Hong Kong: Details have emerged of the future stakeholding of one of Hong Kong's best known shipping companies run by Capt Charles A J Vandeperre, known in the industry as 'the father of shipmanagement'.
The octogenarian Belgian, who founded Wallem's shipmanagement arm, before establishing his own firm, Univan Shipmanagement in 1973, has laid out plans to hand over control to one of his key clients, Denmark's Clipper Group.
As of the beginning of this year the Clipper Group took a 50% stake in the firm. In the event of Vandeperre leaving the company he founded - something he has always jested 'would be in a box' - then the CLipper Group will take a 75% stake in the firm with the remainder placed in a trust set up by Vandeperre.
'Owners were asking what would happen when I was not there,' Vandeperre told Seatrade. The Univan name will remain, he stressed.
The trust is a foundation in Thailand for schooling and hospitals.
'When I become senile then automatically I will have to resign. Until then I am here,' said Vandeperre.
Clipper has two ships with Univan at the moment. The relationship with the Danish firm started a couple of years ago as they bought four tankers in a joint venture.
Tankers, and specifically VLCCs, are turning into a speciality for Univan, with 12 VLCCs on its books already and three more slated to join before year end. [04/10/06]
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