Fearnleys sale-and-purchase boss Lars Christian Skarsgard is taking over as chief executive of bulker owner Belships.
Skarsgard will join the Oslo-listed shipowner from the leading shipbroker on 15 March, it was announced today.
“I'm thrilled about the opportunity to join Belships. Exciting times lay ahead for the company, and I look forward to getting started," he told TradeWinds today.
He succeeds Ulrich Muller, who resigned from Belships in mid-December, days after closing a takeover by Frode Teigen's Lighthouse Group.
Skarsgard has headed the brokerage's S&P desk for the past three and a half years in what has been his second stint with Fearnleys.
He has previous experience on the owning side of the business, having been head of shipowning at Norway's Stove Shipping.
Before joining Stove, he spent a decade with Fearnleys working in both S&P and chartering roles.
“I started with Fearnleys as a 23-year-old so today I also wish to thank Hans Rasmus Astrup for a fantastic time with his company," Skarsgard said.
"Fearnleys really is one of the best places to start a shipping career and I wish them all the best.”
Muller said when his resignation was announced in December: "Belships has reached a crossroads and I feel like the time has come for others to take over the leadership of the company."
Muller has remained with the company while the search for his successor was completed.
Skarsgard has been granted options to subscribe for up to 5m Belships shares with an exercise price of NOK 6.00 ($0.70) per share, with certain conditions attached.
He is not the only Fearnleys S&P chief to have found a top job with a shipowner during the past few years.
Marius Hermansen left the role in 2014 to lead sale and purchase activities for John Fredriksen's companies.
