Danish Shipping has elected Maersk executive Caroline Pontoppidan as its new Chair, making her the first female leader in the organization's history.

Caroline Pontoppidan

Caroline Pontoppidan currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and General Counsel at Maersk. She succeeds Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS, who had held the position since 2023. Pontoppidan has served as Vice Chair of Danish Shipping for the preceding three years and assumes her new role with immediate effect.

Anne Steffensen, CEO of Danish Shipping, stated that Pontoppidan brings deep industry experience to the role. "Caroline Pontoppidan has been an outstanding and dedicated member of the Board in recent years, and I am confident she is the right person to chart the course ahead," she said.

Caroline Pontoppidan remarked that maintaining an appropriate political and commercial framework is essential if Danish shipping companies are to continue operating vessels under the national flag. She emphasized that Danish shipowners need "an organization that reaches deep into the operational realities and core activities of its members," and that such understanding must be translated into policies that sustain Denmark's competitiveness.

The Danish Shipping Board comprises seven members drawn from various shipping companies. In conjunction with this leadership transition, Jan Rindbo, CEO of DS Norden, has been appointed Vice Chair of the industry body.