Thomsen joins Clipper Wonsild Tankers

Thomsen joins Clipper Wonsild Tankers Tommy Thomsen, a former partner at A.P. Moller-Maersk and chief executive officer of Maersk’s liner operations in the Americas, will join Denmark’s Clipper Group on Jan. 1.
   Thomsen, who was born in 1957, has been named CEO of the company’s tanker arm, Clipper Wonsild Tankers. At the same time he will replace Bjarne Tvilde in the group management team of the Clipper Group.
   Based in Copenhagen, Clipper is involved in shipowning, time charter operations, commercial and technical ship management, sale and purchase of ships, contracting for newbuildings, and liner services.
   The company said it owns about 100 vessels and operates a total of 250.
   Its fleet includes very large crude carriers, cruise vessels, roll-on/roll-offs, chemical and product tankers, multipurpose and heavy-lift vessels, as well as bulkers from handysize to Panamax.
   Thomsen joined the A.P. Moller'Maersk Group in 1978 and was one of several executives who left the company this summer in a major management shake-up that has resulted in an outsider, Carlsberg brewery executive Nils Smedegaard Andersen, being named CEO of the world’s largest container carrier.
   From 1995 to 2001, Thomsen was president and CEO of Maersk Inc., USA, with responsibility for Maersk’s container-related activities in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
   But during his 29-year career at A.P. Moller'Maersk Group he was involved with almost every aspect of international shipping.
   Early on, he was a broker for Maersk and then was in the bulk and special vessels department where he held management positions in handy size vessels, Panamax and car carriers.
   In 1991 he was given the responsibility for Maersk Tankers, covering A.P. Moller’s crude, product and gas tanker activities.
   He was a partner at A.P. Moller-Maersk from July 2001 until July 2007 and a member of the group executive board.
   Tvilde will become chairman of Clipper Wonsild Tankers and thus replace Jan Meinertz. Meinertz, meanwhile, has been tasked with developing the company’s activities within Nordic Ferry Services as well as other business opportunities.
   “I am convinced that the broad global commercial experience, management skills and personality, which Tommy Thomsen will bring to Clipper Group, shall be beneficial to our customers and business partners,” said Torben G. Jensen, chairman and CEO of the Clipper Group.