People Company News

Zelim announced the appointment of Mike Collier as Sales Director, effective January 2026. He will lead the organization’s focus on key sectors globally including the cruise and defense industries.Mike joins Zelim from MARSS, where he led business development for the cruise and defense sectors. As part of his 20-year career, including over six years in the cruise sector at Carnival Corporation, Mike led the working group that developed ISO 21195 (man-overboard detection) which was formally published in 2020…

OrbitMI, a provider of maritime SaaS software, announced the appointment of Andrew Redfern as Sales Director for the Nordic & Americas region. In this role, Redfern will lead OrbitMI’s commercial growth across Northern Europe, working with shipowners, operators, and commercial teams to deliver measurable operational and financial results.Redfern brings more than a decade of experience spanning maritime technology, commercial strategy, and financial analysis. Most recently, he served in senior sales leadership roles at ZeroNorth…

HII announced that Fatina Brave has been appointed vice president of infrastructure and sustainability at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Brave succeeds Eric Crooker, who has transitioned into the role of vice president of program management at Ingalls, succeeding George Nungesser who is retiring at the beginning of February after 37 years of service to the company.Brave will oversee all environmental, health, safety, security, facilities and maintenance operations at Ingalls.

US Hoists Corp has announced the appointment of Michael Cetta as Chief Operating Officer.A Center Moriches native, Cetta earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Farmingdale State College and brings an educational foundation and a proven record of leadership to his new role.With experience spanning business ownership, sales leadership, and project management, Cetta has demonstrated versatility across both small and large organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at A1 Roofing…

HII announced that Daniel Marks has been appointed vice president of contracts and pricing at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Marks succeeds Stephen Fitts, who has been appointed vice president of supply chain management at Ingalls and is succeeding Scott Weldon who retired at the end of December 2025 after 25 years of service to the company.In this role, Marks will be responsible for contract administration, estimating and pricing, and export/import licensing and compliance for Ingalls.

At a general meeting of Kongsberg Gruppen on Thursday afternoon, the separation of Kongsberg Maritime was formally approved by the shareholders. The plan is to list the maritime company on the Oslo Stock Exchange on April 23.Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, as we know it today, will continue as two companies. The business areas Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will form the new KONGSBERG, while the business area Kongsberg Maritime will be spun off as its own company…

The Executive Management Team at UTC Overseas has announced the opening of its new office in Singapore, advancing the company’s global growth strategy and establishing its presence in the thriving Asia Pacific (APAC) market. The Singapore office will function both as the regional head office for UTC’s APAC expansion and as the local operational branch serving Singapore.UTC Singapore and the APAC Region will be under the leadership of Sven Hergemoeller, Executive Managing Director, Asia Pacific.

Sallaum Lines announced the relocation of its headquarters from Switzerland to Limassol, Cyprus. This move reflects the company’s long-term growth vision and its commitment to strengthening its presence within the European maritime world. Known as one of the world’s top global shipping centers and the largest shipping management hub in Europe, Cyprus is an ideal environment for maritime businesses.

Supermaritime, warehousing and breakbulk services provider, has announced that Milan Tevel will assume the role of General Manager Supermaritime Nederland, effective January 1, 2026. Milan Tevel succeeds Martien Burger, a longtime force behind Supermaritime’s expansion over the past decades. In addition, the company expands its warehousing capacity by almost 13,000 m2.Supermaritime provides stevedoring, cargo handling, global freight forwarding, and supply chain services for breakbulk shippers and carriers worldwide.

Fluid Marine, a U.S. builder of mission-ready rigid inflatable boats for law enforcement, search and rescue, and commercial operators, announced today that Tony Van Meter has joined the company as Executive Vice President, effective January 12, 2026.Van Meter brings more than three decades of experience in the maritime industry, with a career that began in operational service with the United States Coast Guard, followed by service as a Marine Enforcement Officer, and later progressing…

OrbitMI, a provider of maritime SaaS and a voyage optimization platform used by shipowners and operators worldwide, announced its expansion in Japan to support its growing customer base and expanding partner ecosystem in the region. To lead its Japan presence, OrbitMI has appointed Kazuo Yamashita as Business Development Partner, Japan. Yamashita-san will oversee business development, partnerships, and market activation, serving as OrbitMI’s exclusive representative in the country.Yamashita-san brings more than four decades of experience in the maritime and offshore sectors…

The Pasha Group, a leader in integrated global logistics and maritime services, announced that Cary Davis has joined the company as Vice President of Government Affairs to lead advocacy and corporate communications. In this role, Davis will oversee federal, state, and local government relations; industry and stakeholder engagement; media relations; and strategic communications in support of Pasha’s long-term growth and service to customers and communities.A business leader and trade attorney, Davis brings deep experience in maritime policy, infrastructure finance, and public affairs.

