Patrick Verhoeven will leave his top position at the European Community Shipowners’ Associations on September 1 this year to become managing director of policy and strategy at the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). This is a new leadership function that was created following a reform of the organisation, which is meant to increase its international relevance and visibility as well as strengthen its membership base.
Announcing the decision, ECSA president Niels Smedegaard said: “Patrick has regretfully decided to leave his position with us after four years, to take up a new role in a global environment. I would like to thank him for his modernisation of the ECSA secretariat, commitment and contributions to the many important topics which the European Shipowners Community has faced during his tenure.”
Verhoeven said in connection with this announcement: “The decision to make this move was not an easy one. I have been working in an EU context for almost 25 years, representing stevedores, ship agents, port authorities and – during the last four years – shipping companies. However, I feel I cannot miss the unique opportunity to complement this experience with the global challenge that IAPH offers.”
The search process for a new secretary general at ECSA has started and an executive search company is being selected to manage the recruitment process.
