Sergey Frank has been the face and boss of Russian shipowner Sovcomflot (SCF Group) for 15 years, as the company has grown in size and status to take its place on the international shipping scene.

But last month, it was announced there would be a changing of the guard, with company vice president, chief operating officer and chief technical officer Igor Tonkovidov stepping into Frank’s shoes as the new president and chief executive of Sovcomflot.