Karin Orsel has been appointed the first female president ever in the history of European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA).
Orsel started her two-year term on January 1, 2024. She succeeds Philippos Philis, who has held the position since January 2022.
At the same time, Mikki Koskinen joined ECSA as the new vice president.
Orsel became a shipowner and maritime entrepreneur at the age of 23 and she has been CEO of her ship management company MF Shipping Group since 2001. In 2017, she was appointed President of the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR).
As far as Mikki Koskinen, he has been the managing director of ESL Shipping Oy, part of Aspo Group, since 2013, and is a member of Aspo’s executive board.
Prior to that, he was the managing director of Meriaura Oy. Koskinen has served as a member of the board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), a member on the board of Arctia Oy and was also the chairman of the Finnish Shipowners’ Association from 2021 to 2023.
Karin Orsel, the new ECSA president, said: “The strategic role of European shipping for the security of the Europe has come to the forefront. Our commitment is clear: to promote the energy transition of shipping, meet our climate targets, and foster the sector’s competitiveness amidst rapidly evolving geopolitical and security challenges.”
“I am honoured to take over the ECSA presidency at such a pivotal moment and I look forward to working together with the membership and the Secretariat to further strengthen ECSA’s role as the voice of European shipping,” she added.
Mikki Koskinen, newly appointed vice-president of ECSA, noted: “European shipping operates globally. It is now more important than ever to ensure European shipping remains competitive in an international environment while meeting its climate targets and continuing to deliver goods, energy and mobility for the EU citizens. To achieve this, it is essential to continue the constructive dialogue and cooperation with EU policymakers and stakeholders.”
