Dr. Martin Kröger

Dr. Martin Kröger is the Chief Executive Officer of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) and has been active in its leadership for many years. The VDR represents the legal and economic interests of German shipping companies as an employers’ association. Dr. Kröger is a lawyer admitted to the Hanseatic Bar Association in Hamburg and is involved in various honorary leadership roles in national, European, and international bodies. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in London and the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) in Brussels. He also chairs the ICS Marine Committee and the ECSA Environment and Safety Committee. Additionally, he serves on the board of the European Maritime Law Organisation (EMLO), is a member of the Advisory Board of the German Maritime Law Foundation, and advises numerous international and European organizations on maritime issues.

Since 2013, Dr. Kröger has also been a managing director of the Schifffahrtstandort Deutschland Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, where he is committed to the nautical and technical training, qualification, and further education of crew members of the German merchant fleet.

Before his role at the VDR, Dr. Kröger worked at the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), most recently as Managing Director. In this capacity, he was also actively involved in the work of the Federation of European Private Port Operators (FEPORT) in Brussels.

Dr. Kröger completed his law degree at the University of Hamburg in 2001. In 2003, he earned a Master of Laws in Maritime Law with distinction from the University of Cape Town and was awarded the Capt. Bob Deacon Shipping Law Prize by the University of Cape Town in 2004. In 2006, the University of Hamburg awarded him a Doctor of Laws degree (Dr. jur.). He also completed the Executive Education Program on International Trade Policy and Climate Change and Energy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.