Øivind Lorentzen, III, CEO of SEACOR Holdings Inc. has been named as the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Commodore for the year 2012. Mr. Lorentzen follows a long succession of influential maritime industry leaders as Commodore. The 2012 Commodore Award will be presented to Mr. Lorentzen on March 21, 2012 at the Gala Dinner marking the conclusion of the annual Connecticut Maritime Association conference and trade exposition, at the Hilton Hotel in Stamford, Conn. The Award is given each year to a person in the international maritime industry who has contributed to the growth and development of the industry. Lorentzen has served as CEO of SEACOR Holdings Inc. since September 2010. Since his appointment to the SEACOR Board in 2001, he served on the Audit Committee from 2002 to 2010, as Chairman of the Audit Committee from 2004 to 2010, on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from 2004 to 2010, and as Lead Director from 2005 to 2010.
From 1990 until September 2010, Mr. Lorentzen was President of Northern Navigation America, Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut based investment management and ship-owning agency company concentrating in specialized marine transportation and ship finance. From 1979 to 1990, Mr. Lorentzen was Managing Director of Lorentzen Empreendimentos S.A., an industrial and shipping group in Brazil, and he served on its Board of Directors until December 2005. Mr. Lorentzen was Chairman of NFC Shipping Funds, a leading private equity fund in the maritime industry, from 2000 to 2008. Mr. Lorentzen is also a director of Blue Danube, Inc., an inland marine service provider, and a director of Genessee & Wyoming Inc., an owner and operator of short line and regional freight railroads.
Beth Wilson-Jordan, President of the CMA, upon making the announcement, stated “Mr. Lorentzen has a distinguished position within the international maritime industry. We are very fortunate that he built so much of his career in the CMA’s own backyard and has through the years contributed time and time again to the Association’s education efforts, conference and the general growth of our community. He did all that while focused on the growth of his own businesses, those he serves on the Board of, and like so many in his esteemed family, for the improvement of the industry itself. He brings to SEACOR, a company he served as a Board Member, and a company so well built by Charles Fabrikant and team, an immensely valuable skill set which we are delighted to celebrate this year. Mr. Lorentzen joins an elite gathering of leaders who have been honored in the past as Commodores. We are delighted to have him join our illustrious group of Commodores.”
Former CMA Commodores include: Ole Skaarup, Jacob Stolt-Nielsen, George Livanos, Phil Loree, Thomas Moran, Gregory Hadjieleftheriadis, Helmut Sohmen, Gerhard Kurz, William O’Neil, Richard du Moulin, Per Heidenreich, Mark Saverys, Frank Tsao, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Peter Georgiopoulos, C. Sean Day, Torben Jensen, Morten Arntzen, John Fredriksen, Capt. Wei Jiafu, Philippe Louis-Dreyfus and in 2011, Angeliki Frangou.
