Keith Svendsen will succeed Morten Engelstoft to become the next CEO of APM Terminals.
Svendsen, who has been the COO of the Dutch-based port operator since 2017, will officially commence in his new role on July 01 this year.
Before joining APM Terminals, he held several senior positions within Maersk Line, most recently as vice president and head of operational execution.
“Together with the global leadership team and our engaged people across the globe, I look very much forward to keeping APM Terminals on the road to success and propelling us forward to become the world’s best terminal company,” said Keith Svendsen.
“Continuity is critical to maintain our transformation momentum and further deploy our ‘Safer, Better, Bigger’ strategy. My main focuses are on executing our strategy and constantly seeking new ways to serve our customers better, mature LEAN and find ways we can grow the company.”
Engelstoft joined Maersk in 1986 and has served in many different roles across the company’s business in seven countries, including as Maersk Line’s COO, which he held for seven years. In 2016, he became the CEO of APM Terminals.
“As I look forward to beginning a new chapter in my life, seeking a new balance and spending more time with my family, I am immensely proud to have been part of shaping Maersk over decades. We have built a strong foundation for APM Terminals, and the business is today well positioned in the industry and for the next chapter of our strategy. That is why timing is good for this change and in Keith we have a strong successor ready,” says Morten Engelstoft.
With Engelstoft’s retirement, APM Terminals will be represented on the Maersk Executive Board by Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, who has also been named the new Chairperson of APM Terminals, succeeding Maersk’s CEO, Soren Skou. Also, as of July 01, Thygesen will take over from Engelstoft as Executive Sponsor of Safety within Maersk.
“I would like to thank Morten for his extraordinary achievements, dedication and leadership during all these years. He has played an instrumental role in the overall transformation of Maersk, the strengthening of the collaboration between Ocean and Terminals, and not least ensuring the very successful turnaround of our terminals business leading up to the record-breaking results in 2021. I have truly appreciated having Morten in our executive board and I’ve enjoyed our partnership and close collaboration,” said Soren Skou.
