Two key chartering staff have left Lauritzen Bulkers’ office in Connecticut to join bulker operator Pioneer Navigation.
Peter Bro, general manager of the Stamford office, has departed with senior chartering manager Chris Gutierrez.
Bro has worked for Lauritzen for about 20 years, aside from nine months at BaltNav starting in 2018.
He will become senior vice president of the operator, while Gutierrez will maintain the same title.
“This new chapter brings exciting opportunities and challenges for both of us, and we’re eager to contribute to the dynamic team at Pioneer,” Bro said in a LinkedIn update on Friday.
“We look forward to being part of the company’s innovative journey in the maritime industry.”
The two new hires round out a transformational year for Pioneer Navigation, which operates bulkers in the handysize, ultramax and kamsarmax segments.
The company was founded earlier this year through the combination of Nassau-based Pioneer Navigation in the Bahamas and brokerage Atlas Shipping of Stamford, both of which are controlled by Torben Weis.
The Bahamian predecessor company, also called Pioneer Navigation, was founded in 1983 and initially focused on transporting steel carriages and grain from Argentina and Brazil to the US.
Atlas Shipping started out in Connecticut in 1997 as a full-service agency and brokerage company comprising chartering, post-fixture operations and bookkeeping services for international shipping clients.
Atlas had been acting as Pioneer Navigation’s exclusive agent for many years before the merger.
Pioneer Navigation’s president has been Morten Gimand since March, following the combination with Atlas, where he was senior vice president.
The company is not to be confused with the similarly named bulker owner Pioneer Marine of Greece.
