Norway’s GC Rieber Shipping has shaken up its top executive team after chief commercial officer Christoffer Knudsen said in December that he will be leaving.
The Oslo-listed operation, which is moving into the offshore wind vessel sector, said chief financial officer Oystein Kvale will replace Knudsen from 1 March.
Knudsen resigned to pursue an alternative career opportunity after nine years, GC Rieber said last month
Kvale has been part of the management team since 2018 after joining the company in 2014 from Boston Consulting Group.
He will be replaced as CFO by group financial controller Silje Tonning Sognen, who joined in 2021 from seismic shipping company SeaBird Exploration.
Gjert Florvag has been promoted from vice president of projects to chief technology officer.
Florvag, who has 25 years of experience in naval architect, newbuilding and offshore/ship operations, has been with the company since 2013.
“The skilled and experienced people of the strengthened management team hold deep insight into GC Rieber Shipping’s business and strategy,” said chief executive Einar Ytredal.
“Together with the rest of the organisation, they will continue to pursue the company’s objectives of sustainable and profitable growth within the offshore wind sector.”
In October, the company joined the queue of owners making a move into offshore wind operations with an order for up to four “groundbreaking” service operation vessels at Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard.
The order comprises two firm ships and two options. The first is due in the first quarter of 2025.
No price has been revealed.
The WindKeeper design is based on small water area twin hull methodology.
The ships will offer improved operability, ultra-low fuel consumption and the option of fully electric operations in-field, the owner said.
GC Rieber has been working on the vessels since 2016.
It has set up a stand-alone operation called WindKeeper to run the vessels.
In 2020, GC Rieber Shipping made a strategic decision to become a pure shipowner and project house with a focus on developing profitable and sustainable maritime projects.
It had spun off its seismic survey vessel fleet into Shearwater GeoServices.
