Norwegian shipping veteran Otto Fritzner has died at 78 after a lengthy illness.
He served in many roles at chemical tanker owner Stolt Nielsen Transportation Group (STNG), a subsidiary of Stolt Nielsen, before taking over as chief executive in 2004.
When Fritzner was appointed CEO of SNTG, Stolt Nielsen chief executive Niels Stolt-Nielsen said: "Otto Fritzner brings extensive parcel trade and general shipping experience and knowledge to this key position. We have the utmost confidence in his ability to take the company forward."
Fritzner joined the group in 1993 as senior vice president and general manager of Stolt Parcel Tankers, where he was responsible for all shipowning issues, as well as ship management and newbuildings. He later became managing director of shipowning at SNTG.
From 1988 to 1993, Fritzner was a director at Cyprus-based Columbia Ship Management, one of the world’s largest shipmanagement companies. Before that, he spent two years with Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi, where he was general manager for the fleet management division and vice president of its Gearbulk subsidiary.
From 1977 to 1986, Fritzner held a number of positions at L Gill-Johannessen & Co.
He began his career in 1967 at Det Norske Veritas (DNV), after serving in the Royal Norwegian Navy.
