Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent | Feb 15, 2012 9:04AM EST
Ron Widdows, the former chief of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, will become CEO of Germany’s Rickmers Holding and Rickmers-Linie shipping group.
Widdows, who retired last year as head of the owner of container ship operator APL, will take over from the heavy-lift and project cargo carrier’s CEO Jan Steffens on April 1.
“Ron brings a wealth of experience in container shipping and deep relations within the industry, with shippers, governments and the financial community to his new role,” said Bertram Rickmers, chairman of Rickmers Holding.
“The combination of the rich history and strong brand of Rickmers and the experience of this well-known shipping professional is a very positive development in the process of further expanding our successful enterprise with a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific and American markets.”
Widdows stepped down as NOL president and CEO last fall after 31 years at the parent of ocean carrier APL. He is a past chairman of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement and remains chairman of the World Shipping Council, based in Washington.
Widdows will move to Hamburg from Singapore when he takes over his new position. Steffens, who has spent 10 years with the Rickmers group, will remain on the company’s advisory board.
Rickmers has a fleet of 22 multipurpose ships, including nine 29,750 deadweight tons vessels deployed on a round-the-world liner style heavy-lift/project cargo service.