After four years as Pension Director at Tryg A/S, Christina Bustrup will take up the position as the new CEO of the Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association (UFDS) on 1 November.
As Denmark's largest export industry, shipping is of crucial importance for the Danish economy, the growth of the Danish labor market and the green transition globally. Therefore, the many thousands of seafarers on board the shipping companies' vessels must have the best possible framework when it comes to safety, security and the working environment.
The former pension director of Tryg A/S, Christina Bustrup, will soon take the reins on this very important issue.
The Board of Directors of the Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association, UFDS, has appointed Christina Bustrup as the new CEO. She will take up the position on 1 November following in the footsteps of Jacob Munch, who will continue in the Executive Board as CFO with responsibility for finance and IT.
The appointment of the 51-year-old, experienced top executive from the financial world is an extension of the insurance association’s day-to-day management and is based on a strategic desire to further develop its position as the shipping companies' preferred workers' compensation insurance company.
This will be done, among other things, through a continuous development of the business model and value proposition, as well as a strengthened member service in a global industry in constant growth and change.
»We are very pleased to present Christina Bustrup as the new CEO,« Chairman of UFDS and Vice President and Head of Global Risk Management at A.P. Moller – Maersk, Lars Henneberg, says.
»Christina comes with extensive management experience, strong professionalism and an outgoing profile, combined with deep insight into strategic business development from a range of top jobs. Add to that a broad knowledge of the insurance and pension industry, and we are confident that she is the right profile to lead the further development that we want,« Lars Henneberg says.
Great focus on increasing safety and security
As the injury figures for 2023 clearly demonstrates life as a seafarer has become increasingly. The number of injuries is decreasing in relation to how many hours are worked. This is due to the amount of working hours calculated in so-called hiring days on the ships has increased steadily and relatively more than the accident rate.
For Lars Henneberg, this is a testament to a continued improvement of safety and the working environment at sea. Furthermore, it proves that the growing safety focus in the shipping companies, which has been constantly improving injury prevention and safety in recent years, has worked.
»I would like to help support the positive development and at the same time set new and greater ambitions that build on our positions of strength,« Christina Bustrup says.
She is looking forward to the dialogue on how UFDS and the shipping companies can work together to create even greater safety for the employees on the ships in an industry undergoing rapid change.
»I would like to help support the positive development and at the time set new and greater ambitions that build on our positions of strength,« Christina Bustrup says. She is looking forward to the dialogue on how UFDS and the shipping companies can work together to create even greater safety for the employees on the ships in an industry undergoing rapid change.
»In addition to creating safer spaces for our customers, we must together become even better at preventing injuries through advanced prevention measures, so that the best possible working environment is created for the shipping companies' employees at sea,« says Christina Bustrup
Growth engine in the green transition
In addition to business development in several of her previous management jobs, Christina Bustrup has also been responsible for developing customer relationships, which will come in handy in her new endeavor.
With a turnover of DKK 343 billion in 2023, shipping is by far Denmark's largest export industry. In addition, Danish shipping companies are at the forefront of the green transition in a maritime industry aiming to reach climate neutrality on a global level by 2050.
»The maritime industry is one of the strongest and most innovative growth engines in our country. The transition to new technology and green fuels will also affect the framework and way of working on board the ships. This development must also be reflected in our setup and solutions to ensure that we are constantly relevant,« Christina Bustrup says.
Dialogue, relationships and knowledge sharing
Through a closer dialogue with the shipping companies, Christina Bustrup will focus on further strengthening the relationship and community in UFDS as a forum for knowledge sharing, inspiration and best practice.
»I look forward to gaining new insights and new challenges and getting to know the maritime industry even better. At the same time, I look forward to utilizing my experience from the life and pension industry in an insurance company that has strong ties to the maritime industry. It is with great enthusiasm and humility that I take on this position,« she says.
Christina Bustrup graduated as an actuary in 1999 and has since been employed in the life, pension and financial sectors. For more than 20 years, she has had management responsibility in various roles, including as COO, CCO and CEO of companies such as AP Pension, Edlund and Nærpension, before joining the Tryg Group in 2020 as Pension Director.
At Tryg she was hired to head up Tryg Pension, which is a business based on pension collaborations. She was therefore responsible for the strategic direction, business development, growth and operation of the pension area with collaborations across the Group.
In addition, she was responsible for Tryg's strategic partnership with pension company Velliv, Pension & Livsforsikring A/S, and she has been involved in the execution of Tryg's strategy within prevention and health.
In addition to a number of top managerial positions, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Greenland as well as a member of the Board of Representatives of Forenet Kredit since 2017.
Facts on Christina Bustrup
Christina Bustrup, 51 years old.
- 2020-2024 Director of Pensions, Tryg
- 2019-2020 Commercial Director, CC; Edlund
- 2014-2018 CEO, CEO, Nærpension
- 2012-2014 Customer Director, COO, AP Pensions
- 2007-2012 Head of Customer Service, and COO from 2009, AP Pension
- 2001-2007 Afdelingschef, Aktuariatet, AP Pension
- 1999-2000 Actuary, AP Pension
- Graduated with a Master of Science in Act., University of Copenhagen, 1999, Continuing education: IMD, Board education and various educations in change management, strategy and communication.
- Medlem af Repræsentantskabet i Forenet Kredit
- Member of the Board of Representatives of Forenet Kredit
- Former member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Greenland and member of the Audit and Risk Committee
- Former mentor at Copenhagen Fintech
- Married, two children
