Danish Shipping elects Caroline Pontoppidan chairwoman

Caroline Pontoppidan. [Photo: A.P. Moller – Maersk]

Caroline Pontoppidan has just been elected chairwoman of the board at Danish Shipping, the trade and employers’ organization for Denmark’s shipping industry. She succeeds Torben Carlsen of DFDS, who has held the position since 2023. The first woman elected to the role, she has served as vice chair for three years,

In her day-to-day role Pontoppidan is EVP, chief legal officer and head of corporate affairs at A.P. Møller–Maersk.

“Proper framework conditions for Danish shipping companies are a prerequisite for maintaining ships under the Danish flag,” said Pontoppidan. “In an intensely competitive industry, it is absolutely crucial that, as shipping companies, we have an organization behind us that understands our reality right down to the engine room and can translate this knowledge into political frameworks that keep us among the global leaders in shipping.”

“Caroline has been a prominent and dedicated member of the board of Danish Shipping in recent years, and I am confident she is exactly the right person to set the course ahead,” said Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of Danish Shipping. “She has many years of experience in shipping and, better than most, understands the reality in which Danish shipping companies operate. I very much look forward to working with her.”

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to outgoing chairman Torben Carlsen for his tremendous efforts in securing strong framework conditions for Danish shipping,” said Steffensen. “Torben has contributed great insight and experience in every respect and has also left a strong mark on our European work. And his good humor has made even rough seas easier to navigate. I wish him all the very best going forward,”

The position of vice chair of Danish Shipping will be taken over by Jan Rindbo of D/S Norden A/S.