Hamburg Süd’s Chief Commercial Officer to retire

Frank Smet, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Hamburg Süd, will be going into retirement at the end of March after roughly 27 years with the company. Smet, who has been working in the shipping industry for over 40 years – including in Brazil, Chile, Australia and Hong Kong – has been a member of Hamburg Süd’s Management Board since 2012. He was initially responsible for Network, Operations and Logistics before assuming responsibility for Sales and Customer Service in 2017.

“When Frank Smet retires, we will be saying goodbye to a shipping man who is highly esteemed worldwide, who knows the business better than almost anyone else, and who has achieved a whole lot for Hamburg Süd,” says Dr. Arnt Vespermann, CEO of Hamburg Süd. For example, Smet played a role in several acquisitions and integrations, and he was instrumental in driving forward the rapid growth of the shipping company.
In the future, CEO Dr. Arnt Vespermann will also be responsible for the customer relations. “Our especially close relations and personal contact with our customers as well as our profound understanding of their business are core characteristics of the Hamburg Süd brand. So I am really looking forward to this important task,” Vespermann says.