Western Bulk has announced the appointment of Amit Jakhmola as the new Head of the Indian Ocean desk, effective September 1st. This move comes as the company experiences robust growth within the Panamax segment. Jakhmola succeeds Mohneesh Bhutani, who will now focus exclusively on driving the Panamax segment as its dedicated head.
“We are very happy for Amit Jakhmola to take on this new position. It is our strategy to provide exciting opportunities for our internal talents and a result of a successful start to our Panamax strategy that is developing satisfactorily,” stated Kenneth Thu, CFO of Western Bulk.
Jakhmola joined Western Bulk in April 2019 as a chartering manager. Prior to this, he worked with Ifchor Middle East LLC in Dubai as a Dry Cargo Ship Broker and had previous experience with Interocean Shipping in Delhi. His extensive background in the maritime industry positions him well to lead the Indian Ocean desk.
Western Bulk’s Panamax division, which includes five chartering managers across Dubai, Singapore, and Oslo, has been fully operational and thriving. This setup allows the company to cover all major basins and engage in a wide variety of trades.
“We set up the Panamax business because we saw it as a strategic opportunity to better serve our customers with a range of vessel sizes from Handy up to Panamax,” said Bhutani. “We continue to experience synergies across the different segments, and our performance within the Panamax segment is continuing to surpass our initial projections in both volume and profitability. We expect the Panamax division to remain profitable in 2024.”
Mohneesh Bhutani, who previously held dual roles as Head of Panamax and Head of the Indian Ocean, will now dedicate his efforts solely to the Panamax segment. This strategic realignment reflects Western Bulk’s confidence in the Panamax segment’s potential and aims to bolster its growth trajectory.
This leadership change underscores Western Bulk’s commitment to leveraging internal talent and optimizing its operational efficiency across diverse market segments. By focusing Bhutani’s expertise on the Panamax division and appointing Jakhmola to steer the Indian Ocean desk, the company aims to capitalize on its strong market presence and drive sustained growth.
