Former MISC president and CEO Captain Rajalingam Subramaniam has emerged at the helm of one of the world’s largest ship managers.
Hong Kong-headquartered Fleet Management revealed on Monday that Subramaniam has been appointed as its new chief executive.
He will take on the position of CEO-elect on 21 October and officially assume the role of CEO on 1 January 2025.
He will report directly to Harry Banga, chairman and CEO of Fleet’s parent company, Caravel Group.
Subramaniam succeeds Dr Kishore Rajvanshy, who is retiring from the day-to-day running of Fleet Management after serving as its managing director since the company’s inception 30 years ago.
Rajvanshy will transition to “managing director emeritus” and remain a non-executive director in a senior advisory role.
Subramaniam’s entire shipping career so far has been within the MISC sphere.
He joined the Malaysian shipping giant as a cadet officer, rising through the ranks to become a vessel master.
He came ashore in 1996 and has since held various positions in the MISC Group, including vice president of Fleet Management Services in 2008 before being appointed to head AET in 2016.
He took the top spot at a group level in October 2022, but in a move that shocked many in the Asian shipping industry, he announced his retirement in August this year.
At MISC, Subramaniam played a leading role in putting the company on a green trajectory, with AET becoming one of the first companies to order LNG-powered tankers.
Subramaniam has been credited for strengthening MISC’s standing as a dominant force in the global shipping and offshore industries, steering the company amid a shifting landscape of complex challenges, from economic uncertainty to evolving environmental regulation.
“Captain Subramaniam has demonstrated his adept ability to deliver growth and innovation, and champion excellence, all of which he will bring to Fleet Management Limited,” said Fleet Management.
Banga said Subramaniam’s “exemplary track record and visionary leadership” make him the ideal choice to lead Fleet Management into its next chapter of growth and innovation.
“We are confident that his strategic insight will elevate and reinforce our commitment to excellence in the maritime industry,” he said, while at the same time adding that he was “profoundly thankful” for Rajvanshy’s leadership that “has been the bedrock of our success”.
Subramaniam said: “My thanks also to the founding family for their support of my professional aspirations for the progress of the maritime industry at large.
“Together, we will continue to innovate and uphold the highest standards in the maritime industry, guided by the solid foundation laid by Dr Rajvanshy and the Banga family,” he said.
Fleet Management touts itself as the world’s second-largest ship management company, managing more than 650 vessels belonging to 130 owners.
The company has a pool of around 27,000 seafarers and employs 1,200 onshore maritime professionals.
