Svitzer appoints new global head of decarbonization

Gareth Prowse, Svitzer's new global head of decarbonization.

Maersk’s global towing operation, Svitzer, has appointed Gareth Prowse as its new global head of decarbonization.

With an academic background in marine ecology, centering on environmental risk, pollution prevention and ecotoxicology, Prowse joins Svitzer from marine coatings manufacturer Hempel. In his new role, he will set an ambitious sustainability strategy for Svitzer, paying particular attention to how that company can support its customers’ efforts to decarbonize as it responds to customer demands for green towage options.

Commenting on Prowse’s appointment, Kasper Nilaus, CEO, Svitzer, said: “I am very pleased that Gareth has joined us to lead our ambitions and our initiatives around decarbonisation,” said Svitzer CEO Kasper Nilaus. “As a leading global towage operator and as part of Maersk, we share the responsibility of decarbonising the industry, and the appointment of a head of decarbonization is testament to this commitment. We want to be a low carbon partner to our customers, contributing positively to their environmental footprint while also actively reducing our own. Gareth’s tremendous experience setting sustainability agendas and his deep knowledge of regulatory affairs will enable us to support our customers through their decarbonisation transition.”

Svitzer says Prowse’s expertise will enable it to set global decarbonization targets for its world fleet of 440 tugs. As a first step, he will assess where Svitzer currently sits in terms of environmental impact. He will also drive the company’s initiatives to market and scale new products and services that will enable decarbonization for customers in the first and last mile of shipping. Svitzer is already exploring options for how it can expand its services in the port environment to support sustainability, including a hull performance offering that would help to tackle the critical challenge of vessel operational efficiency for customers.

“I could not be more excited to join Svitzer to help set its decarbonisation strategy,” said Prowse. “Towage is unique in that it straddles the boundaries between ocean and port, with unique challenges for our fleet to overcome from a regulatory perspective as a result. I am ready to benchmark where we currently stand as a major player in our industry and develop the strategy that will take us – as well as our customers – to a decarbonized future.”

Prowse holds a Ph.D. from the University of Plymouth and in his previous roles was a well-known representative and advocate for a sustainable coatings industry, holding a number of positions including time as Chairman of the World Coatings Council and Antifouling Coatings Committee. He has joined Svitzer’s extended leadership team and is working from the company’s global headquarters in Copenhagen, where he lives with his family.