He takes up his position on 1st October, 2015.
Capt Mahapatra joined Scindia Steam Navigation as a Cadet in 1973 and rose to the rank of Chief Officer in 1977.
He became a Master with South India Shipping Corp in 1982. Thereafter he remained in command of foreign-going ships until 1986, when he joined the Directorate General of Shipping Government of India as a nautical surveyor. In 1994 was promoted as deputy nautical adviser to the Government of India.
He joined IMO’s STCW and Human Element Section as a technical officer in 1998. In 2003, he took over as the Head of Maritime Training and Human Element Section in the Maritime Safety Division, rising to Senior Deputy Director, sub-division for operational safety and human element in the division on 1st January, 2012.
Elsewhere, DHT Holdings has appointed Joseph Pyne to its board of directors.
The appointment of Pyne as a director expands the board from three to four independent directors.
Erik Lind, DHT Chairman, said: "We are very pleased to have Joe join the DHT board of directors. His commercial and operational experience and longstanding insight into the US capital markets are all expected to significantly augment the workings of the board to the benefit of DHT."
Finally, Christopher Boehringer has become TORM’s new chairman and Torben Janholt and Pär Göran Trapp were elected as new members of the Board at the recent company AGM.
David Weinstein was elected new deputy chairman and Jeffrey Stein and Eugene Irwin Davis were elected first and second alternate for the deputy chairman, respectively.