Dr. Martin Kröger appointed Managing Director of the Association of German Shipowners

Effective April 30, 2022, Senator a.D. Ralf Nagel (63) will step down after 12 years as the Chief Executive Officer and managing member of the Executive Board of the Association of German Shipowners. He will continue to be available to the association in an advisory capacity until December 31, 2022. “This marks a generational change in the full-time leadership of the association, as initiated by the newly elected Executive Board in December 2021,” said President Dr. Gaby Bornheim.

(Hamburg) Ralf Nagel has served as the Chief Executive Officer and managing member of the Executive Board of the VDR since 2010. During his tenure, he successfully advocated for a strong and competitive shipping location in Germany. His term also saw the establishment of the Foundation for the Shipping Location Germany to promote the training and employment of seafarers in Germany. Under Nagel’s leadership, the association’s activities in Brussels and at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London were further expanded and strengthened.

“We thank Mr. Nagel for his exemplary commitment and significant contributions to German shipping,” emphasizes the VDR President, Dr. Gaby Bornheim. “The past decade has been marked by a severe shipping crisis followed by a global pandemic that had significant impacts on shipping. Mr. Nagel has always steered the association safely through these crisis times and has been an excellent representative of the association’s interests both nationally and internationally. We are very grateful to him for that,” explains the President.

Nagel: “In the 12 years of my work for the merchant shipping sector, I was able to live out my passion for shipping and advocate for the interests of this strategically important industry. Without the strong cohesion and excellent expertise of all the employees at the association’s office, the successes achieved would not have been possible. I sincerely thank this exemplary crew and wish Mr. Dr. Kröger and the team continued success and all the best.”

Well-Connected Expert

“We are very pleased to have secured Dr. Martin Kröger, a well-connected and recognized shipping and association expert on the international and European stage, as the successor and future Chief Executive Officer of the VDR,” continued President Dr. Bornheim.

Dr. Kröger has been working as a managing director for the VDR for ten years and has significantly overseen the areas of European and international shipping policy, the competitiveness of the shipping location in Germany, as well as environmental and climate protection.

Enormous Challenges in Shipping

“In the coming years, the challenges for the shipping industry will remain enormous,” emphasizes Kröger. “Crisis management, attracting new talent, digitalization, a competitive shipping location in Germany, and of course the transformation of the shipping industry: these are currently the most important future topics for the association,” Kröger continues. “Both nationally and internationally, the VDR remains challenged and committed to the future. I am very much looking forward to leading the association into this new era together with the highly motivated VDR expert team and its members,” explains Kröger.

Photo: © VDR / Image caption: Senator a.D. Ralf Nagel (right) hands over the management of the VDR to Dr. Martin Kröger (left)