John-Kaare Aune has been appointed the new managing director, Ship Management for Hong Kong-based Wallem Group. He is expected to take up the post from 1 July 2019.
Mr Aune joins Wallem from the Cayman Registry, where he was most recently regional director, Safety and Compliance overseeing its global commercial services and business development in addition to the Registration section in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously John also served as principal surveyor with the Cayman Registry.
John is a qualified Naval Architect with a degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He spent more than 6 years with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate. During this time, he represented Norway on numerous EU expert committees and several different IMO Committees. John has also served as the executive secretary to the Cayman Islands Ship-owners Advisory Council. He has played a key role in the growth of the Cayman Registry and in maintaining its established position on the Paris and Tokyo MOU white lists.
Frank Coles, Wallem Group chief executive, commented: “We are excited and lucky to have been able to secure John’s services. The expertise and knowledge he brings to the company will greatly enhance our mission of safety and quality with technology. He brings a wide range of technical, compliance, regulatory and operational experience. John has earned the respect and endorsement of maritime industry players with his constant focus on the needs of customers.”
Mr Aune said: “The opportunity to join Wallem was something I could not turn down. The history of Wallem is well known, but it was the exciting vision and opportunity to create leadership in our industry attracted me to be a part of its great team. Our mission now is to realise the full potential that exists within the company for the benefit of our customers and to accelerate Wallem’s transformation. I am very proud to be joining such a dynamic team in a period of growth and innovation.”
