Maersk Group appoints new CEO

Maersk Group has appointed Søren Skou as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 July 2016.

Image of Skou, from Maersk.

Skou will replace Nils S. Andersen, who will leave the Maersk Group.

Skou has been employed with A.P. Møller - Mærsk since 1983 and for 15 years held various leading positions in Maersk Line, with roles in Copenhagen, New York and Beijing. He has also been a member of the executive board of A.P. Møller - Mærsk since 2006. Skou was CEO of Maersk Tankers from 2001 to 2011.

In 2012 he was appointed CEO of Maersk Line. Skou will remain in this position in addition to his position as CEO for the Maersk Group.

Skou is a graduate of business administration from Copenhagen Business School, and further accomplished an MBA with honors from IMD, Switzerland.

“Søren has strong business acumen and thorough knowledge of the group’s various businesses and has successfully restructured the businesses he has led. The board of directors knows Søren as a respected and knowledgeable leader with the ability to adapt quickly to market changes in close collaboration with the board of directors, the executive management and his employees,” Michael Pram Rasmussen, chairman of the board of directors said.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead A.P. Møller – Mærsk into the next phase of our strategic development. The fast-paced changes of this world demand that we can adapt quickly, easily and at a minimal cost while retaining the focus on each business unit. Our future set-up must effectively respond to these challenges” Skou said.

The board of directors acknowledges Andersen’s dedicated and persistent contribution to A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S since 2005, first as member of the board of directors and subsequently as chief executive officer since December 2007, where he has been a driving force in building a focused and lean global conglomerate of five core businesses within shipping, logistics and energy.

“I am proud of the results we as a team have achieved in the Maersk Group during my leadership and after 8 years as CEO of the Group and 15 years as CEO altogether, I find it is the right time for both me and A.P. Møller - Mærsk to make a change,” Andersen said.