Business

United Shipping and Trading Company welcomes Nina Østergaard Borris as new CEO

Nina, who was the COO of USTC since early 2020, will succeed her father Torben Østergaard-Nielsen who will take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors for USTC.

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2022

Admin

The following is an announcement on Wednesday (25 May) by United Shipping and Trading Company (USTC), parent of Bunker Holding, on Nina Østergaard Borris taking over the family-owned business as CEO from her father Torben Østergaard-Nielsen.

Nina Østergaard Borris, co-owner and current COO of United Shipping and Trading Company (USTC), takes on new responsibilities in the family-owned business as CEO, succeeding her father Torben Østergaard-Nielsen who will take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors for USTC.
Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer, current Head of Corporate Governance, will assume the position of Chief Governance Officer, stepping into USTC Executive Management.

Family-owned United Shipping and Trading Company (USTC), which is owned and operated by Torben Østergaard-Nielsen and his two daughters, Nina Østergaard Borris and Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer, has announced that Nina Østergaard Borris will assume the role as the new CEO of USTC taking over after her father and USTC’s founder. 

Torben Østergaard-Nielsen will remain actively involved as the new working Chairman of the Board of Directors for USTC, and he will focus his efforts on setting the strategic directions for the company going forward. 

“It is exciting and very satisfying to take this next step in the generational succession and to hand over the responsibility of the daily operations of USTC to Nina,” says Torben Østergaard-Nielsen. 

“She has really excelled in her role as COO of USTC and has proven over a number of years that she has both the competences and the experience to grow USTC while safeguarding the solid foundation that USTC is built on.”

Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer was appointed Head of Corporate Governance in September 2021 as a long-planned next step in the development of the family business.

Mia will subsequently move into a role as Chief Governance officer stepping into USTC Executive Management. She will focus on developing and elevating ESG initiatives for USTC and its entities. 

The change of leadership will become effective with the expressed goal of carrying on the family legacy of the company adhering to the guiding tenets of Torben Østergaard-Nielsen: Leadership, decency, and business acumen. 

“Together, Nina and Mia will carry on developing the organisation while ensuring that the family values will continue to permeate the company. As founder and co-owner and in my new role as working Chairman of the Board of USTC,” says Torben Østergaard-Nielsen. 

“I will remain close to the business and stay very active in owner-related decisions surrounding USTC. I will continue to do so in close collaboration with both Nina and Mia and the leadership in all USTC companies.”

“I have no plans to retire or reduce my workload, and I will instead focus my efforts on canvassing new business opportunities and setting the strategic direction for USTC.”

Continuing the family legacy 

Since early 2020, Nina Østergaard Borris has held the position of COO at USTC and has for the past years focused efforts on implementing synergies by bringing the USTC business units closer together.

As a result of an ambitious growth strategy and multiple acquisitions delivered by Nina Østergaard Borris, USTC and its subsidiaries have grown significantly in both people and numbers over the last years.

As newly appointed CEO, Nina Østergaard Borris will continue to evolve USTC while ensuring a strong footprint in the group and across all group entities in line with the owner family’s long-term values and ambitions. 

“It is with great pride but also humility that I will take over from my father. I am very much aware that I have a heavy legacy to lift and the responsibility this entails, and I am grateful for the opportunity and trust being passed onto me,” says Nina Østergaard Borris. 

“My vision for the company is clear and strong, and I am thankful to have the support of my father, my sister, and the Board of Directors. I am especially excited to continue growing and strengthening the group and to work closely with my sister Mia in driving forward the ESG agenda for USTC.”

“I am extremely pleased that Nina will assume the role as CEO of USTC. Not only is she fully capable of taking on her new responsibilities, but her new role also means that USTC operations will remain closely linked to the family ownership. Nina and I work extremely well together, and I really look forward to continuing to build on our joint vision for USTC,” says Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer. 

USTC Executive Management now consists of Nina Østergaard Borris as Group CEO, Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer as Group CGO, and Jakob Schultz Nielsen as Group CFO.

Executive Management will report directly to working Chairman of the Board of Directors, Torben Østergaard-Nielsen.

Changes to the USTC Board of Directors 

Torben Østergaard-Nielsen’s appointment as working Chairman of the Board for USTC will result in additional changes to the Board. 

Klaus Nyborg, current Chairman of the Board of USTC, will assume the position of Vice Chairman of the Board for USTC.

Klaus Nyborg will in addition step into the role as Chairman of the Board for USTC’s largest subsidiary Bunker Holding as well as the USTC’s tanker business Uni-Tankers.  

Torben Janholt has decided to step out as board member for USTC after many years of contributing to the growth and success of the company. 

Photo credit: United Shipping and Trading Company
Published: 26 May, 2022

Legal

Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk gets jail time for helping Sentek acquire misappropriated fuel

Wong Wai Meng was sentenced to seven years, four months and two weeks’ jail on 10 January for helping the company acquire more than 28,000 mt of the misappropriated fuel worth USD 13.58 million.

Published

14 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Admin

A bunker clerk, who was previously employed by Sentek Marine & Trading (Sentek), was sentenced to seven years, four months and two weeks’ jail for helping the company acquire more than 28,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the misappropriated fuel worth USD 13.58 million (SGD 18.26 million), The Straits Times reported on Friday (10 January).

Wong Wai Meng, was working for Singapore-based firm Sentek at the time of the offences.

