Zeeland Seaports has appointed Dick Gilhuis MBA (born 1964) chief commercial officer as of 1 October 2011. He reports to CEO Hans van der Hart and will form part of the management team of the port company which became independent on 1 January 2011, and will play an important role in the continued development, drawing up and execution of the commercial strategy of Zeeland Seaports.
Dick Gilhuis obtained his Master of Business Administration from NIMBAS in Utrecht. He has been working as a managing director at K.T.B. Smith-Holland BV since 2005. This company provides technical services for temperature-controlled containers. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as the general manager of Carrier Transicold Limited and prior to that as Sales Manager for Van Hessen BV, supply company to the sausage industry. Gilhuis started his career with various roles at Hapag Lloyd Nederland BV, including a general manager marketing and sales position.
Zeeland Seaports is delighted with the arrival of Dick Gilhuis
and expects that the growth ambition of transshipping 50 million tonnes of sea cargo by 2020 will be given an extra impulse due to his appointment.
 
ABOUT ZEELAND SEAPORTS
As Zeeland’s port company, Zeeland Seaports is responsible for the development, management, maintenance and operation of the ports of Vlissingen and Terneuzen. The port area has a strategic location at the mouth of the Western Scheldt (Westerschelde). The deep waters and lack of locks at the Zeeland Seaports provide excellent nautical accessibility.
Thanks to an effective railway and road network, inland shipping routes and pipe lines, Zeeland Seaports offers excellent connections with the European hinterland. This strategic positioning and the high morale in this industry have allowed Zeeland Seaports to grow to be the third sea port of the Netherlands, and since 1980 it has been one of the fastest- growing port areas in Europe.