Marcura Group announces strategic Leadership Transition: Jens Lorens Poulsen now Chair of the Board, Henrik Hyldahn appointed new Group CEO

DUBAI : Marcura, a leading solutions provider for the maritime industry, announces the successful completion of a significant leadership handover. Jens Lorens Poulsen has moved from his position as Group CEO to assume the role of Chair of the Board. Henrik Hyldahn, previously the CEO of ShipServ, a leading maritime online procurement platform recently acquired by Marcura, has transitioned to the position of Group CEO.

Henrik Hyldahn’s appointment signals a strategic focus on enhancing Marcura’s technological capabilities while leveraging its established strengths in customer-focused services and culture. As with ShipServ, Hyldahn’s extensive experience in leading technology-driven transformations will be instrumental in steering Marcura towards a future where integrated product offerings and digital solutions are central to the maritime industry.

Jens Lorens Poulsen has served as Group CEO for over a decade, expressed his confidence in the new leadership, stating, “After more than ten years at the helm, I recognise that now is the right time to bring in new leadership to guide Marcura into its next phase of growth. Henrik Hyldahn brings a wealth of experience, particularly in integrating technology and product innovation, which is crucial for our customers. His track record as CEO of ShipServ speaks volumes about his ability to drive success and transformation. I am thrilled to have found an internal successor, and I look forward to working with Henrik in my new capacity as Chair of the Board.”

This leadership change comes as Marcura focuses on further developing its solutions into a platform that optimises processes around port calls for 800 customers in the Dry bulk and Tanker segment today. Not only does Marcura offer the highest compliance standards for everything port-call-related, but the platform also aspires to provide a closed-loop, end-to-end experience for customers, from pre-fixture to post-fixture. On top of that, MarTrust, traditionally known as a maritime payment solution for seafarer salary payments, is now further developing supplier payments, which matches the maritime procurement capabilities offered by ShipServ for a Procure-to-Pay solution.

This is just one example of the many synergies that can be delivered to customers by leveraging the extensive data universe of Marcura. This product unification using high quality data and AI is a key part of the remit for the new leadership.

Henrik Hyldahn commented on his new role, “I am honoured to take on this broader remit within Marcura at such a dynamic time in its history. The company’s impressive growth and commitment to innovation align perfectly with my vision for the future. After a handover period spanning the last six weeks, I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Jens and to working with the talented teams across all business units to drive continued success for our customers.”

Christian Siemers Haunso, founder and former Chair of the Board, has stepped aside from his position but remains an active board member. His continued guidance provides continuity and support during this transition. Christian Siemers Haunso concludes, “After many years leading this company as Chair of the Board with Jens Poulsen as Group CEO, I am excited about adding Henrik Hyldahn as our new Group CEO. The three of us, supported by a seasoned senior leadership team and close to 1,000 Marcurians, look forward to seeing Marcura focus on strategic innovation, inspired by our customers and tomorrow´s industry challenges”.

About Marcura

The Marcura Group provides digital workflow solutions to the maritime industry, backed by continuous operational support services and specialised cloud-based platforms managed by industry specialists. Marcura works closely with global customers and partners to produce integrated solutions to pervasive industry challenges, thereby jointly raising standards.

Founded in 2001 on the principles of compliance, independence and transparency, the company is headquartered in Dubai with a global network of offices. The elements of Marcura’s enterprise suite are: (i) PortLog, the voyage optimisation intelligence solution; (ii) DA-Desk, the world’s largest port cost management company; (iii) MarTrust, the largest maritime payment processing company for secure, efficient, and compliant international payments to crews, port agencies and suppliers; (iv) ShipServ, a leading maritime online procurement platform and marketplace; (v) ClaimsHub, the digital solution for laytime claims processing; (vi) MCaaS, the specialist maritime compliance solution.

The team of 1,000 people includes maritime operations experts, software developers, scientists, engineers, data analysts, payments specialists, and compliance professionals from 45 countries, all committed to supporting 800 leading maritime enterprises worldwide.