After 27 years of dedicated service, Lutz Ehrhardt has decided to retire from his role as PhilaPort’s representative in Europe.
Based in his hometown of Hamburg, he served as The Port of Philadelphia’s liaison with ocean carriers, shippers, and government officials in one of the world’s largest shipping markets.
“Now enough is enough and it’s about time for the next generation to take over,” stated Ehrhardt. He will remain engaged in the shipping industry and will be active in various other fields.
Ehrhardt will be succeeded by Uwe Gaede, a prominent figure in the shipping industry, who has served as the marketing director for ocean carrier Hamburg Süd in North Europe for the past 20 years.
“Lutz Ehrhardt has been a salesman, writer, guide, and point man in Europe for us for almost three decades. More than that, he was effectively a diplomat, building commercial and personal bridges between Europe and Philadelphia, a city he came to love,” stated Jeff Theobald, CEO of PhilaPort.
Ehrhardt, a trained shipbroker and shipping merchant, began his career with Horn-Linie in 1961. After spending a few years in Australia, he returned to Hamburg and worked for the Buss Group as a marketing and PR manager for over 25 years.
“We were fortunate to have his faithful, intelligent teamwork during this time. Lutz always got the job done – he helped us get a lot of business – and he was a real pleasure to work with,” commented Sean Mahoney, PhilaPort’s Senior Director of Marketing.
