Long An International Port appoints new CEO

According to the decision, Slootweg will be responsible for operating the company's activities to turn Long An International Port into an internationally recognised modern multi-purpose seaport.

The ceremony took place with the attendance of leaders and management of Dong Tam Group, the main investors – Long An Port JSC, and Long An International Port Operation & Management JSC.

Slootweg is Dutch and was born in 1970. From 2011 to now, he has held the CCO position at Busan New Container Port in South Korea with a capacity of more than three million TEUs/year and has been president of Logistics and Transport at the European Chamber of Commerce in South Korea.

Previously, he also held many key positions in leading enterprises in important markets from Europe to Asia including being general manager of Global Sales at Maersk Line Ltd. in Denmark, CCO at Gateway Terminals India, co-founder of Global Talent Management at APM Terminal Management BV in the Netherlands, and head of Leadership Development Europe at Denso Europe BV in the Netherlands.

With a solid background in the port and logistics services industry, Slootweg was assigned by the Board of Directors of Long An International Port in particular and Dong Tam Group in general to lead, orient, and develop the Long An International Port to become a leading multipurpose seaport of choice that is worthy of the region and recognised as such by the world.

At the ceremony, Vo Quoc Thang, chairman of Dong Tam Group, expressed his expectations, "We will define the goal of building Long An International Port to become a modern, multi-purpose seaport, and a focal point for import and export for the Mekong Delta region, thus promoting socio-economic development in the south."

"We have invested substantially in infrastructure, machinery, equipment, technology, and human resources. We will continue to recruit like-minded people with the same goals and desire to contribute, build, and promote the economic development of the Mekong Delta. I am confident that Peter, with his role and responsibilities, will continue to contribute to the further development of Long An International Port," added Thang.

At the appointment ceremony, Slootweg said, “I have worked at major international container terminals, associations, and organisations in the logistics services and port industry. But when I first came to Long An International Port and heard Vo Quoc Thang sharing about future orientations and plans, it impressed me very much."

"With a solid foundation and clear strategic direction, I am confident that, together with Long An International Port staff, we will realise these plans as soon as possible," he said.

"From a personal perspective, I consider Long An International Port to be part of a harmonious combination of an extended seaport service complex including the international port, industrial park, industrial service zone, urban area, and other businesses that will bring added value to the whole area, thereby contributing to the formation of a multi-purpose and modern seaport city complex," he added. "Moreover, Long An International Port is about to embark on a plan to develop a network of container buses or shuttles, with the first domestic terminals expected to begin construction in early 2023. These new terminals combined with the existing port will form a domestic terminal network serving diversified types of cargo, including cruise ships – which is sure to maximise the potential of the Mekong Delta region."

"In the context of the global industry trends to strengthen supply chain resilience and automate and integrate logistics and last-mile delivery, the development plans of Long An International Port are entirely appropriate with huge potential gains in economic efficiency for the Mekong Delta and the economic region as a whole," concluded Slootweg.

With methodical planning, this ambitious strategy and a long-term investment plan for infrastructure, equipment, modern technology, and human resources, Long An International Port began to import modern equipment in the fourth quarter of 2022 to exploit container goods in addition to the port's traditional general goods.

An exciting selection of other initiatives is being implemented day and night, with the aim to inaugurate the entire Long An International Port complex area by 2024.