Svitzer appoints new regional managing director for Svitzer Americas
World-leading towage operator Svitzer said that Arjen Van Dijk will take up the role of Managing Director for its Americas region, effective 1 February 2020.
The 44-year-old Dutchman joined Svitzer in July 2019 as regional CCO and is now advancing to Regional MD. With more than 15 years in global shipping and transportation, Mr Van Dijk builds on extensive knowledge and insights from the industry. He has lived and worked in the region for years and is today a well-known profile with an established network in the maritime industry across the South American continent.
Henriette Thygesen, CEO of Svitzer A/S, sees Mr. Van Dijk as the natural pick for the regional driver’s seat:
“At Svitzer, we are always looking at ways to improve what we do and the way we deliver value to our customers. This is what Svitzer Americas aims for and this is what Arjen Van Dijk delivers. We want our customers to benefit from Svitzer being a global company and we aim to be their preferred partner within towage and related marine services. Arjen has a strong track record of driving customer-centricity and growth across this diverse region – with his global profile, regional experience and innovative mindset, he is the natural pick for the role. Together with the global leadership team, I look forward to supporting him in realising our growth ambitions for the region,” said Henriette Thygesen.
Mr. Van Dijk is excited about the role and the opportunities that lie ahead for Svitzer in the region:
“As part of Maersk, Svitzer is truly a global marine solutions partner and I am excited by the opportunity to take our partnering role to the next level – in close collaboration with our customers. I believe that the multi-local engine behind Svitzer is a benefit to terminal operators and customers calling ports across the Americas region. We are continuously looking at improving what we do and exploring new opportunities to deliver safe, efficient and innovative towage and related marine services. Together with the strong Svitzer Americas team, I look forward to furthering our offerings.” said Mr. Van Dijk.
Mr. Van Dijk is taking over from Marc Niederer, who has decided to step down due to personal reasons and is currently considering various options for his future role. For the past three years, Mr. Niederer has led the development of a diverse region that covers 13 countries, mainly across the South American continent, with huge potential for growth and opportunities:
“Marc Niederer has done a great job turning the region around and putting our customer’s needs at the top on our agenda. I am confident that Arjen will continue to push the needle and further improve our offerings in the region. We see huge opportunities in collaborating across the Maersk sister brands in the region to meet our customer’s business needs, both now and in the years to come,” said Henriette Thygesen.
About Svitzer
Since 1833, Svitzer has provided safety and support at sea as a standalone towage operator and as part of A.P. Moller - Maersk. With 4,000 employees, a fleet of more than 450vessels and operations all over the world, we are the global market leader within towage and marine-related services.
In the Americas region, Svitzer employs 835 people and is servicing global and regional customers across 14 countries.
