Bing Chen will join Seaspan as its CEO and will join its board of directors in January 2018. Gerry Wang will retire as CEO and director of the company effective November 3. Upon Wang’s retirement, Peter Curtis, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will also serve as Seaspan’s interim CEO until Chen’s arrival, after which he will continue in his current role.

During his 25-year career Chen has held executive positions in China, Europe and the U.S. Most recently, he served as CEO of BNP Paribas (China) where he led the bank’s growth strategy in China. From 2011 to 2014, Chen was the general manager for Trafigura’s Chinese business operations, where he maintained full P&L responsibility for domestic and international commodities trading in the country. Between 2009 and 2011 he was responsible for building the greater China investment banking practice of Houlihan Lokey as the managing director and head of Asia Financial Advisory. Between 2001 and 2009 Chen held various leadership roles in Europe, including as CEO, CFO and managing director of leasing and aircraft chartering businesses. Between 1999 and 2001 Chen worked as a director of Business Strategy at Deutsche Bank in New York.

David Sokol, chairman of Seaspan’s board of directors, said, “We are pleased to have reached a very successful conclusion to our CEO search, and to have a seasoned professional like Mr. Chen join our executive team. Mr. Chen has diverse operating and financial business experience as well as strong relationships in our key markets in Asia and Europe. We feel the talents he brings to the table make him an ideal complement to the talents of Peter Curtis, EVP and COO, Mark Chu, general counsel, and David Spivak, CFO.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Gerry Wang for his nearly 20 years of leadership and for completing an orderly transition. We are also pleased that Peter Curtis has agreed to act as interim CEO while continuing to oversee all commercial and operating functions of Seaspan.”

Chen added, “Leveraging Seaspan’s resilient platform and incredible team, we will strive to constantly provide the best services and innovative solutions for our loyal customers around the world. I am humbled and honoured to be its next CEO as we continue to build and grow profitably. I am confident that Seaspan will continue to strengthen its position as the leader in the global containership leasing industry.”

Seaspan provides many of the world’s major shipping lines with creative outsourcing alternatives to vessel ownership by offering long-term leases on large, modern containerships combined with ship management services.