Melanie Drehkopf

CCO dship Carriers

Melanie Drehkopf was appointed Chief Commercial Officer for dship Carriers GmbH in September 2023. She has been a key part of the company’s continued success since 2018, working closely with CEO Lars Feller.

With nearly 30 years in the breakbulk industry, Melanie has held various key positions at Rickmers-Linie and SAL Heavy lift, gaining experience across Europe, the U.S. and Asia. She spent several years in New Orleans and further on, had opened the Rickmers Japan office in 2006, being actively responsible for it until 2010.

As a global leader at dship, Melanie fosters collaboration with all chartering and commercial leadership and staff for the company. Alongside Lars, she further develops dship’s vision for growth, steadfast with the mind-set of keeping the best talent for dship and promoting mentorship to develop future leaders.

2026 Event Agenda Sessions

Fleet Decisions in an Era of Strategic Demand

The breakbulk fleet is aging, vessel availability is tightening and geopolitical pressures are reshaping global capacity. This session explores how carriers, inland operators and project stakeholders are responding to rising demand, limited newbuild activity and increasing pressure on US-flag capacity driven by cargo preference rules, government-backed projects and shifting global priorities. Combining market analysis with strategic and operational perspectives, the discussion examines what this means for pricing, lead times, transportation readiness and long-term project planning.

Wednesday 23 September 10:45 - 11:30 Breakbulk Live Stage