Golden Ocean’s outgoing chief executive Lars-Christian Svensen has been selected to take the helm at Tor Olav Trøim-backed newcastlemax owners 2020 Bulkers and Himalaya Shipping.
Svensen, whose resignation from John Fredriksen-backed dry bulk player Golden Ocean was reported by Splash last month, is initially joining the Oslo-listed duo as chief commercial officer in September.
He is set to take over as the top man of 2020 Bulkers and as functioning CEO of Himalaya Shipping in April, replacing Herman Billung, who will be retiring and taking on a role as special advisor for both companies.
Before becoming CEO, Svensen was Golden Ocean’s chief commercial officer. He also served as senior vice president in Norway and president of US trading activities in Seattle for Western Bulk. Before that, Svensen was a downstream analyst for Petredec and a tanker broker for Cmarine Services in Singapore.
Commenting on his appointments, Svensen said: “I am very pleased to join 2020 Bulkers and Himalaya Shipping, two of the most modern newcastlemax owners in the world. With the most efficient fleet in this segment, the companies hold a strategic advantage that I hope to further develop in my new role.”
Outgoing CEO Billung added, “I am happy that Lars-Christian has decided to join what I firmly believe will be a very interesting journey in the years to come. I have learned to know him as an energetic and knowledgeable person, who I believe is the right person for the job.”
