Maritime Leadership News

Accelleron North America has welcomed Dave Otto as Territory Sales Manager. Dave will lead service sales activities across the eastern United States and the Caribbean, in the power production, cruise, shipping, and gas compression markets, to strengthen customer relationships and support their operational needs.Dave brings more than 30 years of industrial sales experience to Accelleron. For the past 10 years, he worked for Toromont CAT as a territory sales representative managing a portfolio of more than 400 engines.

Torvald Klaveness has announced that Fabian Flaaten has joined as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective October 28, 2025. Flaaten will report to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ernst Meyer and be part of the Group’s Executive Committee and Holding Management Team. As CFO, Flaaten will play a role in enabling value creation, financial discipline, and long-term strategic direction for the Klaveness Group. He brings more than 20 years of international finance and leadership experience.

Interferry, the global association representing the ferry industry, announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. These new director appointments, approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sorrento on October 6, reflect the diversity and global reach of the ferry industry. The newly appointed directors, each approved for a four-year term, are:Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority, and Interferry’s first African Director…

Volvo Penta North America has named Brock Gavin as Vice President of Marine Sales and Service and Jens Bering as Head of Product and Solutions Management for its marine division. In their new roles, Gavin and Bering will be instrumental in advancing Volvo Penta’s marine strategy and driving continued growth across commercial and leisure markets in North America.As Vice President, Marine Sales and Service, Gavin will lead Volvo Penta’s overall marine strategy in North America.

ABS has appointed David Wechsler, a founding partner of the firm that became Hitachi Consulting, as the new Chief Executive Officer for ABS Group.Wechsler has a  35-year career in management consulting leadership positions across manufacturing, consumer products, sustainable energy, automotive, technology and services industries. He has grown multiple consulting practices, demonstrating expertise in leading complex operations and driving growth.Wechsler joins at an exciting time for ABS Group…

Louise Tricoire has been appointed Vice-President of the Lubmarine Business Unit of TotalEnergies, bringing a wealth of maritime industry knowledge and expertise to the role.Louise joins Lubmarine following her leadership of TotalEnergies’ global aviation and marine fuel division, where she played a key role in advancing both sectors’ decarbonization goals. Her work focused on developing sustainable aviation and low-carbon marine fuels, while also exploring the longer-term H2-based solutions.Prior to this…

Burger Boat Company announced the promotion of Ron Cleveringa to Senior Vice President - Product Portfolio Management, reporting to Rich Thompson, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer.In this newly defined role, Cleveringa will lead the development of Burger’s product development and design DNA across the company’s four business segments: custom yachts, commercial vessels, repair & refit, and military applications. He will be responsible for defining how Burger’s craftsmanship and innovation translates into each product line…

UTC Overseas has announced the appointment of Pedro Widmann as Director Global Project Development. Widmann brings over 30 years of experience in the specialized transportation and logistics industry with a strong background in the mining and EPC sector.Throughout his career, Widmann has held key positions with major international freight forwarders, managing major accounts and overseeing large-scale projects across varied regions. He has been responsible for sales development and for building agent networks that have strengthened global logistics operations.Born in Argentina…

Stillstrom by Maersk, a marine technology leader delivering offshore power and charging solutions, has strengthened its leadership team with key senior appointments in Copenhagen and Aberdeen.Nikolaj Stald has joined as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at the company’s HQ in Copenhagen. Nikolaj brings over 15 years’ offshore wind experience and will lead the commercial strategy to drive adoption of offshore charging as a cost-effective decarbonization pathway. Prior to Stillstrom…

Helm Operations, a provider of maritime operations and crew management software, announced a key leadership transition as James Wadsworth assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Nolan Barclay, Helm’s first employee and most recent CEO, will continue to support the company as Chairman.Wadsworth brings more than two decades of maritime industry experience and visionary leadership to the role. He joined Helm a decade ago after nearly ten years with ClassNK in Japan, where…

Global insurer Allianz Commercial announced that Peter Toole has been appointed Head of Marine for Canada effective September 29, 2025. Based in Toronto, Toole will report to Keith Scranton, Regional Head of Inland Marine, North America.With a 19-year career in the insurance industry, Toole has held senior underwriting and brokerage roles, specializing in construction insurance. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Construction at FCA Insurance Brokers, following his tenure as Vice President and Insurance Practice Leader at Petrela…

Auramarine, a fuel systems expert for the marine industry, has announced the appointment of Ted Bergman as Director of Engineering and Projects. Bergman will lead the strategic development of the company’s engineering department, driving innovation and operational excellence in all fronts related to engineering design, consultation and automation.With over 30 years of experience in industrial engineering and process technology, Bergman brings an understanding of advanced manufacturing technologies, sustainability practices, and cross-functional leadership.

