International pools operator Heidmar has made a key appointment as it looks to set up a bulker business in Asia.
The company said it has brought in experienced dry cargo executive Navin Arjun Soni to run the Singapore office.
“Navin brings with him three decades of dry cargo expertise and relationships, including 10 years on board merchant vessels,” the company added.
He was previously commercial manager at Arcelor Mittal/DryLog joint venture Umang Shipping for two years, and before that was vice president of commercial at Hong Kong bulker company KC Maritime for five years.
Soni also spent a year as manager of chartering and forward freight agreements (FFA) at miner Anglo-American in Singapore, after a nine-year stint at Noble Chartering.
“His experience working with steel mills, miners, traders and ship owners will be valuable as Heidmar sets up and grows its dry bulk commercial management business,” the Athens and London-based group said.
Last month, Heidmar revealed a successful move into dry bulk as it continues to add to its tanker fleet.
Chief executive Pankaj Khanna told TradeWinds: “We now have close to 60 vessels signed up to pools or commercial management.”
The CEO said the company has moved on to starting a dry bulk operation, with a team in Athens managing around eight vessels.
Since last summer the company has also been busy building its managed tanker fleet further.
A total of six vessels have been added, including a VLCC built in 2022 by Hyundai Samho in South Korea and another built in 2019 by Dalian Shipbuilding.