Wong, who received more than USD 286,000 from the company for his assistance, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to 12 counts of intentionally helping the company acquire the misappropriated fuel.

He committed the offences over 46 occasions between August 2014 and December 2017.

Wong is among the three bunker clerks previously employed by Sentek, who were charged for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

Another bunker clerk among the three charged, Wong Kuin Wah, 61, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail on 18 November for his role in misappropriating more than 27,000 tonnes of gas oil worth around USD 12.8 million (SGD 17.2 million).

The third individual who was charged, Boo Pu Wen, reportedly passed away in July 2023 and had his charges abated following his death, meaning Boo’s court proceedings over his 19 charges at the time came to an end.

Former Shell employees, who were key members of a group who dishonestly misappropriated fuel from Shell Pulau Bukom, were sentenced to jail in court earlier.

Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:

Photo credit: Katrin Bolovtsova
Published: 13 January, 2025

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator issue notice of intended dividend for Parakou Shipping

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidator of Parakou Shipping by 24 January, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

14 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Admin

A notice to declare intended dividend of Parakou Shipping Pte Ltd to its creditors has been posted on the Government Gazette on Friday (10 January).

The following are the details of the notice of intended dividend for the first dividend:

Name of Company : Parakou Shipping Pte Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)

Address of Registered Office : c/o KordaMentha, 16 Collyer Quay, #30-01, Singapore 049318

Last Day of Receiving Proofs : 24 January 2025 (if not already lodged)

Name of Liquidator : Cameron Duncan

Address : c/o KordaMentha, 16 Collyer Quay, #30-01, Singapore 049318

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 13 January, 2025

Alternative Fuels

DNV: LNG dominates alternative-fuel vessel orderbook for 2024

According to DNV, LNG was the industry’s alternative fuel of choice by year-end; 264 LNG vessel orders were placed in 2024, over double that of 2023 which was 130 orders.

Published

14 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Admin

The maritime industry’s exceptional newbuilding year 2024 drove a significant rise in orders for alternative-fuelled vessels, according to the latest data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights (AFI) platform.

A total of 515 such ships were ordered, representing a 38% year-on-year increase compared to 2023, underscoring the industry's growing commitment to decarbonization.

The growth in alternative-fuelled vessel orders has been heavily driven by the container and car carrier newbuild boom over the last three years. In 2024, 69% of all container ship orders were for ships capable of being powered by alternative fuels, driven by cargo owners responding to consumer demands for more sustainable practices and liner companies preparing to replace older tonnage. The preferred fuel choice for this segment was LNG (67%). In total the container and car carrier segments made up 62% of all alternative fuel orders in 2024.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNV, said: “As we work towards decarbonizing the industry, we are encouraged by the growth in alternative fuel vessels over the past few years. While recent figures are promising, we must keep pushing forward.”

“The technological transition is underway, but supply of alternative fuel is still low. As an industry we need to work with fuel suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that shipping has access to its share of alternative fuels in the future. It is also important that the safety of seafarers is ensured as we make this transition. This will require investment in upskilling and training.”

LNG was not the only fuel on shipowners’ minds as 2024 saw them betting on multiple alternative fuels. 166 methanol orders were added (32% of the AFI orderbook), reflecting shipping’s growing interest in a diverse fuel pool as it strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these methanol orders (85) were in the container segment.

While methanol drove newbuilding orders for alternative-fuelled vessels at the beginning of the year, LNG was the industry’s alternative fuel of choice by year-end. The number of LNG vessel orders placed in 2024 was 264, over double that of 2023 (130).

Ammonia saw promising momentum in the earliest months of the year and continued to grow throughout 2024. A total of 27 orders were placed for ammonia-fueled vessels. The first non-gas carrier ammonia-fuelled vessels orders were placed in 2024 (10), mainly in the bulk carrier segment (5). While still in its early stages, this provides further evidence of ammonia's emergence in the alternative fuel market.

Deliveries and bunkering

The number of LNG-fuelled ships in operation doubled between 2021 and 2024, with a record number of deliveries (169) in 2024. By the end of 2024, 641 LNG-powered ships were in operation. According to the AFI orderbook, this number is expected to double by the end of the decade.

While the bunkering infrastructure for some alternative fuels remains underdeveloped, LNG bunkering is maturing. The number of LNG bunker vessels in operation grew from 52 to 64 over the last year, with continued growth expected in 2025. The significant gap between LNG bunkering supply and demand is expected to widen over the next five years based on the AFI orderbook.

Addressing this challenge by developing the appropriate infrastructure for alternative fuels – both for vessels and bunkering - can create demand signals to stimulate long-term fuel production. With the EU regulatory package, Fit for 55, setting requirements on a large network of ports to have LNG bunkering infrastructure, it is expected that the availability of LNG in ports will increase.

Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV, said: “Market conditions, infrastructure development, fuel production updates, and cargo owners' needs are all shaping the demand for different fuels, both in the short and long term.”

“The shifting trends in LNG and methanol orders this year might be due to the slow development of green methanol production. In the long run, green methanol has potential to be part of the energy mix along with ammonia.”

“In parallel, LNG offers a vital bridging fuel option benefiting from existing infrastructure and short-term emissions reductions while being capable of acting as a long-term solution as well, assuming RNG (Renewable Natural Gas) will be available and provided at a competitive price.”

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 13 January, 2024