Wolfgang Freese, President Region North America, will be retiring after almost five decades with Hapag-Lloyd.
Freese began his career in the shipping company in 1971 with an apprenticeship to become a shipping agent. In recent decades, he has held management positions in several locations, including Germany, Indonesia, Great Britain and the U.S.
Since 2009, Freese has led this region headquartered in Piscataway, near New York City. Following a transitional period, he will be succeeded on April 1, 2018 by Uffe Ostergaard, who joined Hapag-Lloyd in May 2017 following its merger with the Arab liner shipping company UASC.
Prior to his time as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at UASC, Ostergaard gained professional experience with Maersk, primarily in Copenhagen.