Chief executive Lasse Kristoffersen has expanded Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s executive management team as he focuses on the energy transition and digitalisation.
The idea is to transform shipping and logistics, the Oslo-listed car carrier company said.
The new management team is complemented by adjustments to the corporate structure.
“The main objective is to strengthen our existing business by delivering on the transition towards zero-emission while scaling up our ambitions on digital excellence and services as well as safety and compliance,” said Kristoffersen, who took the top job last summer.
He has spent the intervening months getting to know the company, particularly its people.
The team includes chief financial officer Torbjorn Wist, plus a number of other new roles and faces.
Wenche Agerup, chief people & corporate affairs officer, has joined to focus on people development, compliance and legal matters.
Chief communication & marketing officer Anette Koefoed and acting chief technology & information officer Gro Rognstad are other fresh faces on the team.
Pia Synnerman has been appointed chief customer officer, responsible for sales and business development.
Xavier Leroi becomes chief operating officer for shipping. He was previously responsible for customer relations, but will now oversee all the group’s vessel operations, including associated companies Eukor and Armacup.
The team is completed by chief operating officer for logistics Mike Hynekamp.
Green task force
To drive the transformation towards clean energy sources, the company has established a task force, Orcelle Accelerator, to ensure it can introduce zero-emission end-to-end services by 2027.
The unit reports directly to the CEO.
“We want to be a ‘shaper’ in the fight against climate change. No product can be zero-emission without zero-emission shipping and logistics,” Kristoffersen said.
Technology and digitalisation are also at the centre of the new strategy.
“Our industry has only started to harvest the value creation potential, and we are ready to put this into use, both for our customers and ourselves,” the CEO added.
The shipowner operates around 125 vessels servicing 15 trade routes to six continents.
