February 1 - Banker Frank B

Previously he was with HSH Nordbank, where he was latterly responsible for the bank's entire domestic shipping company business.

Bünte (pictured below) will drive forward the consolidation and expansion of Rickmers Group's risk management system and dovetail opportunity and risk information with planning, according to Bertram R C Rickmers, chairman of Rickmers Holding.

Bünte completed his bank training with the HSH Nordbank's predecessor institution, Hamburgische Landesbank, in 1983 and then worked in the company's various credit divisions.

Following graduation in savings bank business management in 1994, he was responsible for parts of the bank's international loan business from 1995 to 1999. In that year he switched to the HSH Nordbank Group's shipping division.

As a ship owner and ship manager, Rickmers offices in Hamburg and Singapore operate a fleet of some 120 container ships, multipurpose and heavy lift vessels, car carriers and bulk carriers.