DHT Holdings Inc. says CEO Ole Jacob Diesen will step down on March 31 and a member of the board will become acting CEO of the shipping company.
DHT said Thursday that its board and Diesen decided it would be best to "turn to new leadership as the company pursues a more growth-oriented strategy."
Diesen had been CEO since the company's initial sale of stock to the public in 2005, and he will remain a consultant for six months, the company said.
The acting CEO will be director Randee Day, who will also serve as acting CEO of the company's DHT Maritime Inc. subsidiary, effective April 1. She will stay on the board of both companies but step down from the compensation and corporate governance committees, DHT said.
DHT said Day wants the job permanently, and it will also search inside and outside the company for other candidates.
Day has been a director since DHT went public. She also leads maritime investment banking at the Seabury Group and previously ran her own consulting firm, the company said.
DHT shares rose a penny to $4.10 in midday trading. They have ranged from $3.30 to $5.82 over the past year.
