Shell Shipping LNG and decarbonisation manager Claire Wright is set to join Hanwha Ocean’s London team as the South Korean shipbuilder adds new faces to its line-up.
Wright, who has worked as Shell Shipping & Maritime general manager for commercial & strategy for almost 11 years, is understood to be joining Hanwha Ocean’s current four-person London team this month. Some reports indicate she will take up her new position next week.
She is expected to focus on energy major business for the shipbuilder, sources said.
TradeWinds has asked Wright and Hanwha Ocean for comment.
Industry players expressed surprise at Hanwha Ocean’s new hire, in that most of its satellite offices are staffed by Korean nationals who have been seconded from head office.
But those following the evolution of Hanwha Ocean, which was born out of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group’s takeover of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in May 2023, pointed to recent appointments of other non-Korean staff, such as former SMB Offshore Americas president Philippe Levy, who has been brought on board to head Hanwha Ocean’s offshore business.
Announcing Levy’s appointment, Hanwha said it marked “a pivotal moment” as it transitions from a traditional shipbuilder to an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and operation solution provider offering a variety of floating solutions.
Others noted that another LNG shipping face, Tim Wyatt — who was formerly with Cheniere Energy and at one time worked at shipbroker SSY — joined Hanwha Group’s US investment arm FutureProof last year as chief strategy officer for LNG and shipping.
Wright, who studied European politics and environmental impact assessment management, started her career as a Maersk trainee.
She went on to work as an analyst for and later headed consultancy Lloyd’s Maritime Intelligence before joining Shell in 2013.
She worked on LNG shipping, including vessel designs, chartering and bunkering, and on Shell’s decarbonisation strategy for its maritime business and its LNG-fuelled tankers.
Wright lists her expertise as in project appraisal and development, ship acquisition and divestment, along with emissions reduction, technology commercialisation and new maritime fuels.
She is well known in the LNG sector, is a regular speaker on industry panels and has represented Shell at the Global Maritime Forum meetings.
