Damen welcomes new board members
(Posted on 01/10/20)
Damen Shipyards Group has completed the transformation of the corporate governance structure into a separate Executive Board and a Supervisory Board with the appointment of three new external, independent Supervisory Board members: Jurgen van Breukelen, Bert Greven and Henk Rottinghuis. The chairmanship of the Supervisory Board will remain unchanged by Kommer Damen.
Damen operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 13,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide
At the end of last year, the course of the largest shipbuilding group in the Netherlands was revised. CEO Arnout Damen: “We are going 'back to the future': towards standardisation and series construction. These are not only success factors that led to great growth in the past, but also essential conditions to meet the megatrends of our time: digitalisation and sustainability. Damen Shipyards aims to grow into the world’s leading green and connected shipbuilder.”
Last year, the step towards a divisional structure was also taken in the context of operational excellence. This means that responsibilities are more clearly assigned within the organisation and work is even closer to customers and suppliers. The transformation of the One Tier Board into a separate Executive Board and a Supervisory Board fits within this strategy. “This not only increases our strength, but also means that the responsibilities with regard to management and supervision are clearly invested within our management model,” explains Arnout Damen.
“In that context, we welcome our new Supervisory Board members. Their extensive knowledge and experience will certainly help us to further shape our ambitious plans in the field of digitalisation, sustainability and operational excellence.”
Jurgen van Breukelen worked at KPMG Netherlands between 1994 and 2015, of which the last 15 years as a partner, since 2007 a member of the Board of Directors and later as CEO. Today he is, among others, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Altice Group. In the past he was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Van Gansewinkel Groep and Chairman of the Board of Bosal. He also fulfills a number of advisory and supervisory functions.
Bert Greven started at Rabobank in 1975 and retired from the bank last year. After this he took on a number of advisory and supervisory positions, including that of advisor to the board at the shipping company Royal Wagenborg.
Henk Rottinghuis was CEO and Chairman of Pon Holdings from 2001 to 2010. He joined Pon in 1993. Before that, he held senior management positions at Koninklijke Nedlloyd Group. After his retirement from Pon, he has held various supervisory directorships.
The Supervisory Board of Damen Shipyards Group is completed by Annelies Damen and Kommer Damen. The latter assumes the role of chairman, as he did in the One Tier Board.
With the introduction of the new structure and the appointment of the new Supervisory Board memebers, four Non-executive Board members from the One Tier Board say goodbye: Floris Croon, Bear Damen, Rose Damen and Maarten Hulshoff. “We would like to thank them for their great efforts in recent years,” says Arnout Damen. "Partly because of this, Damen Shipyards has grown into the concern it is today."
All changes took effect on September 1, 2020. The composition of the Executive Board has not changed.
Latest News
AtoB@C Shipping takes delivery of Fleximar
(Posted on 23/12/25)AtoB@C Shipping, a subsidiary of ESL Shipping, has announced the successful delivery of Fleximar, the... Read more
Western Bulk re-enters ship ownership with selected partners
(Posted on 18/12/25)Western Bulk, together with reputable Norwegian partners A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Premium Maritime... Read more
Pacific Basin announces formation of a Sustainable Energy Solutions team
(Posted on 18/12/25)Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies, has announced... Read more
Columbia expects significant growth as more owners shift operations to the UAE
(Posted on 09/12/25)Columbia Group anticipates a period of strong expansion as an increasing number of international shipowners... Read more
Norse Ship Management emerges as digital leader among new-generation ship managers
(Posted on 09/12/25)Norse?Ship Management has expanded its use of Smart Ship Hub’s high frequency sensor data and... Read more
Maritime health experts welcome STCW amendments, but urge against checkbox compliance
(Posted on 09/12/25)As the maritime industry gears up to welcome the IMO’s STCW bullying and harassment training amendments... Read more
NORDEN acquires Southern African cargo activities of Taylor Maritime
(Posted on 02/12/25)NORDEN has acquired the cargo activities of Taylor Maritime in Southern Africa (previously operated... Read more
IMO delay could spark fragmentation risks, warns EmissionLink
(Posted on 02/12/25)Philippos Ioulianou, Managing Director of EmissionLink, has warned the IMO’s decision to delay... Read more
VIKAND highlights bullying and harassment as major mental health concern
(Posted on 02/12/25)VIKAND has highlighted the need for cultural change in the maritime sector as reports of bullying, harassment... Read more
DNV and WMMF guide to support shipowners' path to net-zero
(Posted on 24/11/25)The maritime industry is experiencing a period of significant transformation, driven by rapidly evolving... Read more
