Hamburg Sud chief executive Poul Hestbaek is leaving the container line following its absorption into Danish giant AP Moller-Maersk.
A LinkedIn post revealed the boss will be gone by the end of Thursday.
“My responsibility for overseeing the successful completion of the Hamburg Sud brand integration into Maersk is reaching its conclusion,” he said.
“As I prepare to embark on a new chapter, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the incredible journey I’ve had during the past two decades at Hamburg Sud,” Hestbaek added.
The outgoing boss said he considered himself very privileged and fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to clients' achievements and empower his colleagues, both during the Hamburg Sud era and later as part of the Maersk family.
“The past five years have been particularly inspiring, as I’ve had the privilege of working alongside an amazing team at Maersk,” he added.
And in a message directed at the Danish giant, he said: "Your dedication to driving change, transform and embracing challenges has been truly engaging."
“While my path may be leading me in a new direction, the connections, and lessons I have learned will remain with me,” he concluded.
Hestbaek stepped up as CEO two years and five months ago. He was previously the chief commercial officer.
He joined the German line in 2004 from CSAV in Chile.
Last link to Oetker family goes
In June, CCO Philip Oetker said he was leaving by the end of July.
He was the last link to Hamburg Sud’s former owning family.
The Oetkers sold the 152-year-old German container line to AP Moller-Maersk in 2017.
Oetker remains on the board of the family’s massive food, beer and property company Oetker Group.
In January, parent Maersk said it was ditching the Hamburg Sud brand.
The Danish liner shipping giant described the move as part of its plan to create “a singular, unified brand”.
The Sealand name is also disappearing. This operates in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The US-based liner operation was incorporated into the Maersk group in 1999.
