Thomas Bek, CEO for Blue Water Shipping in center of group

Danish transport and logistics group Blue Water Shipping has appointed a 29-year company veteran as CEO, while recruiting a former DHL Global Forwarding executive to lead its global projects expansion.

Thomas Bek takes over as CEO from Søren Nørgaard Thomsen, who led the company for seven years. Meanwhile, Ryan Foley, formerly CEO of Industrial Projects at DHL Global Forwarding, joins as senior vice president of projects in January 2026.

Bek’s appointment represents continuity for the Esbjerg-based company. Starting as a freight forwarding trainee nearly three decades ago, he most recently served as COO of Blue Water’s Energy, Ports & Projects Division.

“Thomas Bek has a deep understanding of and knowledge about the entire Blue Water business: commercially, operationally and financially,” said chairman Jørgen Wisborg. The board determined a different leadership profile was needed for Blue Water’s next strategic phase.

Under Thomsen, Blue Water nearly doubled its turnover while expanding to 2,700 employees across nearly 80 offices globally. The outgoing executive said it was “a pleasure to be a part of Blue Water” and that the company is “stronger today” than seven years ago.

Bek emphasized maintaining company culture while pursuing growth. “I see it as one of my most important tasks to maintain and develop the values and culture,” he said, acknowledging current market turbulence requires readiness to “act and react in both the short and long term.”

Foley’s appointment signals Blue Water’s commitment to expanding project logistics capabilities internationally. His arrival follows a decade of significant growth in the company’s project activities.

At DHL, Foley oversaw major turnkey projects and developed energy-sector logistics infrastructure worldwide. His experience spans complex industrial logistics across multiple continents.

“Blue Water’s reputation for tailored, safe and scalable project logistics aligns perfectly with my background in global industrial forwarding and project execution,” Foley said.

Based in London, he will coordinate with Blue Water’s global hubs across Europe, Oceania, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East/Africa, aligning regional project teams following recent reorganization of the Energy, Port and Projects division.

“Strategically, we have strong ambitions and commitment to strengthen further our footprint in the project logistics market,” Bek said. “Our focus remains on delivering top-class service and quality to our clients.”

The leadership changes are designed to position Blue Water to pursue larger, more complex international projects during what they call a period of “supply chain transformation and evolving customer demands.”