Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Jan 31, 2012 9:55AM EST
A.P. Moller-Maersk named Maersk Line executive Lars Reno Jakobsen as senior vice president in charge of heading up the group’s business expansion in Africa, with particular focus on the sub-Saharan region.
Jakobsen, who has until now headed Maersk Line’s network and product division, will assume his new position in Cape Town, South Africa, starting March 1. Jakobsen has much experience with international trade, having worked on four continents including Africa.
In his new position, Jakobsen will report to Kim Fejfer, CEO of APM Terminals, which has refocused its strategy in the last few years on expanding its network of terminals in fast-growing emerging markets in Africa and Latin America.
"We already have strong positions in Africa, but there are many more opportunities to be explored for our group,” Fejfer said.
The A.P. Moller group has activities nearly every country in Africa, including operations in container shipping, terminals and oil and gas. Its total revenue generated on the continent was around $5.4 billion in 2010.
One of the group's two main priorities for 2012 is to continue expansion in growth markets including select African countries such as Nigeria and Angola.
Jakobsen, who joined A.P. Moller-Maersk as a trainee in Maersk Drilling in 1977, has worked in several management positions across the group in numerous countries around the world. From 1998 and on, Jakobsen worked with Africa-related trade; in the years 2002-2009 located in Cape Town, South Africa.
In 2009, Jakobsen was appointed head of network and product in Maersk Line. The tasks of the network and product division will mainly be transferred to the new product and yield division, headed by newly appointed senior vice president Vincent Clerc.
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.
