WORK BOAT WORLD:
Maritime consultancy TMC Marine has confirmed the appointment of Gilmark D. Mello to its global marine engineering team as the company continues to scale its operations and scope of consultancy services in the UK, the USA, and Asia.
Mello is a Chartered Engineer with broad maritime experience including technical expertise gained as a chief engineer on board ships. He joins TMC Marine from Lloyd’s Register where, as a Senior Sustainability Specialist, he utilised his extensive technical expertise in assessing the viability and safety aspects of maritime decarbonisation pathways including onboard carbon capture and the deployment of alternative fuels.
Offshore equipment specialist the OEG Energy Group has appointed Tom Murray as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with immediate effect. He replaces Doug Fleming who has stepped down for personal reasons.
Murray is a Chartered Accountant and previously worked as CFO of Algeco UK, a lessor of modular storage containers and site accommodation units, and Finance Director of Loxam’s Powered Access Division. He also spent twelve years in various senior finance roles at ESAB, a fabrication technology specialist.
UK-based naval architecture firm Chartwell Marine has appointed Fabien Lecuona as Business Development Consultant heading its newly established Asia-Pacific office in Singapore.
Lecuona brings over 13 years of experience in APAC maritime and has worked in multiple industries throughout his career, including maritime electronics and engine manufacturing. Within his new role, he will focus on business development, fostering industry partnerships and promoting Chartwell Marine’s vessel designs.
Canadian survey vessel owner and operator LeeWay Marine has confirmed that Bill Sanson will be joining the company as President, taking on the day-to-day oversight of LeeWay operations.
Sanson comes to LeeWay from the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the maritime domain, having served as captain on a number of RCN ships.
Marine consultancy the Solis Marine Group has designated company co-founder Ros Blazejczyk as its new CEO, while Simon Hindley, formerly MD of Solis Marine Engineering, will become Solis Marine's Director of Energy Transition.
Co-founder John Simpson will become a Non-Executive Director, allowing him to step away from day-to-day management issues to concentrate fully on his client facing role and in-house training and mentoring.
The new appointments are part of the integration of Solis Marine Consultants and Solis Marine Engineering to streamline the two companies’ operations under a single Solis Marine brand and leadership team.
Maxie Lafleur has been appointed as the new President of shipbuilder Chantier Davie Canada. Lafleur has held various leadership positions at prominent companies such as Bus.com and CAE, where she spearheaded significant growth and transformation initiatives, including the sale and delivery of complex multi-year government contracts.
In her new role, Lafleur will work closely with James Davies, owner and continuing CEO of Davie, as well as the broader executive team.
Miranda Steen has joined Swedish shipping company Stena RoRo, becoming its new Contract Officer.
Steen is a lawyer specialising in maritime law and previously worked as Insurance Officer at Stena, where she focused on marine insurance and handling maritime claims. In her new role as Contract Officer, she will manage both internal and external contracts for vessels that are to be purchased, sold, or chartered, as well as contracts for conversions and newbuildings.
As of November 1, 2024, Anders Tenfält will be Stena Line’s new Chief Investment Officer of Stena Line portfolio companies and part of the group management team.
Tenfält joined Stena in 2015 as Investment Manager at Stena Adactum and has since 2019 been the Chief Business Controller for the Stena Group. He has been involved in initiatives to support the development of Stena, including acquisition and divestment of key assets, corporate rating, strategy and business development projects, financial planning and follow up, and bond refinancings while being part of the investment committee and advisor to the executive team.
Before joining Stena, Tenfält worked as Investment Banking Associate in the Corporate Finance team at Sparebank 1 in Norway. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Chalmers University of Technology and has completed the Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development.
UK vessel operator North Star has designated Bruno Bartel as its new European renewables lead stationed in Germany. In his new role, he will act as the primary contact for North Star’s European clients operating outside of UK waters.
Bartel has almost nine years’ experience working for vessel chartering organisations in Germany. He has also worked for several of Hamburg’s family-owned ship businesses.
His academic background includes a BSc in Shipping from London Metropolitan University and an LLM in International Maritime Law from Swansea University.
Titan, an Oregon-based ship repair and marine and complex fabrication cooperation comprised of Vigor, MHI and Continental Maritime, has appointed Francesco Valente as CEO, effective September 23.
