Europe

Martin Kröger to take over from Ralf Nagel as CEO of the German Shipowners’ Association

Ralf Nagel is stepping down after 12 years as chief executive officer and executive member of the presidential committee of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR). Managing director Martin Kröger will succeed former senator Nagel on April 30, 2022.

Nagel, who will continue to serve the VDR in an advisory capacity until the end of this year, has been working for the VDR since 2010 as CEO. During his time in office, he has successfully campaigned to uphold Germany’s status as a strong and competitive shipping hub. His term in office has also seen the establishment of the Stiftung Schifffahrtsstandort Deutschland, a Hamburg-based non-profit foundation that promotes the training and employment of seafarers. The Association’s work in Brussels and at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London has been expanded and strengthened under Nagel’s stewardship.

“We would like to thank Ralf Nagel for his exemplary commitment and great efforts on behalf of the German maritime shipping sector,” said VDR’s first woman president Gaby Bornheim. “The past decade was marked by a severe shipping crisis immediately followed by a global pandemic that has also had a major impact on shipping. Ralf Nagel has continuously steered the association safely through these times of crisis and has been an excellent representative of the Association’s interests both nationally and internationally. For this, we are very grateful to him,” Bornheim added.

Martin Kröger has been working for the VDR as managing director for 10 years and, in this capacity, has played a key role in the fields of European and international shipping policy, Germany’s competitiveness as a shipping hub, as well as environmental and climate protection in shipping.

“The challenges facing the shipping industry will remain enormous in the years ahead,” Kröger emphasised. “Crisis management, recruiting young talent, digitalisation, maintaining Germany’s competitiveness as a shipping hub and, of course, the ongoing transformation of the shipping industry – these are currently the most important issues for the future of the association,” Kröger added.

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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