Former ABN Amro shipping head Joep Gorgels joins Greenstar Capital

Veteran financier Joep Gorgels has emerged as senior advisor for shipping at Greenstar Capital, an Amsterdam-based fund offering investment opportunities in carbon allowances.

Gorgels spent more than two decades with Dutch lender ABN Amro Bank before stepping down as head of shipping last year.

After leaving ABN Amro last April, Gorgels took on leadership roles at several outfits involved in shipping decarbonisation. He is currently co-director of maritime energy storage specialist EST-Floattech and has similar advisory roles at Value Maritime and Onboard.

Max Spanjer, co-founder and managing partner at Greenstar Capital, said Gorgels’ network and expertise in the shipping and finance sectors will further fuel Greenstar’s growth.

Greenstar Capital offers what it says is the first fund in the EU that invests in physical carbon allowances and currently beats the rising EU ETS market with an additional 5.5%.

An investment in the Greenstar Capital EU ETS fund can be an “elegant interim solution and natural protection” against the rapidly rising prices of the EU carbon allowances, the company noted. 

“I am pleased to help Greenstar Capital growing their services within the maritime sector. Greenstar Capital offers knowledge and expertise to several companies making it possible to comply to new EU ETS regulations. They add lots of value to a simpler process and improved positioning trough their fund,” said Gorgels.

Bart Kas, Greenstar managing partner, added: “Joep’s experience and deep understanding of the shipping industry combined with our knowledge of the carbon and energy markets, should be of great added value for the shipping industry – especially regarding the challenges around decarbonisation the shipping sector is facing in the near future.”