The World Shipping Council (WSC), the association of global container liner shipping companies, has appointed Simon Bergulf as its new Vice President Environment and Climate.
He succeeds Bryan Wood-Thomas, who is retiring in 2026 and has been responsible for the association’s environmental and climate work since 2008. Bergulf is due to join the WSC in March 2026 and take up his new role at the beginning of April. He will also take over the management of the WSC’s Brussels office.
Bergulf is currently Group Representative for Europe at Maersk and has been working there since 2017, focusing on climate and environmental policy. He previously held regulatory positions at the Danish Shipowners’ Association Danish Shipping.
WSC President and CEO Joe Kramek emphasized the professional experience of the designated Vice President: “Simon has worked on shipping regulation and climate policy for many years. As former Chairman and current Vice Chairman of the WSC Environment and Climate Council, he knows both the opportunities and the practical challenges on the way to a more sustainable liner shipping industry.”
Bergulf himself sees major tasks ahead: “Liner shipping has already made considerable commitments. However, achieving net zero requires clear global rules, investment in new fuels and infrastructure and close cooperation along the entire supply chain.”
According to Kramek, his predecessor Wood-Thomas played a central role in shaping global regulations on decarbonization, air pollution control and the protection of the marine environment. The WSC members have invested a total of more than $150 billion in new ships designed for alternative fuels; decarbonization therefore remains a central concern of the association.
