Karin Orsel has been named the first female president of European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA).
Orsel started her two-year term on January 1, 2024. She succeeds Philippos Philis, who has held the position since January 2022. At the same time, Mikki Koskinen joined ECSA as the new vice president.
Orsel became a shipowner and maritime entrepreneur at the age of 23 and she has been CEO of her ship management company MF Shipping Group since 2001. In 2017, she was appointed president of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners.
As for Koskinen, he has been the managing director of ESL Shipping, part of Aspo Group, since 2013 and is a member of Aspo’s executive board. Before that, he was the managing director of Meriaura Oy. Koskinen also served as a member of the board of the International Chamber of Shipping and was the chairman of the Finnish Shipowners’ Association from 2021 to 2023.
“The strategic role of European shipping for the security of Europe has come to the forefront. Our commitment is clear: to promote the energy transition of shipping, meet our climate targets, and foster the sector’s competitiveness amidst rapidly evolving geopolitical and security challenges. I am honoured to take over the ECSA Presidency at such a pivotal moment and I look forward to working together with the membership and the Secretariat to further strengthen ECSA’s role as the voice of European shipping,” Orsel said.
“European shipping operates globally. It is now more important than ever to ensure European shipping remains competitive in an international environment while meeting its climate targets and continuing to deliver goods, energy, and mobility for EU citizens. To achieve this, it is essential to continue the constructive dialogue and cooperation with EU policymakers and stakeholders,” added Koskinen.
