ClassNK’s new President
(Posted on 20/03/20)
Current Senior Executive Vice President Hiroaki Sakashita has been appointed as President & CEO as well as a Representative Director of leading classification society ClassNK, effective 18 March 2020. Current Senior Executive Vice Presidents Tetsuya Kinoshita, Junichiro Iida, and Dr. Toshiyuki Shigemi will continue in their present roles on the team, joined by Hirofumi Takano and Taira Narisawa as Executive Vice President.
Koichi Fujiwara has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors, leaving the post of Representative Director, President & CEO. Michio Takagi will remain as Executive Auditor.
Speaking on the occasion, newly appointed President & CEO Hiroaki Sakashita said: “The maritime industry is changing its shape to adapt to environmental responsibilities and the digital era. For the swift mitigation of the industry to the new stage, there will be an increasing need for the role of independent third-party organizations to assure the safety, environmental performance, and quality of new technologies or concepts. ClassNK, with its new executive team, will actively participate in new innovative initiatives to enhance its capability, and pave the way for the development of new technologies and propagation of their benefits throughout the industry.”
Hiroaki Sakashita holds a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, from Yokohama National University and started his career at Japan’s Ministry of Transport (now Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) in 1980. During his career with the government, he played vital roles in maritime administration including regulatory oversight and industry development. He assumed the position of Director-General of the Maritime Bureau in 2015, and Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, Minister’s Secretariat in 2016.
He joined ClassNK as an Executive Consultant in 2018 and was appointed to Senior Executive Vice President in 2019 to oversee ClassNK’s expansion of its business portfolio and digital transformation.
Latest News
SAFEEN appoints Rocktree for transhipper conversion
(Posted on 10/08/20)Singapore-based Rocktree, a one-stop solutions provider for turnkey projects from concept to medium... Read more
Solid results from Algoma
(Posted on 10/08/20)Algoma Central Corporation, a leading provider of marine transportation services, has announced its... Read more
IRClass launches vessel for Unichart
(Posted on 09/08/20)M.V. ROKNOOR-32, a General Cargo vessel, built under the classification of the Indian Register of Shipping... Read more
Jamaica to enable crew changes and repatriations
(Posted on 09/08/20)In order to enable crew changes, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has listed seafarers among the class... Read more
ClassNK launches “Innovation Endorsement”
(Posted on 31/07/20)Leading Classification Society ClassNK is launching a new service titled “Innovation Endorsement... Read more
Japan’s coronavirus rise prompts MOL response
(Posted on 31/07/20)Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced that it will lower the number of employees working from... Read more
SMT re-launces training programmes
(Posted on 31/07/20)Following the successful re-launch of its STCW safety critical courses in June, Stream Marine Training... Read more
Drastic crew change measures required
(Posted on 29/07/20)INTERCARGO cannot even begin to contemplate the impacts if terminal and cargo operations were halted... Read more
Pandemic accelerates digitalization
(Posted on 22/07/20)The coronavirus pandemic is proving a catalyst for shipping digitalization, prompting ocean supply chain... Read more
Cyber-attacks up 900% in three years
(Posted on 22/07/20)Cyber-attacks on the maritime industry’s operational technology (OT) systems have increased by... Read more
