Stefan Kunze, the head of the Eastern Germany Representative Office at Hafen Hamburg Marketing (HHM), is set to retire.
Over the past years, he has consistently worked towards establishing the port of Hamburg as a pivotal logistics hub for industrial and logistics firms from eastern Germany, while also enhancing the port’s esteemed reputation.
Throughout his professional journey, Kunze has shown a keen interest in inland waterway transport and its integration into a trimodal supply chain. He embarked on his career in the 1990s as the branch manager of Deutsche Binnenreederei in Dresden and has since remained dedicated to the advancement of inland navigation until his retirement. Over the last nine years, Kunze, a trained freight forwarder, served as the chairman of the Board of Elbe Allianz, among other notable roles.
“Stefan Kunze will be greatly missed. As an expert in the field of inland navigation, he has also set many trends,” stated Axel Mattern, CEO of HHM, at the farewell ceremony at the Elbe Shipping Day.
In addition, the accomplished graduate economist has garnered recognition for his involvement in the execution of numerous EU projects, showcasing his expertise in logistics. This extends to his role as a member of the logistics advisory board for the transport minister of Saxony-Anhalt and as a representative in the advisory committee for the development of the comprehensive Elbe concept.
A successor has been appointed, with Roman Fürtig stepping into the role. Since January, Fürtig has been immersing himself in the responsibilities of the position. He now assumes the mantle as HHM’s new representative for eastern Germany, while also undertaking responsibilities in the area of inland navigation.
“I will continue to make my expertise available to the best of my ability. But above all, I want to enjoy my retirement,” pointed out Stefan Kunze.