A.P. Moller – Maersk will combine Maersk Line’s Ocean Product and freight forwarding arm Damco’s Supply Chain Services from January 1, 2019, selling them as Maersk products and services.

According to Maersk, the integration will offer more comprehensive end-to-end logistic solutions for cargo owners, enabling the company to better serve customers and unlock growth potential in its Logistics & Services segment. This is the next step in Maersk’s plan to become a global, integrated container transport and logistics company.

The integrated commercial organization will operate with one management team, one sales force, a strong product organization and one customer experience organization, headed by Vincent Clerc, chief commercial officer of Maersk.

Klaus Rud Sejling, CEO of Damco, will take on a new position as head of Maersk’s Logistics and Services Products, reporting to Clerc.

“Today we are taking further steps in the transformation of our business on a structural level and how we go to market, enabling us to offer more solutions to our customers in a simpler way,” said Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk. “Our employees play a key role in making this happen and therefore we are at the same time empowering our frontline organization who is closest to our customers.”

The regional organizations will be responsible for solutions engineering and product bundling to ensure that the company can take decisions faster, further enhancing the customer experience. Damco’s freight forwarding business, which serves customers requiring air freight or multi-carrier options in ocean freight, will continue to be run as a separate and independent business under the Damco brand. Saskia Groen In’t Woud, currently chief operating officer of Damco, will become the CEO of Damco Freight Forwarding.

In addition to these changes, A.P. Moller – Maersk’s regional carriers MCC Transport, Sealand and Seago Line will be marketed as SeaLand – A Maersk Company from October 1, 2018. The simplified naming structure for these brands will help strengthen brand recognition and ensure clarity of choice for customers.

“This integration marks a big milestone on Maersk’s current growth journey towards operating as one integrated company,” said Skou. “We are in a strong position to deliver solutions that meet our customers’ end-to-end supply chain management needs, thereby tapping into markets covering the whole journey from producer to consumer by building on our business strengths. With a wider product offering from one team, a clearer brand structure and a strong digital foundation, A.P. Moller – Maersk is poised for growth.”