Port of Rotterdam Authority chief executive Boudewijn Siemons has been elected regional vice-president for Europe on the board of the International Association of Ports and Harbors, with the appointment confirmed on 31 July, according to IAPH.
The Dutch executive’s mandate took effect immediately and runs until IAPH’s 2027 Annual General Meeting, held alongside next year’s World Ports Conference. Siemons succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren, who previously held the European role and left his position as chief executive of Port of Antwerp-Bruges in April.
“It’s my ambition to intensify the collaboration between ports,” Siemons said, identifying decarbonisation, digital interoperability and supply-chain resilience as priorities.
IAPH president Jens Meier, who is also chief executive of Hamburg Port Authority, highlighted Rotterdam’s involvement in the Environmental Ship Index, clean marine fuels, shore power, port-call optimisation, resilience, safety and security.
Siemons is due to discuss his regional priorities with members at an IAPH Europe meeting in Hamburg on 2 September. He became chief executive of Europe’s largest seaport in 2024 after serving as interim chief executive and chief operating officer. He joined Port of Rotterdam Authority in 2020 and served in the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1987 to 1998. He studied at the Royal Netherlands Naval Institute and Delft University of Technology.
IAPH is a global alliance of 212 port authorities and 184 port-related businesses representing more than 97 nationalities. Its member ports handle more than one-third of global seaborne trade and over 60% of container traffic.