Trelleborg Group, through its business area Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, has signed an agreement and finalized the acquisition of the Austrian company Nexus Elastomer Molds GmbH. The company provides advanced, customized tooling solutions and automated manufacturing cells, primarily for liquid silicone rubber.Nexus Elastomer Molds is based in Eberstalzell, Austria. Trelleborg has previously partnered with Nexus in both development and production. The company adds external sales…

Following several years of record-high workload, Aker Solutions forsees activity levels decreasing in 2026 compared to 2025. To adapt to the market situation and prepare for the future, Aker Solutions will reduce capacity and headcount in certain areas.“We still see many opportunities both in Norway and internationally, but the anticipated activity level means we must take action now to ensure the company’s robustness and sound financial management,” says Kjetel Digre, Chief Executive Officer at Aker Solutions.

SSA Marine, an independent marine terminal operator, announced that Meghan Weinman has been promoted to president of SSA Marine’s conventional division and that Abigail Struxness has been promoted to vice president of sustainability.As president of the conventional division, Weinman will lead SSA Marine’s North American conventional cargo operations, which include a wide variety of breakbulk, bulk, perishables, and vehicle cargo across 55 locations on U.S. and Canadian coasts and waterways.

Crowley announced a strategic consolidation of its business structure to create more efficiency and value for customers. The company is creating two divisions: shipping and logistics, led by Executive Vice President and Division President James C. Fowler, and energy, led by Executive Vice President and Division President Kollin Fencil. This new alignment enhances agility while improving operational execution, positioning Crowley to more rapidly unlock growth across its shipping, logistics and energy sectors. Fowler and Fencil report to Chief Operating Officer Megan Davidson.

On January 6, 2026, Ms. Laura DiBella of Florida was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or Commission). Commissioner DiBella will serve for a term that expires on June 30, 2028. Commissioner DiBella was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025, and appointed to the Commission by the President on January 2, 2026.Commissioner DiBella previously served as Florida’s first female Secretary of Commerce and as President and CEO of Enterprise Florida.

AS Tallink Grupp has published the Group’s passenger and cargo statistics for the fourth quarter and December 2025 to the stock exchange. Compared to the same period in 2024, passenger numbers decreased by 0.3%. During the holiday season in December, passenger numbers grew by 0.2%. For the year as a whole, results stabilized at the level of 2024.“2025 was full of challenges, ranging from the generally unfavorable economic climate in the region to weak consumer confidence. Our results are particularly affected by the situation in our largest market, Finland.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) appointed former U.S. ambassador to Norway and the 77th Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth J. Braithwaite, as Chairman of their Board of Directors. Braithwaite brings a career in defense and public service to the role, as well as deep Navy ties. He is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His active naval service included time as a naval aviator flying anti-submarine missions in the Pacific and Arctic…

Cavotec has appointed Erik Lyrvall, Head of Strategy and M&A, as a member of Cavotec’s Group Management. Erik joined Cavotec in autumn 2024 when he took up the position of Head of Strategy.In his role, Erik is responsible for driving the group’s strategic direction, leading M&A activities, evaluating partnerships and go-to-market strategies, and recommend initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and profitability.Before joining Cavotec, Erik served as Head of the Transformation Office at Intrum 2021–2024, where he led the group’s strategy execution and major strategic projects.

Crowley announced that Jen Leonard has been appointed chief people officer, effective January 1, 2026, leading its enterprise-wide activities to sustain an elite culture and high performance at the maritime, logistics and energy solutions company.As vice president of Crowley’s Talent and Culture group since 2023, Leonard has been instrumental in advancing the company’s human capital strategy and programs. These include talent strategies for employee performance, experience and…

The GTT Group announced the appointment of François Michel as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 5, 2026, thereby restoring a dissociated governance structure.This decision was taken unanimously by the Board of Directors of the Group at its meeting held on December 13, 2025.Following a demanding selection process, the Board of Directors selected François Michel for his managerial experience, his strong command of the technological challenges specific to GTT and its industry…

Sabine Surveyors, Ltd. has announced organizational changes aimed at strengthening its position in the marine services industry. Effective December 1, 2025, our parent company has transitioned from Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp. to Sabine Marine Group.In addition, Gulf Copper Government Services has officially become Sabine Ship Repair, Inc., aligning our operations under a unified brand that reflects our core values and strategic vision.As part of this transition, we are proud…