SSY is growing its offshore division with the hire of a senior broker for offshore newbuilding and sale and purchase.
Arne Rustad has joined the brokerage this month from Clarksons.
Stanko Jekov, SSY’s managing partner, said: “Our offshore business has seen strong growth since launching in 2023 and as a result, we have continued to attract high-calibre, respected talent to the firm.
“I am delighted to welcome Arne to SSY and I am certain his considerable expertise, technical know-how and proven track record will be of real benefit to us as a business and of course to our customers.”
Rustad will work alongside Goran Rostad, SSY’s head of offshore in Norway, and offshore project director Cato Espero, who also heads up SSY’s alternative fuels division.
SSY also has offshore chartering teams in Hamburg and Dubai.
Rustad said: “Since launching their offshore offering, SSY has moved at pace to build one of the best and most experienced teams in the business.
“Added to this, they have strong momentum in the market, a compelling proposition and a very clear strategy to become a major global player in the offshore space which I’m incredibly excited to now be a part of.”
Rustad has worked within the offshore broking space for more than 20 years.
Before that, he was employed by Petroleum Geo-Service as a project engineer.
He also holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Technology.
SSY entered the market in February 2023 when it bought the well-known Norwegian shop Westshore Shipbrokers, which added four brokers in Kristiansand and Singapore.
This was followed by the acquisition of German specialist F3O Offshore Services a year ago, which added three brokers in Hamburg and another three in Dubai.
Since then, SSY’s offshore division has been growing with a particular focus on subsea business.
In October last year, SSY hired two more brokers in Kristiansand to round out its offshore business within subsea vessels and special projects.
Andreas Hageli and Thomas Kittelsen work alongside Dubai-based Martin Hestnes, who has headed up the subsea business since joining SSY in July 2024.
Managing partner Jekov told TradeWinds in November that the group’s strategic aim is to “create a company where we are top-three in any market”.
This year, the group plans to open a new office in Aberdeen, Scotland, to support its offshore business.