Holger Bender is the rather new marketing manager of DNV Maritime in Hamburg – he joined the company one year ago from MacGregor. “My task is to attract new customers to DNV.

The response we have had over the past few years is positive in the sense that we are now the second-largest ship classification society in Germany and we intend to keep growing. Being a part of this growth is a responsibility and a challenge,” says Bender.

A good market position
“We are well perceived in the market as being at the forefront of developments. Christian Strobel, who is now retired from DNV but still an active consultant, has worked closely with us here in Hamburg as well as with our customers on bulk carriers, and 70 per cent of newbuilding bulk carrier orders are now to DNV class. We also have a strong name and position in tankers, and we’ve captured a good share of the container ship market over the past few years, also very much thanks to our local efforts and to Knut Døhlie of DNV in Oslo. When it comes to our future in container ships, we are clearly established as the first choice after GL. More owners want a second class on their fleets and for German container ship owners this is now DNV. We are very pleased about this and work closely with our customers to secure more newbuildings and ships in operation to DNV class,” he says.

“This summer we held a seminar in Shanghai for German owners and operators on how to successfully carry out newbuilding projects in China. DNV in China is well established, with a large network and some 800 employees. We have worked with the Chinese yards for a long time, and we also have our own approval centre in Shanghai. The feedback received showed that the seminar was very successful.”

Walking distance
“Since moving into our new office here at Bei den Mühren 1 we are really right in the middle of the German- and Hamburg-based shipping cluster,” says Bender. “Most of our customers and business relations are within walking distance and this is a great advantage in our daily work. The office itself is excellent, and the training facility we now have on the top floor for the DNV Academy puts us in a unique position to offer courses to the industry.”

Naval architect
Holger Bender has a degree in Naval Architecture. He previously worked in the planning department at Flensburg Shipyard where he was responsible for three units – budgeting, general planning and materials. For the last three years, he worked on assembly and strategic developments, as well as planning the ship construction period, for example when is the appropriate time to fit a ramp on a newbuilding during the construction period. In 2004, he joined MacGregor, working in sales but with a high degree of technical consulting involved.