After 36 interesting, sometimes challenging, but always exciting years of service with Ultranav, I will officially retire from my duties as Executive Chairman in March 2023. Two decades ago, in 2002, I was given the great opportunity to succeed my father as Managing Partner of the Group and Executive Chairman of Ultranav. The time has come for the company to have a new, motivated, experienced, and caring leader.
Personally, it’s also time for a change, as I will turn 60 at the end of this year. I truly look forward to spending more time with family and friends, take other new responsibilities and explore different avenues in life.
True to our entrepreneurial vision, business strategy, culture, and values, we have been timely planning the succession to my brother Per at our family holding company. He recently turned 50 and is in all aspects ready, willing, and able to take
over as Executive Chairman. Our difference in age gives us the great opportunity to better bridge the time gap to the 4th generation of our family.
Per has a Business Degree from the Universidad Católica de Chile (1990-94) and attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) in Harvard University (2009). He began as trainee in Ultranav Chile and went abroad 1994-1999 to work with Galbraith’s in London, Oldendorff Carriers in Germany, and G & W in New York.
End 1999 he returned to Chile as Chartering Manager in Ultrachart and shortly thereafter was part of the team founding a small startup named Ultrabulk in 2000. It was an interesting milestone for our group when we started commercially operating the 4 owned T-types, Tacora, Tatio, Tupungato and Tronador, all 37,000 dwt bulkers built 1984-5 in Japan. Per was the CEO of Ultrabulk from 2004 to 2012, successfully and profitably growing the operation to 35 ships.
In June 2010, Ultranav acquired Eitzen Bulk. The duo in charge, Per Lange & Per von Appen, jointly led and after 1.5 years successfully conducted the merger of the Eitzen Bulk platform into Ultrabulk. This was the start to shaping the future of one of the leading and most respected drybulk operators in the world.
Per assumed as CEO of Transmares in 2014, consolidating the cabotage business of containers, MPP and drybulk, as well as starting our Mexican west coast service. In 2016, he departed Ultranav to assume as Executive Chairman of Inversiones Fray León, the diversified Family Office created by our father. The next five years he thoughtfully led the professionalization and growth, and successfully developed new projects for the Family Office.
In January 2021, we nominated Per as a Board Member of Ultranav. We were happy to welcome him back, as he brings proven entrepreneurial skills and the necessary shipping experience to support the continued development and growth of Ultranav going forward.
When Per Lange decided to step down in September 2021 as CEO of Ultrabulk, Per took over and in March 2022 he in turn passed on the torch to Hans-Christian Olesen as the new CEO. Today, Per is the Chairman of Ultrabulk and Horizon, and as Executive Director of Ultranav is taking additional responsibilities in several of our business units.
As of now we initiate a transition period during which Per will devote more time to his executive role, I will start reducing my involvement in day-to-day management, and in March 2023 Per will take over as Executive Chairman of Ultranav. I shall continue as a non-executive Board Member, involved in a few businesses for some time and remain Chairman of Navigator.
Jan Vermeij will continue as CEO of Ultranav playing an important role during the transition period ending March 2023 and in the coming years. Jan has a proven track-record as a thoughtful leader, an in-depth knowledge of our diversified group of companies and makes sure all corporate support functions are an efficient and effective backbone to our business units. His direct reports in these areas are Christian Csaszar (Director Fleet & Projects), Francisco Larrain (CFO), Julio Solari (IT & Operational Excellence), Francisca Fajuri (HR), Ion Gatsos (Head of Research & Shipping Investments) and Henrik Sleimann Petersen (Director S&P, Newbuilding and Long-Term Charters).
I have been very fortunate for the opportunity to take Ultranav this far. It was possible thanks to a supportive and visionary Board, as well as a great team of executives and all our dedicated colleagues around the world. To the executive team, I would like to say: your talented leadership, dedication, and professionalism in all our businesses have made us a strong and respected global shipping group. We have grown in market presence and worldwide brand recognition to become a worthy contender in the highly competitive shipping markets. It has been an immense honor being able to serve this great group and this exceptional team for the past 36 years.
I would like to thank everyone in our team of 3,630 colleagues, on board and ashore, for your continuous efforts to make Ultranav “A Partner You Can Trust”. Deep from my heart, I invite you all to continue being part of this great shipping adventure. Let us continue steaming ahead, always preserving our culture and values, working together as one large, motivated team, and of course doing it “The Ultranav Way”.
With my warm personal regards,
Dag von Appen
Dag von Appen
Dag von Appen has been in shipping for the past 36 years and heading Ultranav for 22 years. It is now time for change, and as of March 2023, Dag will retire as Executive Chairman of Ultranav and become Non-Executive Board Member of Ultranav and remain Chairman of Navigator.
Per von Appen
Per von Appen will take on the role as new Executive Chaiman of Ultranav. The transition has been planned for some time, and during the past couple of years, Per has been increasing his involvement in day-to-day management.
Jan Vermeij
Jan Vermeij will continue as CEO of Ultranav and will play an important part in the transition period as well as in the years to come. Jan has many years of experience in different positions within the group.