There
are people who just seem to know how to lead and manage. One person that fits
into this category is Nils Smedegaard Andersen the Danish business executive
who is the CEO and Partner at Danish shipping giant, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S.
What is interesting to note is Andersen did not rise through the ranks of the
shipping industry to reach the top post.
He
was actually in the beer industry. Prior to heading Maersk, Andersen was the
CEO of international beer conglomerate Carlsberg. It wasn’t as if he was just
passing through at Carlsberg either. He spent twenty years of his life
there. Carlsberg acknowledged the
significant contribution
Andersen had made to the company’s growth. As a sign of how the resignation was
taken in a very professional manner he still sits in the board of Carlsberg.
He
became the fourth CEO
and Partner at Maersk in 2007. Andersen is not exactly new to Maersk as he has
been on the Board of Directors since 2005. He was the CEO of Carlsberg since
2001 until he joined Maersk.
One
of the main reasons Andersen decided to join Maersk was the challenges and
excitement of a new career. It’s most certainly challenging considering that
Maersk is the largest shipping company in the world. Its fleet comprises over
500 vessels. The company employees
117,000 people in over 130 countries. Maersk
Line has 15 percent
of the world market share. The company
is known for its capacity to lower freight charges to beat the competition.
One
of the most significant moves Andersen has made at Maersk is the shift in focus
to emerging markets. Under his leadership the company now operates in Africa,
Latin America, and South America. Due to this, 40 percent of the company’s
turnover now comes from these markets.
Andersen
has also engaged in a bit of diversification investing a considerable amount of
the company’s resources in the oil industry. This move has helped the bottom
line when shipping business is down.
The
consummate business leader, Andersen continues to face challenges at Maersk and
it doesn’t look like he’s stopping any time soon.
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