Six executives leading the region’s major shipping companies: Saleh Nasser al-Jasser, Sheikh Ali bin Jassim bin Mohammad al-Thani, Abdullah Abdulrahman al-Shuraim, Muhammad Ghannam, Jorn Hinge and Ali Obaid al-Yabhouni,
Saleh Nasser al-Jasser
Position: Chief executive officer (CEO), The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri)
Biography: Saleh Nasser al-Jasser was appointed CEO of Bahri in October 2010. Al-Jasser has 27 years of experience in business management, including roles in the telecoms, retail and financial sectors. Before joining Bahri, he was managing director of Japanese car manufacturer Toyota’s operations in Saudi Arabia. He held this position from 2003 to 2010. Prior to this, he worked at Saudi Telecom and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund. In 2012, Saudi Aramco agreed the $1.3bn sale of its shipping subsidiary to Bahri. As CEO, Al-Jasser will oversee the acquisition of Aramco’s fleet. The deal will make Bahri the world’s fourth largest owner of very large crude carriers (VLCC). Al-Jasser sits on the boards of several firms in the kingdom. He has a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
Contact Tel: (+966) 1 478 5454
Sheikh Ali bin Jassim bin Mohammad al-Thani
Position: Chairman and managing director, Milaha
Biography: Sheikh Ali bin Jassim bin Mohammad al-Thani is the chairman and managing director of Qatar-based Milaha, one of the largest and diversified maritime and logistics companies in the Middle East. Since his appointment in 2009, Al-Thani has overseen the merger of three large Qatari maritime companies – Qatar Navigation, Qatar Shipping and Halul Offshore – into Milaha. Al-Thani began his career at the Finance Ministry as an analyst and was later given responsibility for managing direct investments on behalf of Qatar’s Investment Bureau, which later became Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). As well as his role at Milaha, Al-Thani is a director at QIA and vice-chairman of the board of directors for the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance. He has a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University in the US.
Contact Tel: (+974) 4 494 9666
Abdullah Abdulrahman al-Shuraim
Position: Chairman, Gulf Navigation
Biography: Abdullah Abdulrahman al-Shuraim was elected chairman of the board for UAE-based Gulf Navigation in 2006. Prior to joining the firm, he was the CEO for three years of Bahri subsidiary, National Chemical Carriers. He also held positions at Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company and Saudi Telecom. Gulf Navigation was established in Dubai in 2003. It undertook an initial public offering in July 2006, making it the first publicly listed shipping company in the UAE. The firm is listed on the Dubai Financial Market and is owned 45 per cent by the founders of the company and 55 per cent by public investors. In 2013, Al-Shuraim will be developing the company’s five-year strategy, which is focused on vessel expansion in the VLCC and chemical tanker segments. He is a qualified engineer and graduated from Purdue University in the US.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 427 0104
Muhammad Ghannam
Position: Managing director, Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat)
Biography: Muhammad Ghannam began his career at the US’ Mobil Oil Corporation, working in the finance department at its Dallas-based exploration and production headquarters, and later in Jakarta for Mobil Oil Indonesia. He then moved to Ras Laffan in Qatar to assume the role of chief operating officer for finance with Qatargas. When Nakilat was launched in 2004, Ghannam was appointed managing director. He has steered the company from its early incarnation as an investment house through flotation of half its shares in 2006 to create one of the world’s largest shipping companies, with a fleet of 54 vessels. In mid-2009, he raised the final $1bn required to finance Nakilat’s 45 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. Ghannam studied accountancy in the US, qualifying as a certified public accountant in New York in 1975.
Contact Tel: (+974) 4 499 8111
Jorn Hinge
Position: President and CEO, United Arab Shipping Company (UASC)
Biography: Jorn Hinge is president and CEO of Kuwait-headquartered UASC. He joined the company in 1994 as its chief operating officer. Previously, he worked for Denmark’s East Asiatic Company (EAC) in various managerial positions in South America, North America and Europe. He has more than 30 years’ experience in shipping, with 15 years working with UASC in Kuwait and Dubai. He played a key role in building up EAC’s liner services between Australia and Asia. In 1990, Hinge was appointed CEO of a joint venture between EAC and Ben Line in Edinburgh. UASC offers a diversified range of shipping services, including freight forwarding, petrochemicals transportation and container and ship repairs. It owns and operates a fleet of 44 ships. In recent years, Hinge has overseen the introduction of the larger 13,500 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) vessels to the company’s fleet.
Contact Tel: (+965) 2 494 3300
Ali Obaid al-Yabhouni
Position: CEO, Abu Dhabi National Tanker Company (ADNATCO) and National Gas Shipping Company (NGSCO)
Biography: Ali Obaid al-Yabhouni has worked at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) group of companies in several senior positions since 1992. He was appointed CEO of NGSCO in November 2007 and was selected to head up ADNATCO in January 2009. ADNATCO has a fleet of 22 ships, including bulk carriers, chemicals and product tankers and roll-on/ roll-off vessels. NGSCO was set up in December 1993 to transport LNG on behalf of Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction Company. It has a fleet of eight LNG carriers. Al-Yabhouni is the UAE governor for oil producers’ group Opec and is a board member of Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer). He has a degree in economics and political science from the University of Southern Indiana and a master’s degree in business administration from South Eastern University, both in the US.
Contact Tel: (+971) 2 602 8600
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