North Star has strengthened its executive team in two strategic areas, reinforcing its status as a leading service operations vessel (SOV) owner-operator in Europe, and driving the expansion of its client base, talent pipeline and offshore wind operations.
Duncan Palmer has joined as the company’s first Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Joanna Lang has been promoted to Chief Legal & Compliance Officer (CLCO).
Kenneth Coughlan has also been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO), succeeding James Bradford following his retirement and taking on the mantle of guiding North Star’s drive towards a lower-emissions fleet by 2045, reinforcing the company’s forefront role in maritime innovation.
As CHRO, Duncan will spearhead North Star’s people strategy, shaping a high-performing, scalable organisation to support the company’s growing offshore wind and maritime operations. He brings 24 years’ experience in talent strategy across complex, global industries, including senior roles at Sodexo, Prosafe and Petrofac.
In her expanded role as CLCO, Joanna will oversee all legal and compliance matters across the business. With a 25-year legal and commercial career, including senior positions at Rovco, Rovop and Subsea7, she brings deep sector expertise and plays a central role in enabling North Star’s growth with robust governance and risk management.
As CTO, Kenneth will lead North Star’s technology and innovation strategy, focusing on fleet decarbonisation, newbuild programmes and alternative fuel adoption. A trained naval architect, Kenneth brings over a decade of experience in maritime and offshore wind, most recently as Global Head of Maritime Technical Projects at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, where he led SOV newbuild and advanced low-carbon initiatives, and was also a former North Star client.
“These appointments bring exceptional expertise and proven leadership to the business, strengthening innovation, decarbonisation and governance across our fleet, and reinforcing our position as a trusted SOV partner across Europe.” Gitte Gard Talmo, Chief Executive Officer at North Star
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