Valente has more than 20 years' experience running business operations globally including service as CEO of the Fincantieri Marine Group. He joins Titan from Beretta, where he has led US operations since 2019.
Goh Chung-Hun will rejoin Lloyd’s Register (LR) as President of LR’s Singapore branch following a three-year tenure as General Manager (Fleet) at Pacific International Lines (PIL), where he managed the daily operations of its 100 container ships. He previously served as Marine Operations Manager in Singapore for LR between 2005 and 2012.
Goh has more than 30 years of maritime industry experience across seafaring, fleet management, technical, marine operations, class and regulation. Prior to joining PIL, he was Director (Shipping) / Director (Marine) at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, where he managed the Singapore Registry of Ships, flag state control, port state control, marine casualty investigations, maritime regulations, as well as the training and certification of seafarers.
Goh holds a Master of Science (Maritime Studies) from Nanyang Technological University and a Class 1 Certificate of Competency in Marine Engineering. He started his professional career as an engine cadet, sailing on crude oil tankers operating around the Gulf of Mexico and worked his way to being a chief engineer with Neptune Orient Line.
Anna Nash has joined Explora Journeys as President of the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group reporting directly to Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the MSC Group’s Cruise Division.
Most recently, Nash served as Chief Commercial Officer at Aman. During her ten-year tenure with Aman, she also held the position of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Communications Officer.
Nash has over 20 years' experience working at various ultra-luxury hospitality brands that also include Rosewood Hotels and Orient-Express.
Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects has appointed Heidi Landen-Greene as the new President of C-Job Houston, overseeing C-Job's overall operations in the United States.
Prior to joining C-Job, Landen-Greene’s experience in the industry includes Technology Director and Operations Director roles for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). She had a 28-year career at ABS overseeing strategic projects as an Engineering Director and in various managerial positions.
Landen-Greene earned her Bachelor of Science in naval architecture and marine engineering from Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York and has an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.
Carl Magne Rustand was recently appointed by Kongsberg Maritime to be the new General Manager of Kongsberg Maritime Greater China. Prior to this, he has held the role of Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Kongsberg Maritime since November 2019.
Rustand joined Kongsberg Maritime in 2007 and has held a number of key positions such as Product Manager and Operations Manager at Kongsberg Maritime Korea. He has also held senior crew positions in the fleet and has extensive expertise in product management, business development and operations.
SHIP WORLD:
The UK P&I Club has appointed Kyle Lochridge as Senior Vice President Americas. He will report to Leanne O’Loughlin, UK P&I Club Regional Director, Americas, and UK P&I’s Chief Underwriting Officer, William Beveridge.
Lochridge will work closely with UK P&I Club’s management team to develop and progress the delivery of the UK P&I Club’s growth strategy for the Americas. This will involve deepening relationships with Members, Brokers and building market awareness of the Club’s capabilities, including its newly launched Safety and Risk Management offering, throughout the region’s maritime community.
Lochridge has extensive experience within the P&I industry, having spent 13 years with Aon Risk Solutions, rising to the role of Vice President, Marine National Practice Group, before joining international insurance brokerage firm Lockton as Vice President – Account Executive.
Associated British Ports (ABP) has appointed Bianca Simeone as its new Head of Group Financial Planning and Analysis. Her tenure at ABP also entailed developing financial reporting, planning, and analysis across the business.
Prior to joining ABP, Simeone held a number of roles across mining, transport and other industries, including at Anglo American and Heathrow.
The Trafigura Group has confirmed that Richard Holtum will become Chief Executive Officer of Trafigura, effective January 1, 2025 and has joined the Trafigura Board of Directors from October 1, 2024.
As part of the leadership transition, Holtum has handed over his responsibilities as Global Head of Gas, Power and Renewables to Igor Marin, currently Head of Power Trading, with effect from October 1, 2024.
Swedish shipping company Furetank has designated Björn Stignor as its new Chief Executive Officer, taking over from Lars Höglund.
Stignor previously worked for the Stena Group for 13 years, being based primarily in Singapore. He headed Stena's joint venture with Golden Agri International, Golden Stena Baycrest Tankers, which is involved in shipowning and commercial management.
Stignor is a licensed master mariner who started his career on board intermediate tankers in the Broström fleet.