Damen Shipyards Group has appointed Arnout Damen as the new CEO, succeeding René Berkvens, who held the position for more than 13 years.
Arnout Damen will take over the CEO position as of 1 January, when his current CCO position will be taken over by Jan-Wim Dekker.
Over the past nine years, Damen has been a member of the group’s Executive Board, responsible for operations and commercial affairs.
“We are extremely indebted to René for his commitment as our company’s top executive,” said Kommer Damen .
“Under his leadership, Damen has grown into a globally operating, leading player. We are therefore pleased that he continues to use his knowledge, network and experience for the company in preparation for his accession to the Supervisory Board.”
The shipbuilding company is also switching to a divisional structure with an aim to serve the market more effectively and efficiently.
“Damen is known as an innovative and dynamic company that works very closely with its clients. We would like to maintain this,” said Arnout Damen.
“With the growth of recent years, the switch to a divisional structure has become logical to remain close to the various markets and to further expand our leading position in the fields of quality, digitalisation and sustainability. ”