There will be personnel changes at Wilhelmshavener Hafenwirtschafts-Vereinigung e.V. (WHV e.V.) at the end of 2024: After 17 years of dedicated service, long-standing office manager Ulrich Schilling is leaving the association to take his well-deserved retirement at the age of almost 66. On December 19, Ulrich Schilling was bid farewell by the Executive Board and the office team at an internal ceremony. His official farewell will take place at the next General Assembly on April 15, 2025. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

At WHV e.V., he was primarily responsible for the coordination and organization of business operations, the maintenance and development of the membership area and public relations. He was also a frequent representative of the port industry at trade fairs, conferences and in maritime networks to promote the port location. His many years of work in the practical day-to-day business of the port industry have made a significant contribution to giving WHV e.V. a competent, trustworthy and reliable image. “I would like to sincerely thank Ulrich Schilling for his constant commitment, trusting cooperation and many years of support for our core tasks and association goals,” said WHV e.V. President John H. Niemann appreciatively.

Ulrich Schilling did not originally have much to do with seafaring and ports. His primary professional training was at airports. Born in Bremerhaven, he began his career as a jet pilot in the German Air Force after graduating from high school, where he was deployed as a pilot and staff officer at various locations until he left the Bundeswehr in 2000.

The retired major then completed a degree in economics at the Wilhelmshaven University of Applied Sciences, specializing in controlling and business informatics, and after a number of career stops, he joined WHV e.V. as office manager in October 2007.

As a private citizen, Schilling now wants to devote more time to his family, sport and hobbies. He will be succeeded in his position at WHV e.V. on January 1, 2025 by Colla Schmitz as the new Head of Press and Public Relations and Dörte Schmidt as Administrative Head of the office. Until now, Ms. Schmidt has successfully managed the secretariat as assistant to the management.

The President and Executive Board of WHV e.V. agree that the new appointment will ensure continuity, expertise and commitment to the port industry in the future: “We wish our outgoing office manager Ulrich Schilling full speed ahead after his well-deserved retirement.”