Two years ago, Konstantin Oetker decided it was time to set up on his own.

He was just turning 30 and dry bulk markets were in the doldrums. If he was not to miss the cycle, he had to act quickly.

In the event, it meant moving back to Germany — where he had not lived for the best part of 26 years — and teaming up with older brother Alexander, who had set up his own shipowning firm, AO Shipping, in 2003.