There was a new captain on the bridge as Danish Shipping held its general assembly this morning at Copenhagen Contemporary on Refshaleøen.

Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS, was unanimously elected by the general assembly and took the helm from Jacob Meldgaard, CEO of TORM, who stepped down from the chairmanship as planned after four successful years in the position.

“I would like to thank Jacob for his tremendous work for Danish shipping. I am glad that he will continue as an ordinary member of the board, so we can continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience,” says Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS and newly elected chairman of Danish Shipping.

The new chairman takes over at a time when the course towards a climate-neutral future must be maintained in a constantly changing world.

“If there is an industry that is affected by the global situation with trade, security, and geopolitical tensions, it is shipping. We literally sail to all corners of the world and are therefore among the first to feel the impact when global power dynamics shift. Therefore, an unpredictable time awaits us, and I look forward to ensuring the continued success and development of Danish shipping together with the rest of the board and secretariat,” says Torben Carlsen.

The board consists of the following members:

• Torben Carlsen, DFDS A/S (Chairman)
• Caroline Pontoppidan, A.P. Møller – Mærsk (Vice Chairman)
• Jacob Meldgaard, TORM A/S
• Christian M. Ingerslev, Maersk Supply Service
• Jan Rindbo, D/S Norden A/S
• Lars H. Simonsen, MH Simonsen ApS
• Peter Lytzen, ESVAGT A/S
• Thorsten Jalk, ZITON A/S

Festive day ahead

After the general assembly, Danish Shippings annual day is underway, where representatives from the shipping industry, authorities, and partners are gathered.

They can look forward to a day under the theme: ‘How do we navigate in an uncertain world?’ with a focus on the geopolitical situation and its consequences for shipping.

There will be debates on how to maintain the green focus in these times and how to address the diversity challenge while the world is in turmoil.