The supervisory board of Hapag-Lloyd AG has appointed Maximilian Rothkopf to its executive board, effective May 1, 2019.

Rothkopf is due to become the company’s new chief operating officer on July 1, 2019, replacing Anthony J. Firmin, who will retire on June 30. Rothkopf will assume operational responsibility for the global shipping business and advance the implementation of the company’s Strategy 2023.

“With Maximilian Rothkopf, we are bringing on board a proven and internationally experienced logistics expert who is familiar with Hapag-Lloyd and has already given the company much strategic advice during his time as a consultant in the past three years,” said Michael Behrendt, chairman of the supervisory board at Hapag-Lloyd AG. “We are very much looking forward to working with him. At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Anthony J. Firmin for his enormous commitment. For more than two decades, he has continuously contributed to the company’s success, such as with his invaluable efforts to implement the two mergers and the IPO during his five years as a member of the executive board.”

Rothkopf has been a partner at McKinsey & Company since 2014 and is a member of the global Travel, Transport and Logistics leadership team. He started his career in 2005 at the management consulting firm, where he has provided advice to larger liner shipping companies, airlines and other global logistics companies, according to Hapag-Lloyd.