Claudia Roller Wins Kiel's Port Award 2013

On the occasion of this year’s “Sprottenback“, the traditional social event of Kiel’s port industry players, Kiel’s Port Award 2013 was handed over to Mrs Claudia Roll- er, long-time chairwoman of the board at Hamburg Hafen Marketing e.V. (HHM). Following the suggestion by PORT OF KIEL’s Advisory Board of awarding Mrs Claudia Roller the Port Prize, a personality was chosen who has been rendering special service to the port of Kiel for many years. In his laudation, Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG, highly valued the awardee for her outstanding commitment to strengthening the competitive position of Hamburg and the ports of the metropolitan area. Dirk Claus: “With Claudia Roller being its front woman, Hamburg Hafen Marketing has co-operatively promoted the attractiveness of Kiel’s port and offers a professional marketing platform as well as competent marketing support.” The port of Kiel has been member of Hamburg Hafen Marketing e.V. since 2006 and belongs to the eleven leading members of the association today.

During the seven years of its HHM-membership, the port of Kiel was able to increase its handling efficiency by 33 % to more than 6.3 million tons today. Next to its geographic location, first class port facilities and sound hinterland connection, location marketing is getting a more and more competitive factor. Dirk Claus: “Due to the metropolitan area, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein are continuously growing closer together. We profit from this marketing cooperation. HHM offers us direct access to trade shows and events and is thereby supporting our own marketing activi- ties.”

The chairwoman of the HHM Board, Mrs Claudia Roller, is the 8th personality being honored with the Port Award in Kiel. This year’s prize was shaped by the designer and artist blacksmith Mr Patrick Schloßer from Eckernfo?rde, forming a bitt lionized by five sprats. The sculpture is a valua- ble unique of metal art, which was hand-crafted by the artist. The bitt symbolizes strength and stands for the firm connection of the ship with the safe haven. The sprats which are always form- ing a school, stand for proximity in the community as well as determined advance at the same time. 

The awardee Mrs Claudia Roller (56) has been Chairwoman of the HHM Advisory Board since April 1, 2008. She started her career in the maritime industry with an apprenticeship and in the course of the years, she gathered versatile job experience at shipping companies and port opera- tors. Claudia Roller is an expert in port transport economics and in organizing hinterland transport. From 1984 to 2001, she held the position of Key Account Manager for major customers at Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) followed by being Head of Sales for the HHLA Container Terminals Altenwerder, Burchardkai und Tollerort. In 2006, she started her job as General Marketing Manager at HHLA Intermodal until she moved on to the Board of HHM. HHM, the marketing organization of the Port of Hamburg, has been successfully representing the interests of Hamburg’s port industry and its metropolitan area on an international basis for 25 years.

“Sprottenback” is the traditional social event of Kiel’s port players where port, shipping and transport experts come together in order to network and exchange experience. The Award Cere- mony is the highlight of the event. Other awardees to date have been: 2005: Samuil Vindergauz (Line Director of shipping company LISCO), 2006: Hans-Dieter Nehrhoff (Technical CEO of the power station Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Kiel), 2007: Gunnar Blomdahl (CEO at Stena Line at that time), 2008: Ro?ttger Wittern (long-time Managing Director at Sartori & Berger), 2009: Trond Kleivdal (CEO at Norwegian shipping company Color Line), 2010: Anders Refsgaard (Vice- President of shipping company DFDS), 2011: Ingolf Ka?stner (Head of International Transport at Kombiverkehr KG), 2012: Award of the Grand Seal of the City of Kiel to Heinz Bachmann (long- time Marketing Director at PORT OF KIEL).