Hapag-Lloyd is joining a host of top global carriers in carving out its terminals into a separate division.
Dheeraj Bhatia will become a member of the executive board responsible for terminals at the German carrier from the start of next year. He will also become CEO of the new Rotterdam-based Hapag-Lloyd Terminal Holding, in which Hapag-Lloyd’s infrastructure holdings will be pooled.
Hapag-Lloyd is the world’s fifth largest carrier – all four above it – MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and COSCO – have their own separate ports divisions.
Drewry’s latest Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast report published in July noted how global carriers were climbing the rankings of the top global terminal operators (GTOs).
Eleanor Hadland, author of the report and Drewry’s senior analyst for ports and terminals said: “Increased M&A and privatisation activity will see the number of GTOs increase – Hapag Lloyd, ONE, Adani and Abu Dhabi Ports Group are all set to feature in next year’s league tables.”