MOL has announced the recent retirement of Patrick Allain-Launay, the company's former area executive director for France.

Mr Allain-Launay is said to have spent his entire working life in the shipping and transport industry. He spent over 30 years with MOL, helping drive the formation and development of the MOL organisation, a company statement said.

He started off being employed by MOL's French agency, and later helped MOL establish its own country office in France, culminating in his appointment as manager director of MOL (France) in 1994. Patrick took up his current position within MOL's European Head Office in April 2000.

Jochen Veldmann has replaced Mr Allain-Launay as the area executive director.