Maersk container

AP Moller-Maersk is carrying out a reshuffle of its headquarters into two seperate units in a move that will see around 100 employees lose their jobs, the group has announced.

The Danish logistics company is splitting its headquarters to form a corporate centre, focusing on group governance activities such as accounting, finance, IT, corporate relations and human resources, and service functions supporting procurement, IT services, oil trading, technical operations and recruitment.

Nils S. Andersen'The split will clarify responsibilities within the group and we will place even more operational responsibility where it should be – decentralised in the business units,' said group chief executive officer Nils S. Andersen. 'In addition, it will reduce complexity and save costs.'

When the existing 830 positions in the headquarters are reduced by 100, around 250 of the remaining staff will be employed in the corporate centre and 480 in service functions, the group added.

'Having to reduce the number of employees is regrettable,' Mr Andersen added. 'But as the pressure on our business units increases, group functions have to be more effective in order to strengthen the group's overall competitiveness.'

The new set up is expected to be finalised by the end of January.