Loss-plagued car carrier operator Hoegh Autoliners has appointed Andreas Enger as is new chief executive.
He will takie over in September, replacing shipping veteran Thor Jorgen Guttormsen, who has had the job over the last year.
Enger, 58, has limited shipping background but has been adviser to the company for more than a year and became chief financial officer in September 2019, working closely with Guttormsen and the rest of the management team.
Hoegh Autoliners chairman Leif O Hoegh said: "Andreas joined Hoegh Autoliners last year in a strategic capacity and has been an important part of the leadership team in driving strategic development and modernisation of the company."
In addition to his current roles at Hoegh Autoliners, Enger is chairman of Norwegian postal service Posten Norge and investment firm Damgard.
Before that, he spent eight years at consultancy giant Deloitte, where he was chief strategy officer of its Nordic division and after a time leading its financial advisory team in Oslo, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Oslo-based Hoeghe Autoliners has as other car carrier operators suffered huge losses in later years.
Hoegh Autoliners had a pre-tax loss of $57.6m loss last year, its fourth-straight year of losses.
The company has reduced its fleet from 55 to 44 ships and will be handing back two chartered ships to their owners this year.
Hoegh Autoliners has one ship in lay-up, but will lay up a few more in the time to come.
Guttormsen suggested there are signs of the market now bottoming out.
Hoegh Autoliners has been a joint venture between Leif Hoegh & Co and AP Moller-Maersk since the Danish company bought a 38.5% stake in 2008.
