The Family Behind Maersk

A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, most commonly referred to simply as Maersk, is a Danish shipping company that has evolved from a small operation consisting of a single steamship into a global shipping behemoth. Since its foundation, it has been led by members of the Mærsk Møller family, who have guided the company since the early 1900s. The story of Maersk and the family behind it is one of seizing opportunities, and how planning and vision can go a long way when building the legacy of a company for the long run.

The foundation of what would go on to become a global shipping company was laid in the small Danish town of Svendborg in the family home of the Mærsk Møller family: Villa Anna. It was in this picturesque coastal town that Peter and Anna Mærsk Møller raised their family, which grew to include ten children. One of their sons, Arnold Peter (A.P for short) Møller would later go on to found the company together with the help of an investment by his father. Peter Mærsk Møller, like many others in Svendborg at the time, relied on the connection to the sea to provide for his family. He came from a family with a strong mariner tradition and he went to sea during his early teens, eventually gaining the experience and qualifications necessary for him to begin working as a ship's mate.

Peter Mærsk Møller made sailing his career and did his work at sea, and in 1883 things would take a dramatic turn. During rough weather off the coast of Scotland, he was shipwrecked, and even though he escaped the ordeal it was just the start of his problems. The shipwreck left him with no vessel and therefore an inability to provide for his family.

However, he would not let this brush with death deter him from doing what he did best: sailing. He held a burning conviction that steamships would revolutionize the maritime industry. He argued that anyone with an eye for development could see that ships powered by wind would become obsolete for use as shipping vessels.

It was this that led him to buy a steamship in 1886 and found his one-ship business: the Steamship Company Laura. It was on the Laura that the foundations of today’s Maersk were laid, as A.P. Møller and his brothers would often help out on the ship.

In 1904, A.P Møller would go on to found the company Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg, or the Svendborg Steamship Company in English. The company was founded with a sizable investment from his father, as his conviction that steamships were the future only grew stronger throughout the years. By relying on coal and steam rather than the wind, timetables were no longer just hopeful guesses of when cargo might arrive, and ships started to arrive at much more reliable intervals. The small steamship upstart would later evolve into the global shipping company known today as A.P. Moller Maersk. A.P. Møller quickly expanded the business by acquiring different vessels and expanding the fleet, building a shipyard, and conducting other operations aimed at growing the business. Under his leadership at Maersk, he also established the A.P. Møller Foundation.

This was done for several reasons, one of the most important being to ensure a long-term and stable ownership structure, allowing the family to maintain control over the life's work of both him and his father.

In 1953, A.P. Møller established the foundation bearing his name, something that was done for several reasons. This was done for several reasons, one of the most important being to ensure a long-term and stable ownership structure, allowing the family to maintain control over the life's work of both him and his father. The foundation has been active in various charitable projects since the 1950s and is responsible for several large infrastructure and social projects.

However, it’s not only active in charities. The foundation is the parent of A.P. Moller Holdings, a holding company that owns the controlling stake in Maersk as well as several other smaller companies. The holding company enables the family to maintain control of Maersk. Currently, two family members hold the positions of chairperson of the board and CEO of the holding company.

A.P.’s son, Arnold Mærsk McKinney Møller, joined the company as a partner in 1938. After his father's passing in 1965, he took full responsibility for leading the company. At the helm of what was now one of the largest shipping companies in the world, he successfully navigated a complex expansion period as Maersk looked to start operations in oil and gas while also initiating the shift towards container transport. Arnold Mærsk McKinney Møller was heavily influenced by his fathers and the values that he had used to steer Maersk forward. These values were something he had picked up while working close to his father but were formalized during his time as CEO.

In essence, these core values are centered around ensuring that everyone at Maersk is doing their utmost for what’s best for the company. This includes being vigilant about the small things, keeping what’s promised, being humble, creating good places to work, and making sure that the Maersk name continues to be a trusted partner for years to come.

Mærsk McKinney Møller would go on to become an important figure within Danish industry and society, and he was one of the most prominent businessmen in the country both during and after his time at the helm of Maersk. His life was incredibly busy, and apart from leading Maersk, he was also a member of the board at IBM for 14 years during the 70s and 80s. Philanthropy was also something he spent a great deal of time and money on. During his time as chairman of the A.P. Moller Foundation, he initiated several large philanthropic projects, most notably the building of the opera house in the Copenhagen harbor. He was the CEO of Maersk until 1993, and chairman of the board until 2003, and he continued to serve as chairman of the foundation until his death in 2012.

Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla is the youngest of Arnold Mærsk McKinney Møllers’ children and began working closely with her father during the 80s. When he passed away, she took over the reins of the foundation as well as A.P. Moller holding and currently serves as its chair. However, she’s not the only family member currently holding important positions within the Maersk sphere.

Her son, Robert Mærsk Uggla, represents the latest generation in the family and has been given significant responsibilities within the family business. He is currently CEO of A.P. Moller Holding, as well as Chairman at Maersk. Together, this mother-son duo acts as the two most important figures in the family of companies that have grown from a single steamship purchased in the small coastal town of Svendborg in 1904.

Having the control of a company passed down through the generations is nothing unique, but it brings with it a set of challenges and is in no way a guarantee for success. While the evidence is far from conclusive, some family-run companies have been able to outperform their competitors in part due to how they’re structured and run. Some other notable examples of family-run businesses that have been able to perform at a consistently high level through generations are Walmart, run by the Walton family, and the Arnault family’s LVMH.