OceanConnect Teams in Hamburg and Athens Join GP Global: Sources

by Jack Jordan, Managing Editor, Ship & Bunker
Thursday June 4, 2020

Marine fuels trading company OceanConnect's teams in Hamburg and Athens have left the company to join bunker supplier GP Global, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The move will become official as of next week, one source told Ship & Bunker, once the staff's garden leave in their previous roles has been completed.

A spokesman for GP Global was unavailable to to comment on the move, and a representative of OceanConnect did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Ship & Bunker first reported that the two teams were stepping down from OceanConnect last month.

Most of the staff in both offices previously worked for Bomin before joining OceanConnect.

OceanConnect launched its bunker trading operation in Athens in January 2017, hiring former Bomin traders Anthi Tsahilidou and Yannis Vassilatos to join its lubricant trader Christos Katarachias in Voula.

In August 2018 the company opened its German office in Hamburg, hiring Lars Doering to run the office and Oliver Grunau and Karsten Kurth -- who had previously also worked for Bomin but more recently for Arte Bunkering -- as traders.

KPI Bridge Oil announced its deal to buy OceanConnect in late February. After regulatory approval the new entity is to trade under the name KPI OceanConnect.