JEREMY Nixon, the man who engineered and led the consolidation of the three major Japanese shipowners’ container businesses into Ocean Network Express, will step down as CEO on 1 July 2026.
Mr Nixon, who started out with P&O Nedlloyd in 1994, spent three years with Maersk following their takeover and then joined NYK in 2008 rising to CEO before taking on ONE leadership in 2017, will transition to a senior advisory role.
Late yesterday [25 February] the ONE board announced the planned leadership transition would see the appointment of Till Ole Barrelet as CEO-designate, effective 1 May. Mr Barrelet’s departure from the CEO position at Dubai-based, German-controlled Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) was announced last Friday.
“Since ONE's inception in April 2018, Jeremy and his management team have led the transformation of legacy Japanese carriers — K Line, MOL, and NYK — into a unified global container shipping company. Under his stewardship, ONE has established itself as a major player in the container liner shipping industry, operating a fleet of over 260 vessels with capacity exceeding two million TEU,” ONE said, in announcing the succession.
“Till brings over 20 years of maritime and logistics experience to the role, most recently serving as CEO of Emirates Shipping Line. He has deep expertise in ship owning, financing, container shipping, trade development across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.”
To better position ONE for its next phase of growth, the company says, it will transition to a new executive management team structure comprising the CEO and seven representatives from across all divisions. The new EMT, together with a further six regional leaders, will report into the CEO. This expanded leadership structure will facilitate closer collaboration across a global matrix structure at ONE.
“These changes are part of a planned leadership transition. The succession will be seamless, and customers and stakeholders will not be impacted,” ONE said.
“Jeremy's contribution to Ocean Network Express has been extraordinary,” said Jotaro Tamura, representative director and chairman of the Board of Directors, Ocean Network Express Holdings Ltd.
“As our founding CEO, Jeremy has helped build ONE from the ground up, establishing our corporate culture and market position. We are deeply grateful for his strong leadership and vision in creating a resilient, financially strong company.
“After a comprehensive search, Till emerged as the clear choice to lead ONE's next chapter. His proven track record, deep industry understanding, and strategic vision align perfectly with ONE's growth ambitions, commitment to operational excellence and customer service.”
Leading ONE from day one had been the defining chapter of his career, Mr Nixon said.
“Together with an exceptional team, we have built something truly special. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished — navigating unprecedented challenges, investing in sustainable technology, and building a culture of service excellence. Now is the right time for new leadership, and I am very confident in Till's ability to lead ONE forward.”
Prior to joining ESL Mr Barrelet headed up CMA CGM’s Asian subsidiary CNC, having joined the French group when it acquired German shortsea operator OPDR in 2015. At ESL Mr Barrelet has been replaced by chief trade officer, Sushil Sriram.
In separate corporate leadership news, Singapore-based SeaLead Shipping last week [16 February] appointed Cho Kit Wei as CEO, replacing Suleyman Avci. Mr Cho was previously chief operating officer and has been with SeaLead since 2021.