Chane’s new CEO, Fabian Ziegler, sits down exclusively with Tank Storage Magazine to discuss his vision for the company’s future
What led you to join Chane as CEO?
I’ve had a long career working with larger companies, like Shell, and Chane stood out to me as a business with great potential. I was keen to be the CEO of a company that I can ‘put my arms around’ so to say. I wanted to lead a company I could truly commit myself to, putting in a strong sense of ‘personal ownership,’ and there is really an opportunity and huge potential here at Chane that I’m excited about. This is a business where I can use my experiences to really embrace the long-term potential for transformation.
Now, tank storage might not be a sector that takes centre stage, but it’s super important to Europe – and the world, but Europe is really Chane’s scope. It’s an industry that matters, that is relevant, and that’s what motivates me. Plus, I love the world of ports – watching a ship come carrying important base products that you never see but you know is vital to modern life. It’s a ultimately customer satisfaction is what matters most – so I am looking forward to bringing my people and customer skills to the business. It is important to create an environment where people thrive, have interesting work, and that they identify with that. Happy people = happy customers = happy stakeholders! WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL YOU SEE IN CHANE? business that matters, and one that’s authentic. You can see it, touch it, and even smell it.
What experience do you bring that you think will be most useful for Chane right now?
When I join a company, I’m in it for the long-haul and focus on building sustainable, long term growth. At Shell and DCC Energy, I helped grow the European low carbon businesses, gaining valuable experience in scaling new energy solutions. That experience shapes my future-back approach, starting with where we want to be in 2030 and beyond, and then working back to determine how we get there.
I also already know the energy and chemicals sector really well. As I come into Chane, I am excited to build more on the strong relationships that I have with our customers. On the other hand, I have spent less time on the food and feed oils segment, so I’m super curious to learn about these industries. But to me, ultimately customer satisfaction is what matters most – so I am looking forward to bringing my people and customer skills to the business. It is important to create an environment where people thrive, have interesting work, and that they identify with that. Happy people = happy customers = happy stakeholders!
What is the potential you see in Chane?
I spoke with a lot of people involved with Chane before I took on the role. I had conversations with relevant stakeholders involved and I wanted to assess the potential here before I joined to make sure it was the right fit. What stood out to me is that Chane is currently among the top five in European tank storage – but there’s opportunity to make us number one.
Fundamentally, what’s true? We have a very strong staff – they know what they’re doing and take real pride and ownership in their work. Like me, they get excited about the ships coming into port with something important! At Chane, the business is deliberately well balanced across several areas. Our stored products span conventional energy, bio-based materials, food and feedstocks, and chemicals, creating a diversified portfolio. This is a pretty unique combination, and I like this balance in the product portfolio.
I see real potential in our 21 terminals – but 80% of these are in the Netherlands. We have a great presence in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but we also have opportunities to strengthen our footprint in other areas of the European network. We don’t have a presence in Antwerp – a huge port – nor in Germany, which is Europe’s biggest market. So, I’m exploring the opportunity in these markets which is really exciting.
I also see the potential to bring in my Swiss background and passion for precision. We have 21 terminals that all operate slightly differently – but fundamentally they all do the same thing. I want everyone to work ‘the Chane way’, by bringing together the knowledge and skills of all the colleagues at these different sites together so we can operate as one collaborative team that can better serve our customers. We need each team to have a clear way of working that then allows them to work well together with other teams across the site, and through to other sites too. I also want staff at the terminal to be clear about how the way they work fits in with the rest of the business.
How do you see Chane responding to the changing market?
A lot is changing in the energy markets, and I’m incredibly passionate about decarbonisation. It’s very evident that the world needs an energy transition, but this does need to be balanced with energy security and affordability. There was significant expectation around hydrogen as a solution, but progress has been slower than many anticipated.
I strongly believe in the role of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). There is a lot talked about in terms of the transition from jet to SAF, and other biofuels like HVO that we’re already storing. We’re also pursuing alternative fuel storage, like methanol and ammonia, but we will continue to offer fossil storage as part of a balanced energy system.
Equally there are changes in the chemical sector that we need to keep up with. It’s becoming more challenging for companies to continue operating in Europe, but this is not necessarily negative for the storage sector– chemicals are increasingly needing to be imported and stored as local production capacity reduces. It’s really important to just stay on top of the way our supply chains are changing in an increasingly dynamic environment – and I think Chane is very well set up for that.
Technology-wise, one major opportunity is in automation and making the business more digital. To be clear, I’m not talking about a terminal without any people – but the opportunity is there to improve the customer experience, make it more seamless, and provide visibility into things like our supply chains and terminal performance. For me, customer service is central to our journey and a key theme. That should be the aim for us – to make the business operationally the best it can be.
What are Chane’s priorities moving forward?
The number one focus is safety. There is risk in our business by nature – the products we store are hazardous, explosive and corrosive. The goal for every day is to make sure everyone goes home unharmed and that we have kept the environment protected. We don’t even name safety as a priority – that puts it in competition with other priorities and that’s how you get conflicts. For Chane, safety is a state of being – the default. Understanding our risks and the day-to-day work of our people has been the key focus.
Number two is our customers. We work with 120 companies ranging from multi-national blue-chip companies to smaller outfits. Every single one really matters to us, and I want Chane to be the best in the business at customer satisfaction. There’s an additional dimension here with strategic customer partnerships. It’s that long-term thinking, looking at the wider customer strategy and helping them implement that through our services. That approach really requires everyone to work well together – from the external stakeholders to every internal team.
Working together is Chane’s biggest opportunity. I came in and really felt like this is a family. But collaboration across the different teams can be strengthened, so that is a priority too. I value precision – that is what keeps everyone safe and helps us deliver the highest customer satisfaction.
Finally, I want to make Chane one of the clear leaders in European tank storage. People always emphasise size in this business – but I don’t think that’s what’s important. I want to be the best operator, going back to safety, people and working together to satisfy customers. I dream of redefining the standards, not only here at Chane, but how the industry as a whole operates and performs for customers. My Swiss precision plays a factor here. That being said, I do also want to double our storage capacity from 5 million m³ to 10 million m³ by 2030. It’s good to have a goal!
