Christensen, Farren Join Port of Long Beach

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners this week appointed port industry veterans Michael Christensen and Glenn Farren to newly created management positions to enhance cargo flow and service at the Port of Long Beach.

Christensen, who most recently was Deputy Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles, was appointed Port of Long Beach’s Senior Executive for Supply Chain Optimization, reporting directly to Chief Executive Jon Slangerup. Farren, who was General Manager for Hapag-Lloyd America, will be Long Beach’s Director of Tenant Services and Operations, a new position created to emphasize the importance of relations with Port tenants.

Christensen is a transportation professional with more than 40 years of experience in both public- and private-sector planning, goods movement, operations, governmental affairs, and environmental, design, construction and project management. In Long Beach, Christensen will be responsible for working collaboratively with industry stakeholders to find new ways to increase communication and cooperation among the links of the supply chain. At the Los Angeles port, he had been the No. 2-ranked executive since 2006.

Previously, he was Vice President for the Parsons Transportation Group in Irvine, and before that he was Vice President and Managing Principal for Nolte and Associates in Walnut Creek. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Arizona State University and a certificate in Executive Education from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is also a registered professional engineer in 10 states and an elected member of the Redondo Beach Board of Education. Christensen starts Monday, March 2.

Farren has more than 20 years of experience in managing marine terminals. At Hapag-Lloyd, he was General Manager for Southern California Operations. Previously, Farren has worked for shipping companies Maersk, Sea-Land and APL. He is a graduate of Baylor University in Texas, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration. Farren will start in March and will report to Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Managing Director of Commercial Operations/Chief Commercial Officer.

The Tenant Services and Operations Division is part of the Commercial Operations Bureau for the Harbor Department.

“I am extremely pleased to have Michael Christensen and Glenn Farren joining our Long Beach executive team. Both Mike and Glenn bring extensive port operations and supply chain expertise to their respective assignments, along with a wealth of industry knowledge and key contacts,” said Jon Slangerup, Port Chief Executive. “Mike and Glenn will play instrumental roles in building the relationships, systems and processes needed to deliver world-class operating performance as measured in the velocity, efficiency and reliability of import and export goods that move through the Port of Long Beach."

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 140 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting thousands of Southern California jobs.