Malaysia-based manager Wilhelmsen Ship Management is relocating its global headquarters to Singapore.
The company said the move will take place within the first quarter of 2018, and allow them to be nearer to both current and future clients.
“Singapore is an established maritime hub, and a driver of digital innovation that will play a significant part in the company’s ongoing transformation,” a statement from the company read.
Carl Schou, president of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, commented: “At the moment, only a few selected key personnel in the management team will be relocated. Kuala Lumpur will continue to be an important location where shared services and back office functions will remain operating to serve the global fleet.”
Speaking to Splash about why the move has been made now after a long presence in Malaysia, Schou said: “We made the correct decision to move our headquarters from Oslo to Kuala Lumpur in late 2008. Back then, we wanted to have a stronger presence eastwards. We needed to move quickly and Kuala Lumpur was a natural choice for us as we already had a large set up with a number of global shared services being hosted from this office. Over the years, we have built up a strong infrastructure of services and talent pool. The Kuala Lumpur office will continue to be an important location where our shared services and back office functions will remain operating to serve our global fleet. We remain committed to grow and invest in the talents there.”
On whether the move to Singapore can generate extra business, Schou said: “We are optimistic this move will bring positive impact to the business for sure. We have informed our clients about this move and they are very positive about this news.”
