New Maersk chief wants more consolidation
Maersk’s new container shipping head, Søren Skou, (pictured) has marked the announcement of his appointment with a call for more consolidation across the industry, ifw-net reports.
Skou, CEO of Maersk Tankers, will take over from Eivind Kolding as head of the Danish group’s container shipping division next month.
Kolding, one of the best known figures in the business, is leaving the group to become chief executive of Danske Bank. He is currently Chairman of the bank, in which AP Møller-Maersk has a 20% stake.
Skou will take charge of both Maersk Line, the world’s largest containership operator, and the African specialist Safmarine.
Skou is also the current chairman of the group’s logistics and forwarding arm, Damco, and Maersk Container Industry, but will relinquish those positions to focus on Maersk Line.
Skou told IFW’s sister publication, Lloyd’s List, that he believed the container industry was in need of a further shake-out, with some smaller players best absorbed by bigger lines.
Although Maersk has been deeply involved in the rationalisation process of the past dozen years, having acquired both Sea-Land and P&O Nedlloyd, Skou refused to be drawn on whether he expected to play a key role in further mergers or takeovers.
Nevertheless, he stressed more tonnage needed to be removed from the container trades, through any number of means, including greater corporate concentration and more ship demolition. The recent vessel-sharing partnership between MSC and CMA CGM represented a start, he said.
Skou said he was taking over at a time when Maersk Line was in “very good shape”, but he warned: “It is also important to realise the industry is in pretty bad shape, so there is a lot of work to do.”
The overall direction of the business would remain the same, Skou said, with the main emphasis on costs, customer service and competitiveness.
After a very tough year for the industry in 2011, he said there was little reason to expect 2012 to be any easier. From an industry perspective, the top priority was to create a healthy structure, and that meant fewer participants.
He would not comment specifically on whether Maersk Line was determined to defend its number-one position, but said his focus would be on generating revenues needed to keep reinvesting in the business.
Nevertheless, he expected Maersk Line to take a leading industry role, as it had been doing under Kolding’s stewardship.
Skou, CEO of Maersk Tankers, will take over from Eivind Kolding as head of the Danish group’s container shipping division next month.
Kolding, one of the best known figures in the business, is leaving the group to become chief executive of Danske Bank. He is currently Chairman of the bank, in which AP Møller-Maersk has a 20% stake.
Skou will take charge of both Maersk Line, the world’s largest containership operator, and the African specialist Safmarine.
Skou is also the current chairman of the group’s logistics and forwarding arm, Damco, and Maersk Container Industry, but will relinquish those positions to focus on Maersk Line.
Skou told IFW’s sister publication, Lloyd’s List, that he believed the container industry was in need of a further shake-out, with some smaller players best absorbed by bigger lines.
Although Maersk has been deeply involved in the rationalisation process of the past dozen years, having acquired both Sea-Land and P&O Nedlloyd, Skou refused to be drawn on whether he expected to play a key role in further mergers or takeovers.
Nevertheless, he stressed more tonnage needed to be removed from the container trades, through any number of means, including greater corporate concentration and more ship demolition. The recent vessel-sharing partnership between MSC and CMA CGM represented a start, he said.
Skou said he was taking over at a time when Maersk Line was in “very good shape”, but he warned: “It is also important to realise the industry is in pretty bad shape, so there is a lot of work to do.”
The overall direction of the business would remain the same, Skou said, with the main emphasis on costs, customer service and competitiveness.
After a very tough year for the industry in 2011, he said there was little reason to expect 2012 to be any easier. From an industry perspective, the top priority was to create a healthy structure, and that meant fewer participants.
He would not comment specifically on whether Maersk Line was determined to defend its number-one position, but said his focus would be on generating revenues needed to keep reinvesting in the business.
Nevertheless, he expected Maersk Line to take a leading industry role, as it had been doing under Kolding’s stewardship.
