Jeethu Jose has been appointed as the new managing director of APM Terminals’ West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Onne, Rivers State, taking over from Syed Naved Zafar.
Until his appointment, Jose was the deputy managing director of WACT.
In his new role, Jose will be responsible for continuing the expansion and transformation of the global terminal operator’s strategic gateway terminal in Eastern Nigeria.
He will report to Frederik Klinke, the CEO of APM Terminals Nigeria and will work closely with the senior leadership team in Nigeria, the regional team and the global APM Terminals team in The Hague.
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“I am happy to continue my journey in Nigeria to contribute to the realisation of the country’s economic aspiration. Nigeria, which is the largest economy and most populous country in Africa, remains one of the most important markets in the region.
“I look forward to working with relevant stakeholders towards the successful implementation of our strategic priorities in WACT. I also look forward to expanding the frontiers of service delivery to our numerous customers, especially in Eastern Nigeria,” Jose said.
Jose joined Maersk Group in 2016 and he has spent time in different roles leading different transformations and teams across geographies.
He has spent the last four years in Nigeria, starting with being a part of driving the transformation journey for our APM Terminals Apapa and then moving to WACT in 2022.
As a Deputy Managing Director in WACT and Head of Country Projects, Jose was heading the $115 million Onne Terminal Upgrade Project and also supported the acceleration of the group’s ambition of being the most value-creating terminal company for all stakeholders.
Before moving to Nigeria, Jose was responsible for the Asia, Middle East and Africa region for the Maersk global Procurement organisation and has also been a part of the Board of Directors for one of the Maersk Indian entities.
With deep knowledge and passion for transformations and people, Jose has shown strength in his people leadership – building and transforming parts of the business he has led.
He has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries and delivering solid results while improving engagement with the stakeholders and employees of the Maersk Group.
Jose holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Karunya Institute of Technology, India, with an Executive Programme in Supply Chain from IIMB. He has also attended several leadership development courses at IMD.
West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), which started commercial operation in 2006, is the first Greenfield container terminal in Nigeria to be built under a Public-Private Partnership model. The terminal is located within the Oil and Gas Free Zone in Onne Port, Rivers State. Over the years, it has grown to become the most efficient gateway to markets outside the Lagos area.
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In 2020, WACT announced a further investment of $115 million (Onne Terminal Upgrade Project) that includes the acquisition of three additional Mobile Harbour Cranes, bringing the total in operation to five; 20 Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes; three Reach Stackers; 13 terminal trucks and trailers and two container empty handlers.
The upgrade also includes the deployment of reefer racks with a 600-plug capacity, as well as expansion of the current yard, new workshop, a new terminal auto gate, modernised offices and state-of-the-art technology. The final phase of the project is expected to be completed this year.
