Port of Rotterdam CEO Boudewijn Siemons, joins IAPH board after election as Europe vice president

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Boudewijn Siemons, chief executive of Port of Rotterdam, has been elected to the board of the International Association of Ports and Harbors as regional vice president for Europe, taking up the position with immediate effect.

The appointment places the head of Europe’s largest port in a leadership role within one of the maritime sector’s most influential global organizations. His mandate runs until the 2027 Annual General Meeting, which will take place alongside next year’s World Ports Conference.

Siemons succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren, the former chief executive of Port of Antwerp Bruges, who vacated the role after leaving the Belgian port authority earlier this year.

The election further reinforces Rotterdam’s long standing involvement in the International Association of Ports and Harbors, known as IAPH, where the port has actively contributed to initiatives covering decarbonisation, clean marine fuels, digitalisation, shore power, supply chain resilience, safety, security, and port call optimization.

The appointment comes at a time when ports worldwide are balancing growing cargo volumes with the need to decarbonise operations, improve digital connectivity, and strengthen supply chains against geopolitical disruption. In that environment, international cooperation has become increasingly important. One port acting alone can make progress, but real change depends on common standards and shared investment across global trade routes.

As regional vice president for Europe, Siemons will represent European member ports on the IAPH board while helping shape the association’s strategic priorities across its international membership.

Siemons became chief executive of Port of Rotterdam in 2024 after serving as interim chief executive and chief operating officer. Before joining the Dutch port authority in 2020, he spent several years with Royal Vopak, where he served as president of the North and Latin America division after holding senior management positions across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Earlier in his career, he worked in various leadership positions at Royal VolkerWessels following more than a decade of service in the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he served from 1987 until 1998.

His background combines operational management, international logistics, infrastructure development, and maritime expertise, experience that aligns closely with the issues currently dominating discussions among global ports.

Welcoming the appointment, Jens Meier, president of IAPH and chief executive of the Hamburg Port Authority, highlighted Rotterdam’s longstanding contribution to the association’s work.

He said the Port of Rotterdam has consistently supported IAPH’s objective of promoting collaboration and operational excellence across the global port sector. Meier pointed to the port’s involvement in initiatives including the Environmental Ship Index, clean marine fuels, port readiness levels, onshore power, supply chain resilience, safety, security, and digital port call optimisation.

Those programmes have become increasingly significant as regulators, shipping companies, terminal operators, and cargo owners seek practical ways to reduce emissions while maintaining efficient cargo flows.

Responding to his election, Siemons said he was honoured to join the IAPH board and looked forward to contributing to the association’s work.

He said his ambition is to strengthen collaboration between ports and deliver measurable progress in decarbonisation, digital interoperability, and supply chain resilience.

Rather than viewing ports as competitors on every issue, Siemons suggested there is considerable value in building stronger cooperation where common challenges exist. From developing shore power infrastructure to establishing common digital standards, many of the industry’s largest investments only achieve their full value when multiple ports move in the same direction.

He also said ports can strengthen a community that is united by common objectives while remaining diverse in experience and approach.

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors has evolved into one of the maritime industry’s principal representative organizations.

Its membership includes 212 port authorities together with 184 port related businesses representing more than 97 nationalities. According to IAPH, member ports collectively handle more than one third of global seaborne trade and over 60 percent of worldwide container traffic.

Since 1967, the association has served as the officially recognised non governmental consultative organisation for ports at the International Maritime Organization. Beyond policy representation, IAPH coordinates industry initiatives focused on energy transition, digitalisation, operational resilience, and sustainability through programmes such as the World Ports Sustainability Program.

With Siemons now joining the board, the Port of Rotterdam gains a stronger voice in shaping international port policy at a time when European gateways continue adapting to changing trade patterns, environmental regulation, and increasingly complex global supply chains.