InterManager, the international association for the ship management sector, has elected Sebastian von Hardenberg as President.

Sebastian is CEO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) and was elected by members of InterManager’s Executive Committee during the association’s Annual General Meeting in London this week.

An experienced negotiator, he has lobbied on behalf of InterManager members and the ship management sector during his term as Vice President and was instrumental in discussions with the European Union regarding the potential impact of EU-ETS and FuelEU on ship managers.

“I am honoured to have been elected as President of InterManager and pledge to work proactively with our members and industry stakeholders to strengthen global partnerships and foster forward-thinking solutions to the challenges we face,” he said. “InterManager is shaping the future of the ship management sector, and we firmly believe that we are stronger and better together.”

Sebastian von Hardenberg, a law graduate, joined the Schulte Group in 2005 and served as CFO of BSM from 2015 before being appointed CEO earlier this year.

He succeeds Mark O’Neil, CEO of Columbia Group, who served as President for the past four years and pioneered InterManager’s General Principles of Conduct and Action. Thanking Mark for his service, Sebastian vowed to continue InterManager’s campaign to raise standards across the ship management sector.

During the same meeting Raal Harris, Chief Creative Officer of Ocean Technologies Group and One Ocean, was elected as Vice President. Raal is a long-standing member of InterManager and has been an active member of the InterManager Executive Committee for the past 10 years.

The Executive Committee also thanked Ajay Tripathi of MMS Singapore who has stood down from the role of Treasurer after 17 years.