ZIM Integrated Shipping Services announced today the appointment of Dr. Chen Lichtenstein as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. The current President and CEO, Eli Glickman, tendered his resignation on April 15 of this year.

Notably, this leadership change comes as German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd and Israel's FIMI Fund are pursuing their proposed acquisition of ZIM.

Dr. Lichtenstein, 50, brings extensive experience in international corporate management, although his background is not in traditional shipping. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural technology, where he was responsible for global operations, strategic integration, and capital market activities over the long term. His career began on Wall Street, where he led numerous major merger and acquisition and financing transactions. He holds a joint JD/PhD from Stanford University, as well as a BSc in Physics and an LLB from the Hebrew University.

Chen Lichtenstein

ZIM Chairman of the Board, Yair Seroussi, stated: "Dr. Chen Lichtenstein is an exceptionally experienced, top-tier international executive who combines managerial depth, financial expertise, strategic vision, and the ability to lead complex global organizations. His experience in managing international companies, engaging with global markets and shareholders, and leading transformation and integration makes him the right person to lead ZIM at this stage." The Board extended its special thanks to the outgoing Eli Glickman for his significant contributions.

Incoming CEO Chen Lichtenstein said: "I thank the ZIM Board for the trust they have placed in me, giving me the opportunity to lead this Israeli global company with its deep heritage, history of success, and outstanding people. ZIM operates in a dynamic, highly competitive, and complex market. I place the utmost importance on maintaining the company's stability, strengthening its performance and business capabilities, and continuously creating value for its customers, employees, partners, and shareholders."

Analysts note that while Dr. Lichtenstein lacks a direct background in the shipping or logistics industry, he has outstanding experience in navigating complex global operations, capital and debt management, integration and transformation, and collaboration with enterprises of Chinese background. In recent years, ZIM has achieved differentiated advantages on East-West mainline and regional trades through its "asset-light, high-agility" strategy. However, it currently faces challenges including freight rate normalization, tightening environmental regulations (such as the EU ETS), and the restructuring of alliance configurations. Whether the new CEO can successfully transplant his cross-border integration experience into the shipping industry remains to be tested by the market.