Ardmore Shipping Corporation (“Ardmore” or the “Company”) has announced a series of strategic leadership changes and updates to its commercial organization following news of the upcoming retirement of Founder and CEO, Anthony Gurnee, and the appointment of Gernot Ruppelt and Bart Kelleher to CEO and President roles respectively.

These key promotions and new hires will keep organizational focus centered on enhancing operational efficiency, service delivery, and driving continued performance innovation.

Promotions:

Effective September 16th 2024, Robert Gaina will join the Ardmore Senior Management Team (SMT) as Senior Vice President, Commercial, thereby succeeding the current CCO, Gernot Ruppelt upon his advancement to CEO. Ardmore’s respective Chartering Heads (East & West) and the Director, Commercial Operations will report to Robert, ensuring strong integration between these vital business functions.

Robert joined Ardmore Shipping ashore in August 2015 after serving as Master on Ardmore vessels. Throughout his extensive seagoing career, he has sailed on oil and chemical tankers chartered by BP, Cargill and Vitol. After coming ashore, Robert held multiple commercial roles and was promoted to Director, Commercial Operations, in 2017.

Robert is a graduate of the Maritime Academy in Constanza, Romania, and holds a Global Executive MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.

Furthermore, Jordan Hunt, Ardmore's Global Commercial Operations Manager, will be promoted to Director, Commercial Operations, succeeding Robert. He will be responsible for the management of the commercial operations team and the day-to-day performance of the Ardmore Fleet.

Jordan joined Ardmore from Thome Ship Management in 2016 and has been steadily rising through the ranks of the organization. Jordan started his maritime career at sea in 2010, spending the majority of this time on chemical and product tankers. Jordan has a BSc (Hons) in Nautical Science from the National Maritime College of Ireland.

New Hires:

Gregory Grieco has joined the Ardmore Chartering team as of July 8, based in our Houston office and reporting to our Head of Chartering (West), Holly Cummings. Greg has experience as an Operations Manager for Torm and AET, as well as working with Oceaneering to reduce costs and optimize performance for fleets. He was a New York Police Officer for a short period before his passion for the water took him back to school at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Greg has sailed for Keystone, Grand River Navigation Co, and G&H towing.

Emediong Alexandra Udongwo has joined the Ardmore Commercial Operations team in our Cork office as of August 1. Emediong has an MA in International Economy and Business from the University of Debrecen, Hungary and a BBA in Economics and Statistics from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. She joins Ardmore with over six years of experience in Claims and Demurrage with Shell and ExxonMobil.

Gernot Ruppelt, the incoming CEO, said: “These changes reflect our commitment to maintaining our position as a leading player in the tanker shipping sector. We are confident that the strength and experience of our commercial team will continue to drive Ardmore’s success and continued progression.”

Ardmore Shipping remains steadfast in its mission to deliver superior service, create long-term value for its shareholders, and operate with the highest standards of safety and environmental stewardship. These leadership changes and organizational updates are pivotal steps in ensuring that Ardmore continues to navigate the evolving maritime landscape with agility and foresight. As the company transitions to new leadership, it is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities and drive sustained growth in the years to come.