A.P. Moller – Maersk is appointing Henriette Hallberg Thygesen as chair of APM Terminals and current APM chief operating officer Keith Svendsen is to move into the chief executive officer role at APM.
APM runs 75 port terminals in more than 40 countries. APM is owned by Maersk and it his headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.
The changes come after current APM Terminals CEO and executive board member Morten Engelstoft announced his retirement. Mr Engelstoft has been with A.P. Moller – Maersk for 36 years. Mr Engelstoft has been at the helm of APM Terminals for the past six years.
The change in leadership will take effect from 1 July.
The past six years of Morten’s career has been at the helm of APM Terminals, where he has led the company through a very successful turnaround. Morten hands over a business on a very positive performance trajectory which delivers attractive, stable, and high returns.
Ms Thygesen is currently Maersk CEO of fleet and strategic brands and from 2016 through 2020 she was senior vice-president and CEO of Svitzer.
A.P. Moller – Maersk CEO Søren Skou said: “I am confident, that Henriette and Keith are the right team to leverage the momentum and lead APM Terminals on the next leg of the journey where our continued focus is on delivering on our automation strategy and on step-changing productivity in Gateway Terminals.”
Mr Skou thanked Mr Engelstoft for his “extraordinary achievements, dedication and leadership”.
“He has played an instrumental role in the overall transformation of Maersk, the strengthening of the collaboration between Ocean and Terminals, and not least ensuring the very successful turnaround of our Terminals business leading up to the record-breaking results in 2021,” Mr Skou said.
“I have truly appreciated having Morten in our Executive Board and I have enjoyed our partnership and close collaboration.”
Robert M. Uggla, chair of the Board of A.P. Moller – Maersk also thanked Mr Engelstoft for his contributions to the company.
“Morten has been one of our most appreciated leaders with a strong sense for our company values and the safety of our employees. I have been fortunate to work closely with Morten during my own career and have benefited tremendously from his advice and insights,” Mr Uggla said.
“On behalf of the Board, I look forward to working with Henriette and Keith to continue APM Terminals’ promising development.”
Mr Engelstoft became CEO of APM Terminals in 2016, coming from a position as CEO for APM Shipping Services and earlier COO in Maersk Line, and he was appointed member of the Executive Board in 2017.
Mr Engelstoft said: “As I look forward to beginning a new chapter in my life, seeking a new balance and spending more time with my family, I am immensely proud to have been part of shaping Maersk during the past decades. We have built a strong foundation for APM Terminals, and the business is today well positioned in the industry and for the next chapter of our strategy. That is why timing is good for this change and in Keith we have a strong successor ready.”
