Hapag-Lloyd has appointed Danish shipping executive Anders Boenaes as chief operating officer from 1 October 2026, filling the post vacated by Maximilian Rothkopf when he left the German container carrier’s executive board on 30 June, according to a company statement.
The supervisory board approved the appointment on 9 September. Boenaes, a Danish national born in 1974, is currently senior managing director network and a member of Hapag-Lloyd’s executive committee, responsible for its global liner network, container fleet and worldwide operations.
Boenaes joined Hapag-Lloyd in 2020 after a career at Maersk that began in Copenhagen in 1993. He became vice president and head of Africa trades in 2009 and senior vice president network at Maersk Liner Business in 2014.
Supervisory board chairman Karl Gernandt cited Boenaes’ management and operational capabilities at Hapag-Lloyd and his role in establishing and implementing the Gemini Cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk.
Rothkopf had served as COO since July 2019 and left the executive board by mutual agreement. He was to remain in an advisory role for a transitional period.
The supervisory board also extended the contract of Indian chief terminal and infrastructure officer Dheeraj Bhatia until 31 December 2029. Bhatia, born in 1973, has been a member of Hapag-Lloyd’s executive board since January 2024 and is also chief executive of Hanseatic Global Terminals.
Hapag-Lloyd AG operates about 300 container ships with total transport capacity of 2.5m TEU. Its liner shipping business has about 15,200 employees in 400 offices across 140 countries and runs 129 liner services linking around 600 ports.