Who’s Who: Maritime Movements for September/October 2022

By Baird Maritime - November 1, 2022.

WORK BOAT WORLD:

Baltimore-based marine equipment supplier VETUS Maxwell has appointed Tieren R. Ebbitt as Applications Engineer. A professional yacht captain and former US Marine, Ebbitt brings with him a wealth of technical experience in the marine sector. He will be based at the VETUS Maxwell’s Baltimore office working directly with the sales managers on technical marine mechanical, electrical and hydraulic projects.

Ebbitt attended the Lincoln Technical Institute at Columbia, Maryland, where he studied automotive technology in depth, including diagnostics and repair in a real-world environment. As a US Coast Guard 50 Ton Master licensed captain, he had been involved in working for a wide range of vessel transfer and chartering companies along the US East Coast, principally in Maryland and Florida. Most recently, he was Customer Service Account and Project Manager at The Hinckley Company in Easton, Maryland.

Classification society DNV has confirmed that Tony Linden will step into the role of Area Manager for the UK and Ireland, having recently been appointed as Business Development Manager for the same area.

Based in London, Linden will be tasked with fostering customer engagement and further strengthening the company’s presence in the UK and Ireland. He brings to his new position broad international market expertise and leadership experience both from his business development activities at DNV and external senior management roles in Asia.

Linden has worked for DNV for the past 11 years in Singapore, most recently as Area Business Development Manager. He gained a BSc (Hons) in International Transport from Southampton Institute. He spent his early career working for CP Ships UK for 10 years latterly as Trade Director working in the UK, Hong Kong, and India. Following that he spent three years as Asia-Europe/Mediterranean Product Management Director, for Hapag-Lloyd (Asia) in Singapore. He was then appointed President of UASC (India) based in Mumbai and responsible for all United Arab Shipping Company activities in India.

Linden returned to Singapore in 2011 to take up the role of Director, Container Ship Operations and Logistics with DNV.

As of January 1, 2023, Roland Briene will become the new Managing Director of Damen Naval, one of the eight divisions within the Damen Shipyards Group. He succeeds Hein van Ameijden in this role.

Briene started his career in the oil and gas industry. In 2004 he made the move to the Damen Shipyards Group, where he served as Sales Manager and Area Director Asia-Pacific. From 2020 he has been Commercial Director for the Damen Naval division.

Van Ameijden will continue to work for Damen after December 31, 2022.

Marine battery manufacturer EST-Floattech has appointed Mark Witjens as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Joep Gorgels as Chief Financial Officer/Chief Business Development Officer (CFO/CBDO). Both will be working from the company’s headquarters in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands.

Witjens has been appointed as the new CEO of EST-Floattech and has previously worked for the Damen Shipyards Group. Among others, he worked as Managing Director of several yards within Damen Shiprepair and Conversion and Director Projects at Damen Cruise RoPax and Offshore.

Gorgels has been appointed as the new CFO/CBDO. Gorgels graduated in chemical engineering. He previously worked as Global Head Transportation and Logistics in shipping at ABN AMRO Bank where he was responsible for all customers worldwide.

Witjens and Gorgels succeed previous CEO Hans Visser.

ZF Marine announces today the hire of George Lewis as new head of product line commercial-fast craft, North/Central America and the Caribbean, reporting to Wolfgang Schmid, ZF’s Industrial Division Head for North America.

Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering from Virginia Tech University and a certificate in yacht design from The Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design. He has multiple years of technical engineering and sales experience across the recreational and commercial marine sector on a boatbuilding- and component-level.

Lewis previously worked at Humphree as regional sales manager, Southeast USA, and at Sea Ray Boats, in Merritt Island, Floridaa, where he held the positions of senior naval architect and naval propulsion supervisor for sport cruisers and sport boats.

Allseas founder and President Edward Heerema is stepping aside after nearly four decades at the helm. Eldest son Pieter Heerema will assume the role of President of the Allseas Group. Edward will remain as Chairman and concentrate on developing and integrating new technological developments.

Edward Heerema launched Allseas in 1985 and has since expanded the company into a global offshore contractor. Pieter meanwhile joined Allseas in 2011 and served as Vice President.

Boat handling equipment manufacturer Marine Travelift has appointed Kurt Minten as its new Executive Vice President.

Minten has been with Marine Travelift since 1986, having been hired to join the company’s internal engineering department. His later positions with the company, as well as in sister company Shuttlelift, were in sales.

Dr Jorg Stratmann has been appointed as CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, a Rolls-Royce business unit. He will join Rolls-Royce on November 15, 2022 reporting to CEO Warren East as part of the wider Executive Team. Separately, Dr Andreas Strecker will join Power Systems as Chief Financial Officer from December 1, 2022.

Stratmann, who holds a doctorate in industrial engineering, was most recently CEO and chairman of the executive board of the automotive supplier Mahle. Previously, he held various international positions for Siemens and leading positions at Mahle.

