ROTTERDAM: July 11, 2019. Samskip has appointed former Containerships head Kari-Pekka Laaksonen as its new Group CEO from August 01, 2019.
The appointment of Laaksonen means Samskip companies, including Norlines and Samskip Logistics, will merge into one group. He will lead the management board of six executives, including Ásbjörn Gislason who will become Group deputy CEO.
With an MS in Engineering and Industrial Management from Finland’s LUT University, Laaksonen is a former Logistics director of Finnish paper products company Metsä Tissue and vice president Sales & Logistics for Nokian Tyres. He joined Containerships in 2012 where he led an aggressive growth strategy prior to its acquisition by CMA CGM in October last year.
“The opportunity to join Samskip, with its extensive transport network across Europe is very exciting from a personal point of view,” commented Laaksonen. “Competition is fierce but Samskip achieves the unique balance of delivering scale economies through its shortsea, rail, barge and trucking network while maintaining the privately-owned culture that responds to opportunities quickly and decisively.”
The company says it offers shippers pan-European, environmentally responsible combined transport services via shortsea, road, rail and inland waterway routes.
“When I talk to global companies, I believe that Samskip is the frontrunner in finding sustainable solutions that reduce their carbon footprints,” Laaksonen added.
