Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA operates around 127 vessels on 15 trade routes across six continents. The company also has 70 processing centres and eight marine terminals,

John Felitto has been appointed as Wallenius Wilhelmsen's new Chief Customer Officer (CCO), taking up the position on 1 November 2026. As CCO, he will head up the company's Customer Growth organisation, strengthening customer partnerships and delivering on Wallenius Wilhelmsen's growth ambitions.

 During his career at Wallenius Wilhelmsen,

Felitto currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Logistics and is a member of the Group Executive Management team. During his career at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, he has held several leadership roles in sales, ocean transportation and logistics, collaborating closely with customers worldwide. Felitto succeeds Pia Synnerman, who previously announced her decision to leave the company. She will support the transition through 1 January 2027

"This responsibility is to be taken on with honour. We have a strong foundation, deep customer relationships, and a unique set of capabilities across our global network. My focus will be on helping customers to solve increasingly complex supply chain challenges, while ensuring that we continue to create value through close partnerships and effective execution," says Felitto 

Upgraded the communications systems on 41 ships

In contrast, the RoRo operator Wallenius Wilhelmsen has upgraded the communications systems on 41 ships by combining Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb's low-Earth-orbit satellite services with Iridium Certus and LTE backup connectivity, according to a Speedcast statement. The fleetwide programme was delivered by Soya IT Marine Solutions, with Speedcast providing a global wide-area network and hybrid connectivity.  

 Installation and commissioning were carried out remotely

The system provides managed access to corporate applications on the bridge for vessels, as well as higher-capacity connectivity for crews during off-duty hours, including for streaming and social media services.  Installation and commissioning were carried out remotely because Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessels can only spend a few hours in port

Antennas and other hardware were shipped to the vessels and installed 

Antennas and other hardware can be shipped to the vessels and installed by the crew without the ships having to be taken out of service.  The project began in April 2025, following two proof-of-concept tests conducted in October 2024. The 41-vessel rollout was initially expected to be completed by mid-2026. The original contract also covered data management, continuous service, and 24-hour support. 

“This new partnership is about more than just connectivity; it’s about preparing vessels for the digital future,” said James Trevelyan, Speedcast’s executive vice president of global sales. Adriana Briseno, Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s fleet connectivity engineer, added: “The new solution provides a robust, redundant connection, improving communication between ship and shore.”

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Support real-time ship-to-shore data transfers

The additional capacity is intended to support real-time ship-to-shore data transfers, as well as the increased use of vessel sensor data for operational decision-making purposes.  Headquartered in Oslo, Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA operates around 127 vessels on 15 trade routes across six continents. The company also has 70 processing centres and eight marine terminals, and employs around 12,000 people, including seafarers.  Soya IT Marine Solutions is a Stockholm-based marine IT organisation specialising in vessel connectivity and digital systems. Speedcast is a US communications provider that supplies managed connectivity services for maritime and other remote operations.

About: Wallenius Wilhelmsen

Wallenius Wilhelmsen is the global leader in integrated vehicle transportation and logistics, supporting our customers across their supply chain, all the way from the factory to the end consumer. Our ambition is to lead the way in transforming shipping and logistics.

Source: Press Release

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