A.P. Moller-Maersk has appointed Charles van der Steene as Regional Managing Director for the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region, effective January 1, 2026, bolstering leadership of a strategically crucial market that links three continents and serves as a critical hub for global ocean and air transport networks. The appointment comes as part of a broader regional restructuring announced in December that repositioned senior executives across Maersk's core geographies.
Van der Steene, a 15-year Maersk veteran who has been with the Copenhagen-based integrated logistics company since 2011, brings deep familiarity with the IMEA region. He previously served as Regional CEO for DAMCO, Maersk's former supply chain and logistics arm, from 2016 to 2019 before that business was integrated into Maersk in 2020. Most recently, he led Maersk's North America region as Regional President, a position he assumed in February 2024. Van der Steene replaces Richard Morgan, who held the IMEA role since 2019 and is departing the company. In a statement, van der Steene said he was honoured to lead the region, emphasizing that customers navigate complex trade corridors and that the region's strategic importance continues to grow while connecting three continents and driving global commerce.
Van der Steene's career path demonstrates Maersk's confidence in developing internal talent for its most competitive markets. After joining in 2011 with broad experience in commercial strategy and operational excellence, he led Maersk's sales and marketing operations in North America before his current posting. His appointment reflects the pattern of leadership rotation that Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc has pursued, internally developing senior executives to strengthen regional execution. The company announced no search firm involvement in the appointment.
The IMEA region represents one of Maersk's highest-priority markets. Maersk consolidated West and Central Asia and Africa under a unified IMEA banner in March 2023 to strengthen its integrator strategy and serve customers more effectively. The region encompasses India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast, among others. It offers strategic geographic advantages for ocean and air transport hubs connecting manufacturing and consumer markets globally. Recent company updates highlight the region's role in stabilizing vessel rotations, rebalancing capacity and equipment flows, and expanding routing options across key east-west trade lanes, particularly following disruptions to Red Sea shipping that began in 2023.
Van der Steene's appointment signals Maersk's confidence in the IMEA region despite recent operational challenges. The company has faced congestion at ports in Colombo, Freetown and across Southern Africa, along with geopolitical pressures in the Middle East. His experience stabilizing North America, Maersk's largest market, suggests he can navigate similar complexities in IMEA. The move also reflects broader strategic shifts: Maersk has accelerated its transformation toward integrated logistics and away from pure container shipping, and IMEA serves as both a sourcing hub for African and South Asian exports and a consumption market fed by imports from Asia. By assigning a seasoned internal executive with prior regional experience to this post, Maersk appears to be reinforcing its commitment to capturing margin across end-to-end supply chains rather than competing as a commodity carrier in these emerging markets.
