V.Group has appointed Chris Kirton as managing director of International Tanker Management (ITM), its Dubai-based subsidiary that focuses on oil and chemical tankers.
Kirton was previously with the Singapore-based Norstar Ship Management, where he had held the same position until March.
“As a former chief engineer and with over 40 years [of] experience of shipmanagement gained on various types of vessel, and latterly in senior shore-based roles, he has a lot to bring to our company,” said Franck Kayser, chief executive of affiliate V.Ships chief executive.
“He will play a big part in the continued provision of flawless service delivery to our customers. Following a comprehensive handover, Chris is now settled in his new office and role, and we wish him every success.”
Anil Cariappa, who joined ITM 23 years ago, is retiring as ITM managing director.
“ITM has built an experienced team in Dubai which consistently builds strong relations with customers who value the partnerships created and the focus on flawless service delivery offered by ITM,” Kirton said.
“I look forward to continuing to develop and refine our offer even further to ensure we remain the tanker manager of choice.”
V.Group has nearly 300 tankers in its fleet. Other than V.Ships and ITM, the UK-based company also manages tankers via subsidiary Dania Ship Management.
In recent weeks, V.Group has embarked on a series of high-level reshuffles.
Chief operating officer of operational excellence Ulla Eithz Nielsen was appointed to run its container-focused German office in Germany.
This came after Nils Aden quit V.Group Germany to pursue new opportunities.
Also, Rene Kofod-Olsen, who was previously with P&O Maritime Logistics, will take over as V.Group chief executive on 1 November.
Kofod-Olsen will be V.Group's third chief executive in two years, following on from Graham Westgarth, who is stepping up as chairman.
Westgarth took over from Ian El-Mokadem, who held the position for two years after its takeover in 2017 by Advent.
