After a few days of speculation, ship manager Columbia has now confirmed that CEO Mark O’Neil has left Schoeller Holding. According to an official statement, they are parting on good terms.
“Mark O’Neil is leaving Columbia on the best of terms,” the ship manager announced. Columbia has thus made official what has been known for several days. HANSA had also reported that the long-standing CEO had resigned from his post with immediate effect.
The successor has now also been appointed. Former COO Andreas Hadjipetrou has now been appointed CEO of the Columbia Group. He has been with the company for almost 30 years and brings in-depth operational knowledge, strong leadership qualities and continuity to the business. His deputy will be Demetris Chrysostomou, CEO for the Asia region. This will strengthen Columbia’s presence in Asia and further expand the Group’s management level, according to the statement.
However, no specific reason was given for the relatively abrupt change. “My task at Columbia was to bring about a fundamental change, and this task is now complete. It’s time to hand over the leadership and move on to new challenges. I know that I am leaving Columbia in very good hands and in excellent condition,” Mark O’Neil is simply quoted as saying in the letter.
Heinrich Schoeller, Chairman of Schoeller Holdings, the owner of the Columbia Group, thanked O’Neil “for his outstanding leadership” and contribution during his tenure and wished him all the best for the future. “He emphasized that the two will remain close friends,” writes Columbia.
The Columbia Group is one of the largest ship managers in the world and is part of Heinrich Schoeller’s group of companies. This also includes the MPP shipping company AAL, Hanse Bereederung, Genpro and Emission Link, among others.
