Gibson appoints Roger Harrison as new Deputy Managing Director

Posted date:

20.04.20

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TradeWinds (20th April 2020)

Gibson Shipbrokers has named Roger Harrison as the company’s new deputy managing director as the company continues its succession planning.

Harrison, who was formerly commercial manager for Greek shipowner Thenamaris, will replace John Hale, who is due to retire at the end of this year.

Gibson said Harrison will initially work closely with Owen Bolton, heading up the projects and sale and purchase sections.

The new MD is pencilled in to join the company in June. But managing director Nigel Richardson told TradeWinds that the start date is a little fluid at present due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Harrison started his career in shipbroking but moved into the trading arena, first with Litasco and later with Koch Industires in Geneva, before joining Thenamaris, more lately shifting back to work out of the UK.

Richardson said Gibson has known Harrison for many years as a client.

He said Harrison has good experience and an understanding of a wide range of shipping sectors, which is something the company was seeking when it started its search for a candidate to fill the role.

Richardson, 64, said the appointment is part of Gibson’s succession planning for the next five to 10 years.

He said the company, which now boasts around 170 brokers at its headquarters in London and other offices in Houston, Singapore and Hong Kong, first achieved its buyout to become fully employee-owned in 2015.

It then moved on to the next stage to map out the succession for the business by appointing key brokers to sectional directors to supplement the board directors and give more structure to the company.

Discussions around the search for a new deputy managing director who could eventually succeed Richardson started around a year ago.

Richardson said the company is clear in what it aspires to do in the coming years but he is reluctant to give more details at present during the current challenges being thrown up by the global pandemic.

He said he has no immediate plans to retire at 65. “I plan to stay and be part of the success of Gibson going forward up,” he said.