New Maersk Line CEO picks execs as group chief recovers from heart surgery
NEW Maersk Line CEO Soren Skou has announced his new executive suite while predecessor Evind Kolding moves off to a new job at Dansk Bank and the sitting AP Moller Maersk Group CEO, Nils Andersen, lies in bed recuperating from emergency heart surgery in Switzerland.

New to the management team - and Maersk Line - is Jakob Stausholm, former Group CFO of the global facility provider ISS. Also new is Vincent Clerc, responsible for Maersk Line's Asia-Europe trade as is Bill Allen, head of group HR. Lucas Vos continues as member of the executive team, but take on new responsibility.

Apart from CEO Mr Skou, the former CEO of Maersk Tankers, there is CCO Lucas Vos who comes from outside Maersk Line. COO Morten Engelstoft continues as he was. Other executives include chief strategy and transformation officer Jakob Stausholm, CFO Peter Ronnest Andersen, who continues in his current position; chief product and yield officer Vincent Clerc as well as acting head of human resources Bill Allen, who concurrently heads groupwide HR.

Said Mr Skou: "The team has the potential to take Maersk Line to the next level. Recently, Maersk introduced new products and has taken out costs. The result is that Maersk Line today has margins above industry averages. However, we have potential for much more and will continue to improve profitability, which is not satisfactory."

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NOL chairman Cheng Wai Keung to retire after 10 years at the helm
SINGAPORE's global container shipping and logistics company, Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) Group, announced that its chairman, Cheng Wai Keung, will retire after its annual general meeting scheduled in April.

Mr Cheng will be replaced by Kwa Chong Seng, who was appointed to the board on January 1. Mr Kwa will assume the chairmanship when Mr Cheng retires after serving on the board for 20 years, the last 10 as chairman.

"I have seen unprecedented changes on the shipping scene in my years on the board, and I have had the opportunity to be involved in the transformation of NOL into a global premier transportation company that it is today," said Mr Cheng.

Said NOL president and CEO Ng Yat Chung: "On behalf of NOL, I thank Wai Keung for his exceptional dedication and contributions to the NOL Group all these years. Under his stewardship, the NOL Group has transformed itself into a global player in the container shipping and logistics, widely admired for its quality of service. Over the course of his impressive tenure, Wai Keung successfully led and steered NOL through the numerous industry cycles. We wish him and his family the very best in his future endeavours."

Mr Kwa is the deputy chairman of the board of directors of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, the state-owned conglomerate, which has a majority stake in NOL. He was chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Private Limited before retiring in October 2011. A graduate from the University of Singapore, Mr Kwa received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award by the National University in 1994, and the Honorary Ningbo Citizenship in 1999. In 2005, he was awarded the Singapore Public Service Star.

"It is my privilege to be able to serve on the NOL board. I look forward to working closely with the board, management and staff of NOL to enhance the interest of all stakeholders. I would like to also take this opportunity to thank Wai Keung for his legacy and will endeavour to lead NOL to greater success in the future," said Mr Kwa.

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Evergreen Logistics becomes EVG Logistics (Singapore) on January 1
THE logistics arm of Evergreen Group, Evergreen Logistics (Singapore) Pte Ltd, will be renamed EVG Logistics (Singapore) Pte Ltd from January 1, the company announced.

Other than representing Evergreen Logistics Corporation and Round the World Logistics (USA) Corp for Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Batam and Bintan, the new entity is also an appointed air cargo agent for EVA Air in Singapore.

The company statement said EVG Logistics (Singapore) believes in providing local and overseas customers with efficient and value-added global logistics solutions.

"Through its well connected global network offices and partner agents worldwide, the company can meet and fulfil customer needs with international freight forwarding (sea/air), transshipment co-ordination, inland transportation, container trucking, port clearance documentation, warehousing, distribution, project cargo handling, value-added services, household removals and marine insurance.

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Panalpina opens fourth multi-product branch in northern India
PANALPINA has opened its fourth branch in north India in Ludhiana, only two weeks after opening a branch in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the company said.

Ludhiana is home to thousands of large and medium-sized companies and is one of India's fastest growing textile cities. Indian and international companies in Ludhiana, Punjab, produce not only woollen goods, hosiery, knitwear and accessories, but also automobile components, bicycles and bicycle parts.

"Fashion, consumer and retail and automotive are three key industries for Panalpina," said Rene Wernli, managing director, India. "Our new branch in Ludhiana is therefore a logical next step in our growth strategy for India. We will always be where our customers need us."

The company will offer its customers in Ludhiana a full portfolio of services including access to its global air network and international ocean ports.

"Our four offices in north India, our strong market position in air and ocean freight, our capability to offer tailored supply chain solutions and our extensive local knowledge make us a leading player in this strategic region," said Rupesh Gupta, head of North District, Panalpina India.

The company's two other offices in north India are in Delhi and Kolkata. In April of this year, it opened a branch in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in west India.

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NOL accelerates promotion of Lieutenant General Ng Yat Chung as CEO
SINGAPORE-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) has announced that Ng Yat Chung has taken his position as new CEO three months ahead of schedule, succeeding Ron Widdows who now retires.

Lieutenant General Ng was Singapore's 5th Chief of Defence Force from 2003 to 2007. A former artillery officer, he studied math at Cambridge and took an MBA at Stanford. General Ng was also the top foreign graduate of the US Command and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in 1988-89.

General Ng relinquished his command as defence chief and joined Temasek Holdings in a newly created position as its portfolio management managing director. He then moved to NOL as executive director.

"We have completed the implementation of our executive succession plan and are moving ahead under Yat Chung," said NOL chairman Cheng Wai Keung in a company statement. "There are important decisions to be made that will affect NOL into the future, thus it is a good time to put our new management team in place."

"It has become clear that the environment has changed, that numerous important decisions need to be taken and that most of those will have an effect on our business and our company well beyond the end of this year," said General Ng and Mr Widdows in a joint statement.

"As such, we both feel strongly that it is in the best interest of the company that the new leadership begins to drive the company and shape these important decisions now, and not wait until 2012," they said.

NOL is the parent of APL, the world's seventh-largest container carrier. The group's another major brand is APL Logistics, a global supply chain management firm.

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