Genco appoints Capt Hughes as COO

(Posted on 07/01/19)

Genco Shipping and Trading Limited has announced the appointment of Captain Robert Hughes as Chief Operations Officer, effective 22 January 2019. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, John C. Wobensmith, Captain Hughes will be based at the Company’s headquarters in New York and will oversee Genco’s operational and technical divisions.

Genco Shipping and Trading Limited transports iron ore, coal, grain, steel products and other drybulk cargoes along worldwide shipping routes. As of 18 December, 2018, Genco’s fleet consisted of 17 Capesize, four Panamax, six Ultramax, 20 Supramax and 13 Handysize vessels with an aggregate capacity of approximately 5,223,000 dwt.

Captain Hughes has over 20 years of operations and leadership experience in the drybulk and broader shipping industry. Most recently, Captain Hughes has been employed by Cargill Ocean Transportation, serving as Americas Operations and Global Technical Manager. Prior to joining Cargill in 2013, he served as Deputy Commercial Operations Manager for OSG Ship Management, and held senior positions at Stolt-Nielsen and the U.S. Merchant Marines. Since 1997, Captain Hughes has also held a variety of active and reservist U.S. naval positions in Asia, East Africa, Europe and the Middle East, currently serving as a Commanding Officer at Military Sealift Command in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

John C. Wobensmith, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Robert has deep knowledge of the drybulk industry and brings significant operational and leadership experience to Genco. Over the past year and a half, we have transformed our commercial platform, providing a full-scale, 24-hour logistics solution to leading charterers and cargo providers. With the addition of Robert to our global team of drybulk professionals in New York, Singapore and Copenhagen, we have further strengthened our platform and ability to meet the exacting needs of our customers.”

“Genco has built a strong reputation in the industry, and I am delighted to join the Company during such an exciting time,” said Captain Hughes. “Genco has taken important steps to enhance its industry leadership and I look forward to working with the team to continue to meet the highest operational standards for our customers.”

Latest News

MMS advises why seafarers must remain vigilant about malaria

Despite its lack of publicity, malaria remains an ongoing epidemic and a perilous threat to seafarers... Read more

Veson: Bulker S&P activity falls sharply in Q1 2025

Due to market uncertainty, overall sale and purchase levels for Bulkers have fallen year on year, with... Read more

Britannia Group announces CEO succession plan

The Britannia Group, a leading P&I insurer, has announced that its Chief Executive, Andrew Cutler... Read more

INTERCARGO responds to IMO's decision on GHG reduction measures

At last week's landmark MEPC 83 meeting, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States... Read more

NORDEN sells two additional vessels

In line with NORDEN’s strategy to realise asset values, the global provider of ocean-based freight... Read more

ILO delivers on Seafarers Key Worker Rights and fair treatment

The fifth meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee (STC) of the MLC concluded last week with some... Read more

Class societies collaborate to standardise emissions data fields at IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has confirmed the expansion of the data reference model... Read more

SEA-CARE looks for more holistic understanding of maritime safety

The SEA-CARE working group concluded its third session in February by confirming commitments to share... Read more

Torvald Klaveness consolidates groupwide digital solutions

Torvald Klaveness has announced the decision to consolidate all digital services under Klaveness Digital... Read more

INTERCARGO reaffirms call for simplicity as IMO climate talks intensify

The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) has renewed its call for straightforward... Read more