Strecker has extensive experience in the financial management of international corporations, primarily in the automotive and industrial sectors. Most recently, he was President, Europe and Asia, at Accuride Wheels, a supplier to the global commercial vehicle industry, with responsibility for plants in Asia and Europe. Prior to that he was CFO of Cologne-based engine maker Deutz and CEO of Solaris Bus and Coach, where he turned the company into a manufacturer of electric buses.

Seaspan Shipyards has confirmed the appointment of John McCarthy as CEO. He succeeds Mark Lamarre, who assumes a new role as President and CEO of The Washington Companies, following the planned retirement of the previous President and CEO.

McCarthy has been a part of the senior leadership team with Seaspan Shipyards since 2018 and brings more than 36 years of experience in shipbuilding, repair and overhaul and as a senior leader at American and International shipyards. As Chief Program Officer of Seaspan Shipyards for the past four years, McCarthy oversaw all new construction programs as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Subsea robotics and survey company Rovco has appointed Mitchell Johnson as the company’s new Director – Americas.

Johnson began his career as a marine surveyor before moving to San Diego where, as lead surveyor, he worked on new construction shipbuilding for the US Navy. Having lived and worked in Dubai, Singapore and West Africa and with a strong focus on subsea robotic vehicles and entrepreneurship, he had also headed Oceaneering’s global subsea inspection business unit.

American Queen Voyages (AOV) has appointed Cynthia D’Aoust as its new president.

D’Aoust joins AQV with nearly 40 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry including previously serving as the President of Hospitality for Cape Resorts Management Company and Global President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

D’Aoust has assumed the role of President from Acting President David Giersdorf. She has over 20 years of experience including having served in a variety of board affiliations and memberships across the global travel industry.

Lisa Edvardsen Haugan has been appointed as the new President of Kongsberg Maritime, taking over from Egil Haugsdal.

Edvardsen Haugan has long and extensive experience from both the defence and civil business area in Kongsberg Gruppen, including having been EVP Finance at Kongsberg Maritime and Finance Director at Kongsberg Protech Systems. She currently heads the Deck Machinery and Motion Control division of Kongsberg Maritime.

Foreship has appointed Shaun White as Managing Director of Foreship UK, the company’s new UK subsidiary.

White joins Foreship UK from Spear Power Systems, where he led on the electrification and energy solutions of the marine business as Senior Project Manager. Responsibilities included leadership of the EU Horizon 2020 funded Current Direct initiative, which aims to advance sustainable waterborne transport by developing innovative technology, business, and finance solutions.

St Johns Ship Building has appointed Justin Smith to the position of Vice President of New Construction. He will be leading the company’s production and project management teams who are tasked with building various types of vessels in both steel and aluminium, including multiple series of crewboats for the offshore wind industry.

Smith has more than 40 years of experience in the maritime industry.

Global offshore geotechnical data acquisition, analysis and reporting specialist Geoquip Marine has announced the appointment of Richard Turner as its new Chief Executive Officer with former CEO Stewart Higginson moving to the role of Executive Chairperson. Existing Chairperson, Peter Østergaard Nielsen will remain on the Geoquip Marine board as a Non-Executive Director.

Turner has considerable experience as a CEO and specifically of the offshore energy sector. He joins Geoquip Marine from British Engines, where he was also CEO. Prior to this, he served as President and CEO of JDR Cable Systems. Before joining JDR, he was Vice President of Global Manufacturing at Technip Umbilical Systems.

Geoquip Marine has also confirmed its appointment of Flanery Tangang as its new Country Manager for the USA.

Tangang joins Geoquip Marine from Fugro, where he worked in its Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy in the Americas for the last four years in the role of Commercial Manager. During this time, he worked with major renewable energy developers across the East Coast of America, and was involved in more than 90 per cent of offshore windfarm developments across the region.

Tangang is joining Geoquip Marine with considerable international professional experience in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Americas. In his role as Geoquip Marine’s USA Country Manager, he will be a member of the company’s Senior Management Team and will be responsible for marketing the company’s services and activities.

Electric engine manufacturer Torqeedo has appointed Fabian Bez as the company’s new chief executive officer (CEO). He assumed day-to-day leadership of the company effective October 1, 2022. On November 1, he will be joined by Heiko Vietmeier, who will serve as Torqeedo’s chief financial officer (CFO).

The new management team will replace Dr Markus Müller, CTO and CSO of Torqeedo’s parent company DEUTZ, and Dr Alf Harkort, who served as interim managing directors for the company during the executive search process.

Bez has many years of expertise in strategic corporate development, including having served as vice president e-solution and services at Webasto. As divisional CEO of Webasto Thermo and Comfort, he was also responsible for the end customer business and the leisure and marine segments. Most recently, Bez worked as an independent management consultant in the field of alternative drives and renewable energies.

