Norway's Odfjell is appointing a chief operation officer (COO) for the first time.

The chemical tanker company said Harald Fotland will assume the role from 5 January.

The idea is to ensure there is "full integration between shipmanagement and commercial operations, which is key to delivering top quality service in the chemical tanker industry," it added.

"With the new structure, Odfjell Tankers will have common and aligned goals across all functions relating to chemical tankers," it added.