Strategic Development News

Radio Holland Group, part of the Pon Group, has appointed Sven Zaadnoordijk as its new CEO effective January 1, 2024. Sven will replace Kees-Jan Mes, who led the group through an important transformation over the last few years.Zaadnoordijk joined the group in 2012 and brings a wealth of experience in the maritime industry. Having served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Regional Director for both Asia and Americas, stationed in various countries like The Netherlands, Hong Kong…

Teekay Corporation announced Vince Lok’s retirement as Teekay’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective January 1, 2023, after nearly 30 years with the company, including the past 16 years as Teekay’s Group CFO.Upon Lok’s retirement, Brody Speers, Vice President, Finance & Treasurer, will be assuming Lok’s responsibilities, along with continuing to oversee Teekay’s Finance, Accounting and Tax teams. Lok has agreed to stay on as an advisor through the end of 2023 to help ensure a smooth transition as well as support the company’s strategic initiatives.Kenneth Hvid…

Crowley has appointed Bob Karl as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new business unit, Crowley Wind Services. As Crowley elevates the scope of its offerings in wind energy, Karl will lead the company’s wind services team in the strategic development and expansion of services to support the emerging sector. The development of a wind service business unit will see the company continue to leverage its expertise and assets to provide landside and marine logistic solutions throughout the wind lifecycle.

Shannon Foynes Port Company has selected Bechtel to update its Vision 2041 master plan to accommodate offshore and onshore investment within and near its harbor in Ireland. Bechtel will support the company in considering how to deliver significant growth and expansion of the port, including how it can support the offshore wind industry and the production of alternative shipping fuels.Shannon Foynes Port is located in Ireland's deepest sheltered commercial harbor with jurisdiction over all marine activities on a 500-kilometer square area on the Shannon Estuary…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine has informed that Kristin Jovel, its Corporate Business Manager, has been appointed the position of Vice President Business Operations for its North American offices.Jovel joined the Houston office in 2010 after serving as a Director of a top-tier service management company. "Over the past 11 years, she has successfully led various strategic development initiatives aligned to the company’s business operations and corporate governance.

Taiwanese coast guard commander Lin Chie-ming is on the frontline of a new type of warfare that China is waging against Taiwan. China’s weapon? Sand.On a chilly morning in late January, Lin, clad in an orange uniform, stood on the rolling deck of his boat as it patrolled in choppy waters off the Taiwan-run Matsu Islands. A few kilometers away, the Chinese coast was faintly visible from Lin’s boat. He was on the lookout for Chinese sand-dredging ships encroaching on waters controlled by Taiwan.The Chinese goal…

Yanmar America said it has hired Carl J. Micu as division manager of power solutions. He will oversee all engine sales and be responsible for the strategic development of long-term sales growth plans and annual sales targets related to industrial engines, commercial and large marine engines in the Americas.Prior to Yanmar, Micu served 15 years in various roles at John Deere Power Systems. His most recent role was manager, OEM engine sales, Americas and OEM drivetrain sales global.Micu holds an International MBA from the Universitäte Bern Institute für Finanzmanagement in Switzerland…

Swedish-based waterjet propulsion systems supplier Marine Jet Power (MJP) said it has appointed Jonas Tegström as chief executive officer to succeed interim CEO Claes Rudling, who will resume his position on the board of directors.Tegström brings more than 20 years of senior management experience, including strategic development, plan execution and manufacturing expertise. Most recently Tegström served as the CEO of Orio AB, the former after sales company of SAAB Automobile, where he led a major restructuring.“I am honored and excited to join the MJP team,” Tegström said.

Ecochlor announced the addition of Michael "Mick" Madely to fill a newly created position of Vice President of Global Service. Madely has had a full career in the global maritime industry with over 25 years of experience in senior management positions in both Commercial and Technical roles. He has extensive experience in Asia and the Middle East with a hands-on approach in leading sales and operations of world class capital equipment and engineering providers. For the past 10 years…

Wärtsilä has signed a strategic development agreement with Chinese state-owned shipbuilder CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited Huangpu Wenchong. The five year agreement is aimed at the joint development of a hybrid powered dredger, but could possibly extend to other hybrid vessels as well. The agreement was signed on December 3 at the Marintec conference and exhibition in Shanghai.The purpose of the agreement is to build a cooperation framework and working mechanism for the research and development of hybrid power systems.

The recently named cable laying vessel Leonardo Da Vinci, set to join the fleet of energy and telecom cable systems company Prysmian Group in the second quarter of 2021, incorporates innovative features that required the new battery power class notation to be developed by classification society RINA.The new vessel is being built by Vard, a Fincantieri company, at one of its shipyards in Norway, with the hull being fabricated at Vard Tulcea in Romania. RINA has carried out a full…

Mozambique Rovuma Venture (MRV) has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to a consortium of Fluor, JGC, and TechnipFMC for its Mozambique Rovuma LNG Phase 1 project in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.MRV, a joint-venture composed of Eni, ExxonMobil and CNPC, holds a 70% interest in the exploration and production concession of Area 4, with Galp, Kogas and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) each holding a 10% interest.The Rovuma LNG Project will produce, liquefy and market natural gas from three reservoirs of the Mamba complex located in the Area 4 block in the Offshore Rovuma Basin. It includes the construction of two natural gas liquefaction trains…

OSM Maritime Group, the provider of full service solutions to the Offshore and Maritime Industry, announced that it has appointed Tommy Olofsen as the Chairman.Tommy will in his new role, in addition to his current responsibilities, be responsible for strategic development, business relations and have a special focus on preserving and developing the OSM DNA and our core values, it said. Tommy will continue to be based in Arendal, Norway, the ship management company said.Bjoern Sprotte will be appointed CEO of OSM Maritime and be overall in charge of all day-to-day operations of the Group. Bjoern will be responsible for maintaining and developing common performance standards and systems throughout OSM.

Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) consented to the construction and of a recreational harbor in Mazandaran province.Mohammadtaghi Ananzorp, the Director General of Ports and Maritime of Mazandaran Province, stated that the committee for the licensing of maritime structures of the Ports and Maritime Organization agreed on the establishment and construction of a Recreational Harbor in the coastal strip of Izadshahr in Mazandaran province.He added that all natural and legal persons applying for the issuance of permits for offshore structures can register through the sm.pmo.ir system to obtain permission from the Maritime Licensing Committee of the Ports and Maritime Organization.Meanwhile…

OPITO, the global, not-for-profit skills body for the energy industry, has appointed Brandon Grosvenor to the new role of vice president of strategic development for the Americas region.He had previously spent more than a decade with National Oilwell Varco in Houston, most recently as a global business development manager. Mr Grosvenor also served in various roles within the global training organization where he created and implemented training programmes and developed skills assessments.More than 350,000 people are trained to OPITO standards ever year and Mr Grosvenor will further increase support to the oil and gas industry in the region.He said: “There is growing interest in increasing competency…

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) advocacy group SEA\LNG has announced the appointment of Paul Taylor representing Société Générale and Capt M. Segar representing MPA (The Maritime and Port Authority) of Singapore as Directors of SEA\LNG Ltd.Following elections last December, Tahir Faruqui and Xavier Pfeuty also join the SEA\LNG Board as new directors representing Shell and Total Marine Fuels respectively.Welcoming them to the Board, reappointed Chairman Peter Keller said: “2018 was an exciting year for the LNG industry and our coalition. As our membership grew to 36 we welcomed Société Générale as our first financial institution and additional ports, including MPA Singapore.

Designers OSK, owners Rederiaktiebolaget Gotland and builders Guangzhou Shipyard International jointly celebrated the delivery of MV VISBORG  the first vessel in a series of two intended to ply the waters between Gotland’s largest city Visby and the ports of Nynaeshamn and Oscarshamn in mainland Sweden.OSK Group has played a significant role in the development and design of the powerful dual fuel RoPax ferry. OSK-ShipTech has had a dual role being consulting naval architects for…

RINA, has launched a Digital Ship Notation, now available for shipowners willing to demonstrate the added value of their ship or fleet through the efficient use of digital technology.GNV is the first company to receive the new notation, certifying 11 ships of its fleet, all equipped with a data collection system: the synergy with RINA, launched in 2012, has led to the development of the Digital Ship project on board of the GNV vessels, thanks to which an important path of fleet…

The Rotterdam-based inland shipping cooperative NPRC is the first logistics service provider in the inland shipping sector to be appointed as ‘incentive provider’ by the Green Award Foundation. In practice, NPRC can be expected to pay a share of the audit costs associated with certification for its members, as well as actively thinking along about the requirements set for the Green Award certification of inland shipping companies. According to the Member of the Provincial Executive of South Holland Rik Janssen, this is a ground-breaking collaboration. The unique partnership was announced during the meeting ‘Goederenvervoer over Water in een Stroomversnelling’ (‘Freight Transport by Water picks up Pace’) organised by the Province of South Holland on Wednesday, 20 June.

d’Amico Group will build a new fleet digital operating center in Rome, Italy that will help the dry cargo and tanker shipping company to boost efficiency and safety across its fleet through increased collection of performance details and data from its ships.The new center, which is being created through a partnership with RINA and Telemar, is part of the trend toward increasing digitalization within the maritime industry. In addition to providing d’Amico Group with intelligence about operations on which to base strategic business decisions and operational improvements…

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) appointed Preston Khomo, previously Richards Bay Port Manager, as Executive Manager: Ship Repair, to manage and administer the organization’s ship repair resources nationally.Thamsanqa (Thami) Sithole has been appointed as the new Port Manager for Richards Bay. Both appointments are effective July 1.Khomo joined TNPA in 2004 as Head of Infrastructure Development: Port Operations and Consulting at Portcon (the then international arm of Transnet)…

Pankaj Khanna has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Rig UDW, a global provider of offshore deepwater drilling services,  effective January 1, 2018. Khanna is 47 years old with 29 years of varied experience in the maritime & offshore industry. He last served as Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer Marine Inc, a drybulk company that he founded in 2013. Prior to his position at Pioneer Marine Inc Khanna served as Chief Marketing Officer at Ocean Rig UDW Inc. from January 1, 2012 to October 2, 2012. Mr. Khanna served as the Chief Operating Officer of DryShips, Inc. from March 2009 to October 2, 2012. Prior to joining DryShips, he served in C-Suite roles at Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd and Alba Maritime Services S.A.

KOTUG Australia and Teekay Shipping Australia Pty Ltd. have reached a deal to reshape KT Maritime Services Australia Pty Ltd. (KTM) from a 50/50 joint venture to a full subsidiary of the KOTUG group. KTM was incorporated in 2012 to serve the Australian towage market. Now, after several years of working with KOTUG to establish this business, Teekay will exit KTM to focus on its Australian ship management, crewing and consultancy businesses. The deal received unanimous approval from the boards of both parent companies and was executed in the first week of April 2018.