Vietmeier most recently served as the CFO for Defontaine Group, a manufacturer of slewing bearings for wind turbines, transportation, forestry, machine tools, and marine and medical applications. He holds a degree in business, accounting and management from RWTH Aachen University and a master’s degree in international business from Toulouse Business School. He is also a chartered accountant.

Texas-based marine projects company Callan Marine has introduced Joey Maldonado as its new Vice President of Construction Estimating.

A 25-year veteran of the construction and maritime industry, Maldonado has worked for Kingsley Constructors, Keystone Contractors, the Orion Marine Group, and Russell Marine, serving as both a Project Estimator and Design Engineer.

Maldonado graduated from Wharton College in 1999 and worked for over 20 years on a variety of marine projects throughout the Gulf Coast Region.

Shipping and asset finance lawyer Harry Theochari OBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the Belfast Maritime Consortium.

Theochari holds the position of Senior Consultant at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. He is also current Chair Emeritus of Maritime UK, Chair of Maritime London, and esteemed member of the Institute of Maritime Law Advisory Board at the University of Southampton, and brings with him over 37 years’ experience in the maritime sector and a wealth of international connections.

Mr Theochari previously held an independent board member role within the Belfast Maritime Consortium but assumes the role of Chair following the resignation of predecessor Nusrat Ghani, who moves into a Ministerial Role within the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Effective January 1, 2023, Michael Paterson will be the new Managing Director for Svitzer UK, replacing Kasper Karlsen who has acted as interim MD since June 2022.

Paterson joins Svitzer from a role as Operations Director at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), with a history in maritime gained from 26 years in the Royal Navy.

Survitec has confirmed the appointment of Robert Steen Kledal as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Kledal has over 30 years of experience in executive level roles on a global scale. He was CEO at Wrist Ship Supply, a ship and offshore supplier of provisions and stores, for over nine years. He has also held several senior positions, during his 21 years at the Moeller-Maersk Group and served in the Danish Army as a non-commissioned officer.

In addition to his role as CEO of Survitec, Kledal is also on the Board of Directors at Wrist Ship Supply and Blue Water Shipping, a global provider of tailor-made transport and logistics solutions.

Echandia has appointed Fredrik Hellstrom as its new CEO. He joined Echandia as Deputy CEO in 2021.

Hellstrom has more than 10 years’ experience from leadership in naval design and large-scale project management. He also holds a PhD in Fluid Mechanics and an MSc in Naval Architecture.

Current CEO and founder Magnus Eriksson takes on the position as Chief Strategy Officer.

SHIP WORLD:

Claus Gronborg has been appointed CEO of Maersk Product Tankers.

Gronborg took over the leadership of Maersk Product Tankers on October 1 from Christian M. Ingerslev. Gronborg will remain Chief Investment Officer of Maersk Tankers and a member of the executive team.

Ingerslev will continue as CEO of Maersk Tankers and become a member of the Maersk Product Tankers board of directors.

For the past three years, Gronborg has been managing the Maersk Product Tankers fleet. Previously, he held executive positions, including Chief Commercial Officer and Vice President of Business Development, at Maersk Tankers.

Gronborg holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese from Beijing Language and Culture University and an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School/London Business School.

Associated British Ports (ABP) has named Tim Morris its new Group Head of Corporate Affairs.

Morris is currently CEO at the UK Major Ports Group where he has led the industry trade association for the last five years. Prior to that, he held a number of senior communications, sustainability and strategy roles in the industrial group Tata Steel. Before ports and steel, he spent six years with McKinsey in its strategy and corporate finance team.

At ABP, Morris will lead all aspects of Corporate Affairs including government relations, media relations and external communications. He will join ABP on November 28, 2022.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has appointed Pedro Mairos as Global Underwriting Officer, Marine. He was previously Head of Marine for the UK and Ireland at BHSI.

Mairos joined BHSI in 2019. He has more than two decades of experience in the global marine market, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY) has appointed Layla Mukhtar as the new Internal Audit Manager and Fatima AlRayes as the Legal Affairs Manager, respectively.

Mukhtar is a certified Public Accountant from the New Hampshire Board of Accountancy and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from University of Bahrain. She has work experience of 15 years in the audit and risk assessment fields with firms such as Bahrain Airport Services Company (BAS) and Ithmaar Bank.

AlRayes holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from University of Bahrain and has more than 12 years of experience in the field, having served as a legal counsel in several private sector fields, mostly being in the Islamic Banking sector. Prior to joining ASRY, she held different positions with a number of firms such as Ithmaar Bank, Bahrain Islamic Bank, and Talal Abu Ghazal Legal (TAGLegal), besides her experience in the human resources field and internal audit.

FISHING BOAT WORLD:

Alastair Cooper has been elected as the independent chair of the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO).

Cooper is already familiar with the inshore fishing sector, having served as a Shetland North councillor.

Two other new directors are also joining the board to boost representation from the creel sector. Jerry Pottinger fishes with the crabber Cassie May and Karl Dalziel works scallops and creels with his current boat Aquarius, having spent his earlier career on creel boats.