Michael Kahn is stepping down as chief executive of Dutch heavylift vessel operator Jumbo after three decades in charge.
The son of Jumbo founding father Hans Kahn was appointed to run the Rotterdam-based company when he was 28 years old.
His replacement has been found in-house with the promotion of chief operating officer Wout Janssens, who has extensive experience in heavylift shipping and offshore installation, the company said.
"Wout is the right leader to take over the next phase of development for our organisation," Kahn said.
"He knows the inner workings of the company and is a proven team player who collaborates across all company levels, from shareholders to supervisory board and the management team."
New role for Kahn
Kahn will remain with the family-owned company in a new role as director on the supervisory board.
He will contribute to the long-term strategy of the group's operating companies Jumbo Shipping, Jumbo Offshore and the Jumbo-SAL-Alliance.
Meanwhile, Janssens has been replaced as chief operating officer by Jan Peter Breedeveld, who is described as having extensive experience in offshore transport and installation.
The new appointments and restructured board became effective in the summer of 2021, the company said, and the transition of responsibilities is already well underway.
The move comes at a pivotal juncture for Jumbo, which formed a groundbreaking partnership in April with Germany's SAL Heavy Lift.
The Jumbo-SAL-Alliance operates a fleet of 30 dedicated project cargo vessels — the biggest fleet of vessels specialised in lifting capacity of 800 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes.
