G2 Ocean and Gearbulk Overhaul Top Leadership Ahead of 2027

G2 Ocean, the Norwegian open-hatch shipping specialist, has appointed SK Lim as its next chief executive officer, succeeding Arthur English, who will move up to chair the company's board and take over as CEO of Gearbulk, the group's majority shareholder. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2027.

As part of this restructuring, Kristian Jebsen will step down from his roles at both companies: he had served as executive chair of G2 Ocean and as chair and CEO of Gearbulk. According to Trade News, Jebsen has also sold his remaining shares in the firm founded by his father.

The leadership changes follow a shift in Gearbulk's ownership, which is now split between Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), holding 72%, and Marubeni Corporation, holding 28%. English had led G2 Ocean since January 2020, after more than two decades at Gearbulk and after joining G2 Ocean as chief commercial officer in 2017; upon taking over as Gearbulk's CEO, he will also join its board.

His successor, SK Lim, has served as managing director of G2 Ocean's Pacific operations since March 2020, a region that, according to the company, has grown in importance within the group's global business. English expressed confidence that Lim is the right person to continue leading G2 Ocean, pointing to his work developing the Pacific business and building client relationships.

G2 Ocean was founded in 2017 by Gearbulk and Grieg Maritime Group, and operates more than 120 vessels across over 30 trade routes, carrying pulp, paper, forest products, aluminum, steel, industrial minerals and project cargo.