Arnout Damen will take over as CEO of Damen Shipyards Group effective January 1, as the the Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate transitions to a new divisional structure, the group announce on Monday.
Arnout Damen succeeds René Berkvens, who has been the CEO of Damen Shipyards Group for more than 13 years.
"We are extremely indebted to René for his commitment as our company's top executive," said Chairman 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."
Over the past nine years Arnout Damen has been a member of the group’s Executive Board, responsible for operations and commercial affairs. He will be succeeded as Chief Commercial Officer by Jan-Wim Dekker.
As CEO, Damen's first priority is the further implementation of the divisional structure, which will enable the group "to serve the market more effectively and efficiently", the company said in Monday's statement.
“Preparations for this have been going on for several months. We will be officially switching from January 1," the incoming CEO said. “Damen is known as an innovative and dynamic company that works very closely with its clients. We would like to maintain this. 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, digitalization and sustainability.”
