Dato’ Benny Appointed to Board of MPA

June 12, 2013

The Minister for Transport has appointed Senior Partner, Dato Jude P Benny to the Board of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), with effect from the 2nd of February 2006. The MPA, which is a Statutory Board, is charged with the responsibility of regulating maritime affairs in Singapore, and is also the champion agency, leading the drive to keep Singapore in the forefront as an international Maritime Center.

The Shipping Times, February 2, 2006 (SINGAPORE) Two prominent private sector personalities in shipping have been inducted into the board of Singapore’s maritime regulatory body, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Veteran shipping lawyer Jude Benny and Andreas Sohmen-Pao, of one of global shipping’s most distinguished families in the world, were yesterday appointed by the Minister of Transport for a three-year term with the authority starting from today.

A ministry statement on the appointment also announced that current chairman Peter Ong, who is the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has been reappointed for a three-year term. Mr Ong was formerly at the Transport Ministry before he moved to MTI.

Mr Benny and Mr Sohmen-Pao were described as passionate about developing the shipping industry here.

Mr Benny, a partner of law firm Joseph Tan Jude Benny, has been credited as the driving force behind the establishment of the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration.

‘He is similarly passionate about growing Singapore as an International Maritime Centre and participates actively in efforts to promote the Singapore maritime industry to the international community,’ the ministry statement said.

All aboard: (From above) Mr Ong; veteran shipping lawyer Mr Jude Benny; and Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao from one of global shipping’s most distinguished families

Mr Sohmen-Pao, who is the grandson of legendary Hong Kong shipowner YK Pao, is now based in Singapore helming BW Shipping Managers.

He is also deputy chairman of Bergesen, the crown jewel of Norwegian shipping, which in a spectacular move in 2003 was acquired by the Sohmen-Pao family of Hong Kong’s World Wide Shipping.
World Wide, founded by the late Mr Pao, was headed by Mr Andreas’ father Helmut Sohmen and now merged with Bergesen under the BW group, with the elder Sohmen as chairman.

The Transport Ministry said Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao has contributed especially in the area of manpower development in Singapore, giving his time to MPA talks on the industry.

He was recently featured in a TV documentary Making Waves, commissioned by the Singapore Maritime Foundation to project the maritime industry to young Singaporeans as a sector full of meaningful and well-paying career opportunities.
Other members of the MPA board reappointed for a three-year term are: Bahren Shaari, of UBS Ag; Choo Chiau Beng, chairman and chief executive, Keppel Offshore & Marine; Leow Ching Chuan, general secretary, Singapore Organisation of Seamen; John Lu, chairman, Singapore National Shippers’ Council; BG Tay Lim Heng, chief executive, MPA; Rear Admiral Ronnie Tay, Chief of Navy; Teo Siong Seng, president Singapore Shipping Association and Ronald Widdows, chief executive officer, APL Co Pte Ltd.

Dato’ Benny Appointed to Board of MPA

Get Our Insights