MARITIME data specialist Lloyd’s List Intelligence has announced its new chief executive, after former CEO Michael Dell left his role following seven years in the top job.

Waqas Samad will lead the London-headquartered company as it seeks to accelerate its growth strategy.

He brings with him more than three decades of experience in senior leadership roles, including at the London Stock Exchange Group and Barclays Risk analytics.

Samad said the maritime sector is undergoing “an accelerated shift toward intelligence-driven solutions, fuelled by surging demand for high-quality, actionable insights as geopolitical and economic shifts reshape global trade”.

“We have ambitious growth plans centred around facilitating success for our diverse range of customers across the shipping, finance, commodities trading, insurance, legal, tech and public sectors.

“I am excited to join the business at this key juncture and look forward to working with our clients, partners and colleagues to drive innovation across the industry,” he said.

Samad replaces Michael Dell, who has led Lloyd’s List Intelligence since 2018.

Dell oversaw a period of record growth and managed the company’s transition to becoming a standalone business, following the carve out from Informa.

Chair of the Lloyd’s List Intelligence board, Gehan Talwatte, called Dell a “transformational CEO” and thanked him for his “significant contributions”.

“We are delighted to welcome Waqas and look forward to his leadership as we embark on the next chapter of Lloyd’s List Intelligence’s growth journey,” Talwatte said.

He confirmed that Dell will stay on with Lloyd’s List Intelligence in an advisory role to the board to support the company’s continued growth.