Hardik Gajjar, ENV SP, has joined HDR as maritime planning lead for the firm’s growing ports and maritime practice. Based in New Jersey, Gajjar will leverage his experience in maritime and intermodal planning to support port owners and operators around the globe as they pursue more efficient operations and smart infrastructure development.“It’s an honor to join one of the best ports and maritime firms in the industry,” Gajjar said. “I’m looking forward to leveraging HDR’s outstanding cross-sector collaboration to help clients as they assess the impact of emerging trends such as automation…

HII announced that Roger Kelly has been promoted to vice president of contracts and pricing at its Newport News Shipbuilding division. Kelly succeeds Matt Mulherin Jr., who has been appointed vice president of supply chain and strategic sourcing at NNS.Kelly will have overall responsibility for contracts, pricing, and export/import licensing and compliance for NNS. He will report to Don Godwin, NNS vice president of business management and chief financial officer.Starting his career with the company in 1999 as a nuclear engineer, Kelly supported the Virginia-class submarine program.

Hempel A/S is happy to announce the appointment of Gosha Kolton as Executive Vice President & Head of Marine, effective January 1, 2026.Gosha brings international experience in strategic and operational leadership across both developed and emerging markets. Her experience in leading complex transformations and delivering customer value aligns with Hempel’s strategic priorities and ambitions for the Marine segment."I am excited to join Hempel and the Marine team, and I look forward to working together to deliver outstanding value for Hempel’s customers and drive sustainable growth…

Subsea Global Solutions, a global provider of underwater repair, maintenance, and marine services, has announced the appointment of Harun Duzgoren as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Duzgoren returns to Subsea Global following a successful tenure as Regional CEO for the Americas at Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS).With more than 25 years of international leadership experience across the global marine services industry, including executive roles with six different private equity sponsors…

The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) has announced a new addition to its naval architecture, marine engineering, and marine surveying firm, Tyler Zylinski. Tyler graduated from Webb Institute with a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.During his time at Webb, Tyler interned at TSGI's sister company, BHGI. Tyler also interned at Marine Design and Operations in New Jersey where he worked on a variety of projects related to stability, stress analyses, fire safety plans, and structural inspections.

PortXL, the world's first maritime start-up accelerator, has announced its 2025 cohort, marking a milestone as the organization celebrates 10 years of fostering innovation and driving technological advancements in the maritime industry.Since its inception in 2015, PortXL has been at the forefront of connecting start-ups and scale-ups with industry-leading corporations, investors, and mentors, creating an ecosystem for growth and collaboration. Over the last ten years, 132 start-ups have been part of PortXL’s acceleration program, boasting an 83% survival rate.

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) celebrated the first anniversary of SIRE 2.0, its updated and enhanced Ship Inspection Report Program.Since its launch on September 2, 2024, following a gradual roll-out to industry to replace the paper-based SIRE (VIQ7) program, over 22,000 SIRE 2.0 inspections have been completed worldwide. SIRE 2.0 inspections have been conducted in 2,100 ports by 460 SIRE 2.0 accredited inspectors, with only 0.2 percent of inspections having…

Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), carried out an official visit to the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) as part of his first mission to the country since taking office in January 2024.He was welcomed by Luis Roquebert, Administrator of the PMA, together with the institution’s directors and deputy directors.The highlight of the visit was the forum “Empowering Women in the Maritime Sector: A Call to Action on Training, Visibility…

Hogia has appointed David Wallgren as the new Managing Director of Hogia Ferry Systems and Business Unit Manager for its newly established transport sector, Ports & Shipping. He joins from the DFDS Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in port and shipping operations. In his new role, he will lead the development of the sector, which develops IT solutions for terminal and shipping operations.Wallgren began his career as a port worker at the Port of Gothenburg. Since then, he has held operational, commercial, and strategic positions in both ports and shipping companies.

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) has welcomed Lauren Kirk as a naval architect to its naval architecture and marine engineering firm. Lauren Kirk holds a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and MarineEngineering from Webb Institute.During her time at Webb, Lauren interned at BHGI and Gilbert Associates, assisting naval architects and marine engineers with system and structural design for various types of vessels. She also interned at Langan Design Partners, where she worked on both sailing and motor yacht design.

On Monday, August 18, 2025, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes Navigation System and those who live and work on or near the Fourth Sea Coast."It is an incredible honor to be recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. The Great Lakes are not only a vital economic engine for our region, but a national treasure that demands strong, informed policy,” Chairwoman McClain said.