Port of Hamburg: Karin Lengenfelder Succeeds Jürgen Behrens in the South

After nearly 48 years, Jürgen Behrens, head of the Port of Hamburg Representation South, is retiring from logistics into well-deserved retirement. For nearly 20 years, he has been the liaison for the Port of Hamburg with port customers in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Switzerland. Karin Lengenfelder will succeed him, returning to her Bavarian homeland after 15 years in Hamburg for this new role.

(Hamburg) Jürgen Behrens made his career choice in the port industry at a young age by training as a “merchant in shipping and ship brokerage” at Hapag-Lloyd. His profession took him to places like London, Le Havre, and Haiti. “Logistics involves dealing with very different people, cultures, and languages. That’s what makes this industry appealing to me,” says Jürgen Behrens. In the mid-80s, the establishment of the “Around-the-World Service” of United States Lines brought him to Bavaria, where he is now deeply rooted with his family. Before taking over the management of the Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) representation in Munich in 2001, he worked as a branch manager first for CAST Europe Germany and then for Senator Lines.

“We thank Jürgen Behrens for his tireless efforts to anchor the Port of Hamburg in the south with shippers and port customers. With projects like ’62 plus’, he also managed to increase the rail share in hinterland traffic with Bavaria by ten percent,” praises Axel Mattern, HHM board member.

A Laughing and a Crying Eye

The successful work of Jürgen Behrens will now be continued by Karin Lengenfelder. In her first career, she worked as a journalist in her home region of Augsburg for about 20 years before moving to Hamburg. There, she joined the Hamburg Port Authority in 2008 as a press spokesperson. “The fascination of the port immediately captivated me,” says Karin Lengenfelder. As Head of Communications, she gained further experience at Buss Port Logistics, including in topics such as offshore wind, sea-worthy packaging, and inland ports. After a stint in international communication for parcel logistics, she joined the headquarters of Hafen Hamburg Marketing in 2018 as a communication expert. “We are pleased to have found a competent successor to Jürgen Behrens in Karin Lengenfelder, who is well-established in both port logistics and southern Germany,” says HHM board member Ingo Egloff.

At nearly 64 years old, Jürgen Behrens is retiring with a laughing and a crying eye. However, he will remain connected through the friendships he has built over many years in the logistics world.

 

Karin Lengenfelder

“I look forward to my new role, bringing the Port of Hamburg to the south through customer events in the two southern federal states and Switzerland, as well as being a point of contact.”

Photos: © Hafen Hamburg