Hapag-Lloyd mourns the loss of former Executive Board chairman Hans Jakob Kruse, who led the company from 1973 until 1993. On February 4, Hans Jakob Kruse died in Hamburg at the age of 84. He was the chairman of the Hapag-Lloyd Executive Board for two decades from 1973 until 1993. “Hapag-Lloyd is mourning the loss of a visionary and beloved chairman, whose substantial contribution shaped our company as well as the global shipping industry,” said Michael Behrendt, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hapag-Lloyd. Following an apprenticeship as a shipping agent, Hans Jakob Kruse began his career in 1964 as a representative of Hapag and Norddeutscher Lloyd in Australia. In 1967 he returned to Germany as the head of Canada and Australia services.