Widdows to lead Germany's Rickmers-Linie

Former NOL chairman replaces Steffens at multipurpose line

Container-shipping veteran Ronald D. Widdows will become chief executive officer of multipurpose cargo carrier Rickmers Holding and Rickmers-Linie on April 1, replacing Jan B. Steffens.

Widdows stepped down as group president and CEO of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines and container line APL on Oct. 1, 2011.

Steffens, who has been with Rickmers Group for 10 years, asked for the change in role, and will continue to serve on the heavy lift and project cargo carrier’s advisory board, said Rickmers Holding Chairman Bertram R.C. Rickmers.

“Ron brings a wealth of experience in container shipping and deep relationships within the industry, with shippers, governments and the financial community to his new role,” Rickmers’ chairman said.

Widdows has been a highly visible industry spokesman. He continues to serve through September as chairman of the Washington-based World Shipping Council, whose members operate about 90 percent of the world’s liner shipping capacity. He is also a former chairman of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement. He has been in the industry more than 40 years, the last 31 with APL/NOL.

Rickmers expects Widdows appointment to be “a very positive development in the process of further expanding our successful enterprise with a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific and American markets."

Rickmers’ Chief Financial Officer Ignace Van Meenen will act as his deputy, Bertram Rickmers said.

The Rickmers Group, based in Hamburg, Germany, operates a fleet of more than 140 ships including 22 multipurpose ships, carrier carriers and bulk carriers. These include nine 29,750-deadweight-ton vessels deployed on a round-the-world liner-style heavy lift-project cargo service.

Ron Widdows follows Jan B Steffens as CEO of Rickmers Holding and Rickmers-Linie