Ragnar Johansson is stepping down as chief executive officer of Swedish conro operator Wallenius Sol.
He will be replaced by Elvir Dzanic, who will leave his current position as chief executive of the Port of Gothenburg (Goteborg Hamn) later this year.
Dzanic took over as CEO of the Swedish port in June 2019. He will remain in his position until 7 August, after which he will assume the role with the shipping company.
The move marks a new stage for Wallenius Sol, which was founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Swedish shipping companies Wallenius and Swedish Orient Line (SOL).
“I am pleased to hand over the CEO role to Elvir,” said Johannson.
“The plan has always been that I would start up Wallenius Sol and then hand over the baton. However, I am not leaving completely, but will continue to work part-time to develop Wallenius Sol’s business," he said.
Gothenburg-based Wallenius Sol specialises in sustainable transport solutions in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea.
The company took delivery last year of two ice-class 1A, LNG dual fuel conro newbuildings, each with an intake of 962-teu.
The 27,000-dwt Botnia Enabler and Baltic Enabler (both built 2022) are specially designed to serve the industries in northern Sweden and Finland.
They operate on Wallenius Sol’s North Europe — North Finland service.
“My ambition is to further develop the company for its long-term expansion and to ensure that we grow in line and symbiotically with the ongoing development in northern Sweden,” said Dzanic.
The board of the Gothenburg Port Authority will start to process of recruiting Dzanic’s replacement as soon as possible.
