New appointments strengthen Wilhelmsen Ships Service Central Management Team

The appointment of Siri Jacobsen as Vice President International Customer Services and Thomas Smordalen as Vice President International Sales is adding new strengths to the management of leading maritime service network Wilhelmsen Ships Service. Both are to be part of the Central Management Team (CMT).
Announcing their appointment, President David Tandy said that this will bring the right focus to the management team. "Their appointment strengthens the three main pillars of the organisation: operations, sales and customer services. We now have a CMT member in charge of each of these three focus
areas."
David Tandy pointed out that both appointees had long experience working in the organisation. "Both Siri and Thomas have spent most of their working lives in the company, and have a thorough understanding of the business from the grassroots upwards. They are both young and energetic, and I believe they will bring new energy and enthusiasm to the Central Management Team. I am especially pleased that we have been able to fill both these important positions with internal candidates."
The new vice presidents will have two roles. Each will be responsible for their own fields of operations - International Customer Services and International Sales - but they will also have a critical role in the CMT.
Siri Jacobsen started her career in shipping with the company in 1995. Since that time she has been employed in a number of key positions within Sales and Marketing, before moving into International Sales in 2008.
Siri is looking forward to getting started. "I am very enthusiastic about this new position," said Siri. "I am a positive and enthusiastic person and I believe in getting things done. I am looking forward to extending the new concept of Customer Services around the world, to make Customer Services the core of our operations in every area where we operate. I expect to use all our communications channels and plenty of face-to-face contact in the network in order to get the message across in the coming months."
Thomas Smordalen has a strong background in sales management. He started in 1993 as a sales trainee and rose to the position of Sales Director, Europe.
"I am passionately committed to this business," said Thomas. "I see fantastic prospects for the company ahead, and we need to further develop the competence of our organisation to meet the future needs. Wilhelmsen
Ships Service has an excellent basis for facing the challenges of the next five years.
"Our sales force will have to become "business architects", which will require them to adapt and develop their skills to meet the demands of the future," continued Thomas. Fortunately we have good tools and solid support
in Customer Services, but increasingly in the future we will all have to work outside our comfort zones."
Thomas Smordalen will take on his new position on 1 January 2010. Siri Jacobsen's appointment took effect on 1 December 2009.

Source: Transport Weekly