Management change at JR Ship Brokers & Consultants
Dik Kuiper says farewell after more than 13 great years
31 July 2020 will be Dik’s last active day at work with JR Ship Brokers & Consultants. After 13 great years as Managing Director, the time has come for him to enjoy his retirement. Effective from 1 August 2020, the management of the operating company will be in the hands of Sander Schakelaar and Jan Reier Arends – the Owners/Managing Directors of JR Shipping Group. Sander Schakelaar will be the first point of contact. The current projects’ continuity of operations is guaranteed.
At the end of July, Dik Kuiper will hand over his duties as Managing Director to the JR Shipping executive duo. In doing so, his feelings will be mixed. “I’ve never really contemplated putting an end to my career and I have got enough energy to go on like this for years. My work at JR Shipping feels like home and I’m sure I’ll miss it. I’ve had wonderful years but, at the same time, I know that for my wife and I there won’t be enough hours in the day to do the things we enjoy once I’m retired.”
‘True Grönniger with exceptional arithmetic skills’
In 2007, Dik joined the shipping group. In the more than 15 years before that, he worked for shipbuilding group Conoship International, based in Groningen. Working at JR Shipping, based on his wide-ranging experience as a shipbuilding engineer and industry expert, he gave shape and content to JR Ship Brokers & Consultants, the operating company which applies itself to purchasing and selling existing vessels and acts as an intermediary with regard to newbuilding orders. Dik Kuiper is known as a reliable expert in his subject area and as a typical native of the province of Groningen (in dialect: Grönnen), with an exceptional talent for making cost price calculations and an insight into shipping company operations.
On behalf of JR Shipping and based on reciprocity, Dik managed to build lasting relationships with many clients within his international maritime network. He represented the European interests of Chowgule Shipyards in India, was closely involved in building orders placed by the Hagland Group in Norway and newbuilding projects for shipping company Scotline, one of the main short-sea specialists in the United Kingdom, at Royal Bodewes Shipyards in Hoogezand. Furthermore, Dik played a vital role in purchase and sales transactions for the JR Shipping fleet. He also made an active contribution to the set-up of SeaZip Offshore Service and the build-up of its fleet.
‘I have always perceived my work as a voyage of discovery’
In particular the cross-border dimension of his work, his being on the road all the time and maintaining personal contacts made Dik perceive his job as ‘a voyage of discovery’. He said: “Working together has been a great pleasure, both within the company and with our relations from other countries, and was always based on mutual confidence. I am most grateful to my JR Shipping colleagues as well as our customer relations for that. I have never consciously thought about something like a retirement age. The time is right to quit, though. The lockdown has given me the opportunity to get used to being at home. That won’t be a problem.”
To Dick, ‘at home’ means: Haren, in the municipality of Groningen. But he also feels at home in Friesland, France and on his beautiful sloop. Probably, in this new part of his life, he will travel a great deal, together with his wife, Ria. “There will be very little change in that respect. We’ll continue to travel. And, while doing that, I’ll be thinking back to my time at JR Ship Brokers & Consultants with pleasure. It feels like saying farewell to one large family and it is good to know that all the operations are continuing.”
As from 1 August 2020, Sander Schakelaar will be the first point of contact for the relations of JR Ship Brokers & Consultants
These operations focus on S&P projects, building liaison and consultancy, with container feeders, multipurpose vessels and offshore support vessels as specialisms. Sander Schakelaar will take care of the continuity of current operational processes. Just like Dik Kuiper, he is a qualified marine engineer and brings considerable financial expertise. Mr Schakelaar oversees the personal contacts with the various customer relations. Contact details remain unchanged. Where possible, Dik Kuiper will say goodbye to his network relations personally.