• Concentration of the services previously provided different Group companies

• Centralisation of fund and asset management for all maritime investments

• Further step in the strategic structuring of Ernst Russ AG

Hamburg, 25 April 2017: Ernst Russ AG, Hamburg, is combining its fund and asset management services – which were previously provided by different Group companies – for all maritime investments under the umbrella of the new Ernst Russ Maritime Management GmbH & Co. KG (ERMM). Ernst Russ AG is thus taking a further step in the consolidation of its asset and investment management services for the various asset categories into its own independent, effective business units.

ERMM currently manages some 140 ships for private and institutional investors via more than 110 funds invested in ships as well as structured investments with a total investment volume of approximately 4 billion euros (AuM). It has many years of experience in fund and asset management as well as the supervision of ship operation.

ERMM offers coordination of financing with national and international banks, the identification of a suitable ship manager for the ship type as well as the preparation and close supervision of the ship ownership transfer in close cooperation with all service providers involved.

ERMM places the interests of its investors in the forefront. During the operational phase, ERMM is guided in particular by the requirements of the investor, and continues to closely coordinate with them following the acquisition – for example with regard to employment strategy, budgets for operating costs and framework conditions for the sale of the investment. In this process, ERMM relies on the expertise of specialised companies within the Ernst Russ Group, if the need arises. For example, this may be for ship operation, chartering, composition of the ship crews or the organisation and monitoring of time spent at shipyards.

The 34 employees of ERMM have an outstanding international network in the maritime sector as well as many years of experience in container, bulk-freight, tanker and multipurpose shipping. Ernst Russ Maritime Management GmbH & Co. KG is under the management of Frederike Ebert and Kai Dührkop.

Jens Mahnke, spokesman for the executive board of Ernst Russ AG: ‘Ernst Russ Maritime Management GmbH & Co. KG offers investors the management of their maritime assets from a single source – thereby keeping with the one-stop shop philosophy of Ernst Russ AG.’