After ten very successful years with the Rickmers Group and especially, with Rickmers-Linie, Jan B Steffens will by 31 March 2012 step down from the twin positions of CEO of Rickmers Holding and of Rickmers-Linie although he will continue to serve on the Rickmers Group advisory board, the shipping company said Wednesday.
Ronald D Widdows, former CEO of NOL/APL, is to become the new Chief Executive Officer of Rickmers Holding and Rickmers-Linie as of 1 April 2012. Rickmers’ Chief Financial Officer Dr Ignace Van Meenen will act as his deputy.
Announcing this change, Bertram R C Rickmers, Chairman of Rickmers Holding, said:
“I am pleased to announce that Jan B. Steffens, who asked for this change of role, will continue to be with us on the advisory board and take care of special projects associated with the Rickmers Group.”
“I am very happy to welcome Ron Widdows to the Rickmers Group. Mr Widdows has over 40 years’ experience in the shipping industry, the last 31 years of which were with APL and Neptune Orient Lines Ltd where he held the position of Group President and CEO.”
Mr Widdows is currently the Chairman of the World Shipping Council, which is based in Washington DC, and is on the Advisory Boards of the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point NY and the International Transport Forum, based in Europe. He is a past Chairman of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement.
Mr Rickmers continued:
“Ron brings a wealth of experience in container shipping and deep relationships within the industry, with shippers, governments and the financial community to his new role. The combination of the rich history and strong brand of Rickmers and the experience of this well-known shipping professional is a very positive development in the process of further expanding our successful enterprise with a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific and American markets.”
Rickmers-Linie, part of the Hamburg-based Rickmers Group, provides a world-wide network of liner services for the transportation of breakbulk, heavylift and project cargoes such as transformers, generators, railway locomotives, brewery tanks and yachts.
Rickmers-Linie currently owns or long-term charters eighteen specialized vessels and adds further capacity to its fleet by spot charters subject to demand.
The Company has more than 170 employees, 16 offices and over 40 agencies worldwide.