Star Bulk Carriers executive Herman Billung is to join newcastlemax owner 2020 Bulkers as its CEO in February.
He will succeed Magnus Halvorsen, who has resigned.
Billung, who has worked in C-suite positions for big-name bulker companies for over 30 years, will also act as chief executive for sister company Himalaya Shipping.
Like 2020 Bulkers, Himalaya was founded and backed by investor Tor Olav Troim.
The firm has 12 LNG-capable newcastlemaxes on order at New Times Shipbuilding in China for delivery in 2023 and 2024. The fleet will be managed by 2020 Bulkers.
The 208,000-dwt ships are the same size as the eight units that Troim and co-investors ordered in 2017 at New Times for 2020 Bulkers.
Both shipowners are listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Halvorsen has headed up 2020 Bulkers since January 2019 and has served as its chairperson from the company's inception in September 2017.
He will continue as a director of the firm and chair of its board, replacing Jens Martin Jensen, who resigned from the role on Thursday.
Jensen has been a director of 2020 Bulkers since the firm was first established.
Billung's career in commercial shipping spans 31 years and numerous well-known companies.
For the past three years, Billung has served as senior vice-president and general manager of Nasdaq-listed bulker owner Star Bulk Carriers.
He was chief executive of bulker owner Golden Ocean Management for 11 years until 2016, when he left to establish Songa Bulk, which was backed by its main shareholder Arne Blystad.
Songa Bulk was sold to Star Bulk in 2018.
Billung has also spent time working for Norway's Torvald Klaveness Group, where he was managing director of maritime services for seven years until 2005.
He also headed up Frapaco Shipping for four years during the mid-1990s.
