Executive Moves: Port of Tacoma and Wallem Group

   At a special meeting Wednesday, the Port of Tacoma Commission approved Eric Johnson to serve as executive director of the Port of Tacoma.
   Johnson has served as the executive director of the Washington Public Ports Association since January 2009. John Wolfe will continue in his role as CEO of The Northwest Seaport Alliance, a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Tacoma and Seattle.
   Port Commissioner Clare Petrich, co-chair of the hiring committee, said Johnson’s “background and experience will be tremendous assets to our organization as we grow its economic impacts across Pierce County. We’ve been particularly impressed by his history in merging environmental stewardship efforts with port business.”
   When the NWSA was formed in 2015, Wolfe, then CEO of Port of Tacoma, assumed leadership of both the NWSA and the port. The dual role was set to divide into two positions within the first five years of the NWSA’s formation. 
   As executive director, Johnson will be responsible for developing and implementing new business and partnership opportunities for lines of business not licensed to the NWSA. He will be tasked with identifying economic development strategies, managing and creating opportunities for real estate holdings, helping to improve and manage transportation corridors within the port complex and working with key stakeholders to ensure and promote environmental stewardship and sustainable growth.

   Wallem Group has appointed John-Kaare Aune (pictured above) as the managing director of ship management.
   Aune, who will join the company July 1, comes from the Cayman Registry, for which he most recently was regional director of safety and compliance. He previously spent more than six years with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate and represented Norway on numerous EU and IMO committees.
   Wallem is a provider of technology-driven maritime solutions, offering services supporting the complete lifecycle of a vessel from newbuilding supervision to end-of-life recycling guidance.