Brandal takes the helm at AquaShip/Intership

Wellboats and workboats operator AquaShip / Intership has appointed Intership boss Ole-Peter Brandal as the chief executive of the company, which was created by the merger of AquaShip and Intership in December 2023.

Sverre Taknes will transition from his position as CEO to a role as board director and strategic advisor. The company said Taknes and Brandal have worked closely together since the merger and have continuously discussed how to best organise for the future.

AquaShip / Intership has a fleet of 38 vessels and nearly 700 employees operating in Chile, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Norway following the merger which took place after an investment fund managed by New York-headquartered American Industrial Partners (AIP) became the majority and controlling shareholder of both companies.

Huge opportunities

“This is a very exciting time for us, with huge opportunities globally,” said Brandal. “We have active and inspiring owners with ambitions and visions I fully share. That has motivated me to take the helm and push forward together.”

Taknes said: “Since founding AquaShip in 2005, I have had the privilege of working alongside an exceptional team to build a company that stands at the forefront of our industry. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have led AquaShip and now, as I transition to the board of directors, I am excited to continue shaping the strategic direction of AquaShip / Intership and support Ole-Peter, who I have worked together with to merge the two companies since this past December.”

Board chairman Alex Schukin, a partner in AIP, said directors appreciated Taknes’ contributions to the merger and continued involvement on key strategic topics.

Growing fleet

The AquaShip / Intership fleet comprises wellboats, utility vessels, harvest vessels, feed carriers, service vessels, and two newbuilds under construction.

AquaShip was formed in July 2018 by the merger of Norwegian company GripShip, and Shetland-based Johnson Marine Ltd. The new company added to its fleet when it acquired feed transporter Arctic Shipping AS two months later.

In January, Intership named the 76.6-metre Inter Scotia, a 2,500m³-capacity battery hybrid wellboat contracted to Mowi Scotland. It was the second of two newbuilds from Zamakona Yards Bilbao, following the Inter Atlantic, also contracted to Mowi Scotland.