Limassol, Cyprus, June 2026 — Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has appointed Elena Pantazidou as Chief People Officer (CPO), strengthening the company’s people leadership structure by bringing its shore-based and seafaring workforce under a unified HR leadership framework.
As part of the leadership transition, Sofronis Theodosiou has been appointed Group HR Marine Director, reporting to the Chief People Officer. The appointments reflect BSM’s continued focus on workforce governance, talent development, and organizational effectiveness across its global operations, which encompass more than 670 vessels and approximately 40,000 seafarers.
The transition follows the departure of Bjoern Sprotte, who previously served as Chief People Officer and will be leaving the organization at his own request.
Commenting on the appointment, Sebastian von Hardenberg, Chief Executive Officer of BSM, noted that bringing the shore and marine HR functions together under one leadership structure demonstrates the company’s commitment to its people across the Group.
Elena Pantazidou has been associated with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement since 2010 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s people agenda, culture, sustainability strategy, and corporate communications over the past sixteen years.
As Group Director HR (Shore) and a member of the Management Board, Elena has been responsible for leading the company’s global people strategy across shore operations. Her responsibilities have included organizational design, workforce planning, talent management, leadership development, performance management, succession planning, capability building, and employee engagement initiatives.
Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in fostering a high-performance culture aligned with business priorities, ensuring the organization has the leadership capabilities, talent pipelines, and organizational structures required to support global growth. She has also overseen reward frameworks, performance management systems, and HR policies designed to attract, retain, and develop critical talent across the organization.
Beyond human resources, Elena has led BSM’s sustainability agenda, driving ESG initiatives that support compliance, transparency, and long-term business sustainability. She has also overseen Communications and Marketing functions, helping strengthen corporate positioning, internal alignment, stakeholder engagement, and brand reputation.
In her new role as Chief People Officer, Elena will continue to lead the company’s people, sustainability, and communications functions while also assuming responsibility for Group HR Marine, creating a unified people leadership model across both shore-based employees and seafarers.
Simultaneously, Sofronis Theodosiou assumes the role of Group HR Marine Director, where he will oversee workforce standards, employment conditions, personnel planning, Crew Service Centres, and Maritime Training Centres across BSM’s global fleet operations.
About Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is one of the world’s leading integrated maritime solutions providers and a top-ranked global ship management company. The organization provides comprehensive ship management services across the gas, tanker, offshore, container, bulk carrier, and cruise sectors.
With a global footprint spanning more than 670 vessels and approximately 40,000 seafarers, BSM delivers a broad range of technical, crew management, safety, compliance, digital, and operational services to ship owners and operators worldwide. The company is recognized for its commitment to operational excellence, innovation, sustainability, and the development of maritime talent.
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