Skov to step down as Hafnia chief executive

Product tanker giant Hafnia has announced a planned leadership change, with Mikael Skov set to step down as chief executive officer on September 1, 2026. The Oslo- and New York-listed company has appointed Søren Steenberg Jensen, executive vice president and head of asset management, as its next chief executive officer. Skov is expected to join Hafnia’s board of directors, subject to approval at an extraordinary general meeting. Skov has led Hafnia since its establishment in 2010 and helped build the BW Group-backed company into one of the world’s largest product tanker owners and operators. He became chief executive officer of the listed Hafnia in 2019 following the merger of Hafnia Tankers and BW Tankers. Before co-founding Hafnia Tankers, Skov spent 25 years at Danish product tanker owner Torm, including two years as chief executive officer. Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chairman of Hafnia, said Jensen’s long involvement in the company’s strategy and culture made him a natural successor. Jensen has been part of Hafnia’s executive management team as head of asset management, a key role covering fleet strategy and ownership structure. The succession comes with Hafnia in strong earnings form and a busy period, which has seen the company renew its fleet and build out its product tanker platform. The company booked a first-quarter net profit of $179.7m, up from $63.2m a year earlier, and completed the sale of three LR1s, two MRs and one handy vessel, while further disposals followed in the second quarter. Splash reported in April that Hafnia had ordered eight MR product tankers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in a deal worth about $405m, with deliveries scheduled between the third quarter of 2028 and the second quarter of 2029. The company has also been active in consolidation. Last year, Hafnia acquired a 14.45% stake in Danish rival Torm from Oaktree for $311.4m, while saying no decision had been made on a broader combination. Hafnia’s first-quarter report said the Torm position had generated about $9.9m in dividend income, with the market value of the stake standing at $395m at the end of March. Adis Ajdin Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy. Read Next June 30, 2026 Castor adds second modern kamsarmax in a week June 30, 2026 Vallourec joins contractor line-up on Azule’s $5.1bn Angola development June 30, 2026 KHNP-led group secures preferred bidder role for Korean offshore wind project June 30, 2026 Bureau Veritas agrees sale of fuel testing division to Triton Partners June 30, 2026 Skyborn takes full control of German offshore wind farm