Change of Hands at SAL Australia

Former Jumbo Shipping executive Justin Archard has been appointed managing director of SAL in Singapore. He will assume responsibility for SAL’s South-East Asia and Australian operations from January 2012. Archard takes over SAL’s Australian operations after the resignation of managing director Berndt Olesen.

“I want to build on the success that Berndt has made of the office,” said Archard. “SAL has come from a fairly traditional breakbulk shipping background to what is now a project-oriented future and my background with Jumbo was very project based.”

Justin Archard

SAL Australia has mostly undertaken projects in that country and is bidding on a number of the large offshore projects underway there. The SAL group operates 16 heavy-lift vessels but none are permanently deployed in Australia. Rather, they are sourced as needed.

SAL’s Singapore office was opened early in 2011. As of June 2011, the Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line Group) acquired the last 50 per cent of the SAL Group to become the sole shareholder of the company.

Photos of Archard and of the SAL Frauke courtesy of SAL.