2010s conclude with a Dane leading MSC and a Swiss CEO at Maersk
After a slew of top names all left including the deputy CEO, the COO and the CFO in recent months, Soren Skou’s ongoing reinvention of the Maersk conglomerate continues today with the unveiling of a new board and a Swiss national in a prime position to drive the Danish carrier forward at a time when a Danish citizen has headed south to Switzerland to Maersk’s main rival.
Vincent Clerc, a 22-year Maersk veteran, steps up to CEO of Ocean and Logistics, a position effectively controlled by Skou over the past four years, while Svitzer boss, Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, is now the CEO of Towage, Manufacturing & Others, a new position within the board.
Since becoming the head of AP Moller-Maersk in 2016, Skou has focused on creating an ocean logistics giant, selling off the company’s energy assets. Along the way, a host of top names have left the Copenhagen firm, most notably COO, Soren Toft, who has just moved to rival MSC in Geneva as CEO of its container division after 25 years at Maersk.
“A year ago, we integrated our customer facing roles across the company. We are now ready to accelerate the execution of our strategy through increased commercial and operational integration,” Skou said today.
“With the new leadership structure announced today, I am confident that we will increase the pace. We have a simple and agile foundation for profitable growth and the new executive board is united in the goal of integrating our value proposition and maximizing the value creation across the business,” Skou added.
