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OW Bunker, one of the world’s largest suppliers and traders of marine fuel oil, today announced the appointment of Søren Christian Meyer as the new Branch Manager for OW Bunker Copenhagen, a new independent branch of the business.

Meyer will move from his current position as sales and marketing co-ordinator for Europe affective from 1st March 2009. In conjunction with this, Per Larsen has also been appointed as a new Sales Manager for OW Bunker Copenhagen.

As Branch Manager, Søren Christian Meyer will be responsible for the implementation of the European sales and marketing strategy in Copenhagen with a focus on four specific areas.

This includes the handling of tenders issued from European governments and international organizations, as well as strategic account management for European brokers.

He will also focus on establishing a South American sales and purchasing centre, which will include a strategic partnership with OW Bunker Chile.

Meyer will also be tasked with capitalising on the growth of the rapidly expanding offshore industry in Europe, a market where OW Bunker has a real in depth knowledge and experience in providing physical supplies.

Per Larsen will be responsible for continuing the development of the strong client base in Copenhagen.

Commenting on the new appointments, Götz Lehsten, Vice President, OW Bunker, said: “The decision to create OW Bunker Copenhagen as an independent branch is a direct testament to the continued development that the Group is making in expanding its operations as well as the growth potential for the office in the region.

"It is clear that there are significant opportunities, from consolidating and growing the existing customer base, to capitalising on the growth of the European offshore market, which has seen rapid expansion over the past few years due to the development in offshore wind farms. I am delighted that Søren has accepted the role of Branch Manager and I am confident that he will meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

The current OW Bunker Copenhagen team consists of eight people, with plans to recruit a further three over the next few months for the new business areas.