Former Clarksons broker and Lord Mayor of London Lord Jeffrey Mountevans has been appointed chairman of the Baltic Exchange Council from 1 January, succeeding Denis Petropoulos.
The cross-bench member of the House of Lords was lord mayor from 2015 to 2016 and as Jeffrey Evans was involved in shipbroking for 40 years, becoming managing director of gas at Clarksons from 2001 to 2014.
He was made an honorary life member of the Baltic Exchange in 2016 and said he has always been a passionate supporter of the organisation whose governing body sets its strategy and oversees broker members’ relationships with governments, regulatory bodies and the wider shipping industry.
“The coming years are crucial in the Baltic’s development as a provider of trusted data and standards as the industry grapples with digitisation and decarbonisation,” he said.
“I hope to ensure that the members’ needs are met and to promote the Baltic Exchange at the highest levels.”
Baltic Exchange chief executive Mark Jackson thanked Petropoulos, who became chairman in June 2019, for his support and looks forward to working with Mountevans.
“He is a highly respected, energetic and well-known figure in the maritime world whose experience and wise counsel will be of great benefit,” Jackson said.
Mountevans was chairman of Maritime London from 2013 to 2021 and chairman of Maritime UK in 2014 and 2015, when he oversaw the Maritime Growth Study, which charted a wide-ranging strategy for promoting Britain’s shipping industries.
In November 2016, the Baltic Exchange was acquired by Singapore Exchange.
