Clipper Group chairman Torben G Jensen has been named the Connecticut Maritime Association's Commodore Award recipient for 2006 in recognition of his 45 years of service to the industry.
The award, given each year to a person who has contributed to the growth and development of the industry, will be presnted March 22 at the CMA's annual conference in Stamford. It will be presented by C Sean Day, chairman of Teekay Shipping, who is the current CMA Commodore.
Jensen began his career in 1959 as a trainee in his native Denmark. He and a partner established Armada Shipping in 1972, with Clipper as the trading arm. When the partners split in 1991, Jensen kept the Clipper name.
Today, Clipper's 300 separate companies include ship owning, time-charter operation, commercial and technical management, trading, agencies, stevedoring and investment. The group operates some 250 vessels, of which 90 are at least partly owned. It has 44 newbuildings under construction. The fleet includes bulkers, multipuropose vessels, boxships, chemical and products tankers, combination carriers, crude tankers and cruise-ferry vessels.
"His corporate achievements are exemplary, spanning the globe," said Peter Drakos, CMA president. "Here in Connecticut, the VOC operation in Stamford under Gary Vogel and Clipper Wonsild Takers in Norwalk under Henrik Koch are true success stories."
Former CMA Commodores include Ole Skaarup, Jacob Stolt-Nielsen, George Livanos, Phil Loree, Thomas Moran, Gregory Hadjieleftheriadis, Helmut Sohmen, Gerhard Kurz, William O'Neill, Richard du Moulin, Per Heidenreich, Mark Saverys, Frank Tsao, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Peter Georgiopoulos and Day.
