Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has appointed Rajesh Unni, founder and chairman of Synergy Marine Group, to its advisory board as part of efforts to bolster its strategic and risk management framework.
The Tokyo-headquartered shipping major, the largest Japanese shipowner by deadweight tonnage, said the advisory board—established in April 2024—has been designed to draw on the expertise of external leaders to guide long-term planning and help MOL navigate changing global, technological and environmental landscapes.
Unni, who built Singapore-based Synergy Marine Group into one of the world’s largest shipmanagers with a fleet of over 700 vessels in just 19 years, brings extensive experience in shipmanagement, digitalisation and sustainability. He has previously served as a director at maritime analytics firm Windward, an advisor at Alsym Energy, and as a member of the Lloyd’s Register South Asia Advisory Committee and the Global Maritime Forum.
MOL stated that Unni’s appointment will provide “strategic guidance informed by a global perspective,” supporting its “next-generation shipping” ambitions under the Blue Action 2035 plan.
This move follows MOL’s recent consolidation of its shipmanagement operations under a single brand. Its Singapore-based LNG management arm, MOL LNG Ship Management, was renamed MOL Global Ship Management (MOLGSM), which will ultimately oversee more than 200 vessels including LNG carriers, bulkers and tankers.
MOL said the advisory board will play a vital role in steering the group’s transformation into a “global social infrastructure company” by incorporating diverse external perspectives into strategic decision-making.
