Leadership

Kristian Sørensen

Kristian Sørensen is Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is currently CEO of BW LPG. Mr Sørensen has over 20 years of experience in the LPG shipping industry where he has held several commercial and management positions. He started his career as a shipbroker in Lorentzen & Stemoco in 2002 before joining Inge Steensland AS (today Steem1960) in 2004 as a broker and later partner and Head of Gas department. From 2010-2013, he was responsible for expanding and heading its Singapore office. In 2016 he became CEO of Norwegian broking house Fearnleys, and also served as Deputy Group CEO for the Astrup Fearnley Group until 2021, when he joined Avance Gas as CEO.

Mr Sørensen joined BW LPG as Deputy CEO and Head of Strategy in September 2022. He spent two years in the Royal Norwegian Navy as a graduate of the Junior Naval Academy and holds a “Siviløkonom” degree from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). 

Mark Ras

Mark Ras is a Member of the Board of Directors. Mr Ras is currently Managing Partner at Maas Capital Shipping B.V., one of the world’s leading institutional shipping equity investors. Its portfolio includes controlling and non-controlling stakes in shipping, intermodal and offshore services related assets. Mr Ras was Head of Department at Maas Capital when it was an independent subsidiary of ABN AMRO before it was acquired by EnTrust Global, a leading alternative asset management firm in 2021.

Mr Ras has an MBA from Nyenrode Business University.

Masanori Fujiwara

Masanori Fujiwara is Commercial Director at GU Navigation Pte. Ltd. Since joining in 2019, he has led investment strategies and managed a diverse portfolio. Prior to GU Navigation, he developed various ventures in Offshore & Shipping fields at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., including Indian Flag specialized business. He started his career at Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 1997.

Heather Cowan

Heather Cowan has over 20 years of shipping experience on sea and on shore with Ship Owners and Technical Management Companies, including 13 years sailing in the Engine department. She joined BW LPG in 2016 as Senior Manager Fleet Supervision at BW LPG. She has held technical supervisory roles in addition to large-scale project management responsibilities.

Ms Cowan holds an unlimited Chief Engineer’s license.

Knut Solheim

Knut Solheim has 15 years of experience in the LPG shipping industry. He began his career in 2010 as a shipbroker at Inge Steensland AS (now Steem1960), progressing to the role of partner. In 2017, he joined BW LPG where he has played a key role in chartering operations. Currently, Mr. Solheim serves as Head of Chartering at BW LPG. He holds a Master’s degree from BI Norwegian Business School.

Roderik Spronk

Roderik Spronk holds various board positions across all major shipping segments. He joined Maas Capital in 2015 where he currently serves as a Director. Prior to joining Maas Capital, Mr. Spronk worked at ABN AMRO Commodities and ABN AMRO Corporate Finance. He holds a MSc degree in Business Administration.