Ex-Maritime Administrator Joins HMS Global Maritime

U.S. Maritime Administrator Paul "Chip" Jaenichen has accepted a position as chief operating officer of HMS Global Maritime, the owner of Queen Steamboat Company, Seaward Services and HMS Ferries. 

Among other business lines, HMS is the largest private operator of high-speed ferries in the U.S., including The CAT, the Navy-owned vessel recently chartered for the Maine-Nova Scotia run. Under its Seaward Services division, HMS also provides a variety of maintenance, crewing and operations services to the U.S. government. Its contracts for the military include the operation of the WestPac Express, a high-speed troop transport based in Okinawa. 

As chief operating officer, Jaenichen will be responsible for maximizing HMS' performance, including its safety, security and mechanical operations. HMS also expects that he will help the company to innovate while maintaining its strong financial performance. 

As Maritime Administrator from July 2014 to January 2017, Jaenichen oversaw MARAD's diverse portfolio of responsibilities, including the management of the Maritime Security Program, the National Defense Reserve Fleet and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, along with a number of small grant pograms. In coordination with the offices of Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Jaenichen's administration was involved in the suspension of USMMA's Sea Year program and in collating a set of industry best practices on preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment at sea. 

Captain Jaenichen is a 30-year veteran of the Navy, where he rose through the ranks as a submarine officer. He holds a BS in ocean engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a masters in engineering management from Old Dominion University.