Passing on the baton at Port of Hamburg Marketing

Ralf Johanning will succeed Bengt van Beuningen as press spokesman. Mathias Schulz takes over as Head of Communication.

On 31 August 2022 Bengt van Beuningen, Head of Communication and Information for Port of Hamburg Marketing, will as scheduled be leaving the Port of Hamburg’s marketing organization. He commenced working for its predecessor HHVW Sales Promotion and Advertising in 1999. Ever since, he has successfully directed worldwide communication for Germany’s largest universal port for the benefit of around 280 member companies in the port/transport industry, Hamburg Port Authority and the City of Hamburg. Through press activities, Port of Hamburg Magazine and other means and channels of communication, Bengt van Beuningen and his colleagues on the team have successfully positioned the Port of Hamburg brand in Germany and internationally as a sustainable and digitally fully equipped port and logistics centre.

“Good teamwork and committed cooperation with member companies, media and institutions have been the basis of our success,” says Bengt van Beuningen. “To continually produce communication and marketing work for a world port like Hamburg over very many years was only feasible in close consultation with our members and all the partners constituting the Port of Hamburg’s maritime network. My special thanks go to all my colleagues at Port of Hamburg Marketing, and to all our partners, for our ability so far to overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic and to emerge stronger from it.”

Port of Hamburg Marketing CEO Axel Mattern comments: “Our successful advertising, press and public relations work over the impressive period of over two decades is invariably linked with the name of Bengt van Beuningen. He laboured with tremendous commitment for the association. On behalf of its constituent bodies too, I would express my thanks for all his sterling work. I wish Bengt van Beuningen all the best. I am delighted that as a freelance communications consultant, he will continue to place his immense expertise and numerous contacts in German and international media at the disposal of the seaport and logistics sector. With the changes being made in close coordination with our association’s organs, we are positioning Port of Hamburg Marketing extremely well and feel optimally equipped to meet the challenges of the immediate future.“

In Port of Hamburg Marketing’s communications team, already re-organized in October 2021, Bengt van Beuningen was most recently responsible for press work and print products. Ralf Johanning will succeed him as press spokesman from September 2022. Mathias Schulz, a member of HHM’s top management, has since October 2021 been responsible for the Digital & Live/Social Media and Moving Images, Trade Fairs and Events area. From September onwards, he will head the entire Communications Department. Jochen Wischhusen is responsible for HHM’s web presence, and all technology for IT, the studio, videos and post-production of moving images.

At twelve German and international offices, more than 40 staff of HHM as an association under private law provide location marketing for the Port of Hamburg, its partners and ports along the transport chain, as well as member companies.