins Kraken from L3Harris, where he was Managing Director of their UK-based ASV division. He has had a 30-year career in engineering and technology-led businesses, of which 16 years were spent leading multi-disciplinary teams in maritime robotics.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the US shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, recently presented its new Board of Directors leadership and the incoming chairs of the SCA Partners Committee.

Brad Moyer, Vice President of BAE Systems Ship Repair, is ascending from his Vice Chairman post to Chairman of the Board, assuming the position from Ben Bordelon, CEO of Bollinger Shipyards.

Joining Moyer to lead the trade association is David Carver, President of General Dynamics NASSCO. Carver has served on the SCA Board of Directors since 2019 and begins a new role as Vice Chairman.

In addition to new leadership at the helm of SCA, SCA’s Partners Committee also welcomed two new chairs. Mark Haller, Owner and President of TriTec MFG, will replace Rob Stuardi of American Equity Underwriters as the SCA Industry Partner Chairman. Replacing Haller as Industry Partner Vice Chairman is John Rhatigan, Chairman of the Board at Marine Machinery Association.

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), an advocacy group representing the US domestic maritime industry, has elected new leadership for the organisation.

Jennifer Carpenter takes the helm as President. She is joined by Vice President Sara Fuentes and James “Jim” Weakley, who will serve the dual role of secretary and treasurer.

The elected officers will hold their positions for a two-year term.

Jennifer Carpenter has worked for over 33 years with the American Waterways Operators (AWO). In her role, Carpenter has worked collaboratively with hundreds of industry stakeholders, the United States Coast Guard, and members of Congress to support the nation’s tug, towboat and barge industry. She will continue to serve as President and CEO of the AWO.

Sara Fuentes will expand from her previous role as Secretary and Treasurer of the AMP, to support the coalition’s government affairs outreach. She will continue to serve as Vice President of the Transportation Institute. She also serves as a leader with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Navy League of the United States and the Propeller Club – Port of Washington DC.

Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers Association (LCA) and a US Coast Guard veteran, will join the AMP leadership team. He will continue to serve as president of the LCA, a position he has held since 2003.

Lasse Wirenius, Internal Auditor and Group Quality Manager at Finnlines, has been appointed to the Finnlines Extended Board of Management.

Wirenius joined Finnlines in January 2020 and has been acting as an Internal Auditor and Group Quality Manager. He reports to the Chairman of Finnlines’ Board of Directors and to the President and CEO.

Fred Olsen Windcarrier has appointed Haakon Magne Ore as its new Chief Executive Officer. He will succeed Alexandra Koefoed on March 1, 2024, following a transition period.

Ore has almost 20 years of experience from capital markets and working with different companies. He joins the company from Fred. Olsen and Co, where he currently serves as Director/Vice President Finance, a role he held since 2019.

His previous experience includes positions with DNB Markets Investment Banking, Fearnley Funds, and Orkla.

SHIP WORLD:

Associated British Ports (ABP) has appointed Ashley Curnow as the new Divisional Port Manager for Wales and the Southwest. Curnow assumed the role at the start of 2024, and is overseeing ABP’s five key ports in South Wales alongside Plymouth and Teignmouth in the Southwest.

Previously serving as the Head of Humber International Terminal and Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal (IRFT) on the Humber, he brings a wealth of experience to his new role.

Curnow joined ABP as a Graduate Management Trainee, progressing through various operational and management roles.

ABP has also created a new role of Capital Projects Director to strengthen focus on growth and delivery of its pipeline of strategic developments. Francis Paonessa will be the first to assume this new role.

Paonessa will be part of the senior Executive Team and report directly to the Henrik L. Pedersen, ABP’s CEO. The role will also assume responsibility for the corporate engineering function, allowing the Capital Projects Director to have an end-to-end focus on engineering strategy and assurance.

Paonessa will join ABP in April from Thames Water, where he has led a portfolio of projects. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of Infrastructure Projects at Network Rail, where he headed up the UK’s largest portfolio of capital projects.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has appointed Svend Stenberg Mølholt as Chief Commercial Officer, effective January 9, 2024.

Mølholt has been in the shipping industry for 20 years, most recently serving as the Group COO in Monjasa Holding, a global fuel and shipping company. While serving in this role, he also held the position of Chairman of the Board at RelateIT, one of Denmark’s largest NAV/Business Central partners.

Before his time at Monjasa Holding and RelateIT, Mølholt spent most of his career in Maersk Logistics/Damco and held a number of roles in China and Denmark, including Chief Commercial Officer and, finally, Chief Transformation Officer.