Polar Latitudes Expeditions Names Filip Werne Hermann CEO
Founder and board member John McKeon said Hermann’s vision for Polar Latitudes’ future gave the board confidence in the appointment.
Filip Werne Hermann has been named chief executive officer of Polar Latitudes Expeditions, effective August 1, 2026. He succeeds former CEO Patrick Shaw, who died suddenly earlier this year.
The appointment puts a ferry, freight shipping and consulting executive into the top role at Polar Latitudes.
“I want to express my extreme joy at having Filip join us as our new CEO,” said John McKeon, board member and founder of Polar Latitudes Expeditions. McKeon said Hermann’s “vision for our future” gave the board confidence in his appointment.
Hermann most recently served as vice president of DFDS and led its passenger and freight business in Northern Europe. DFDS describes its Northern European ferry network as 25 routes served by 50 freight and passenger ships across the North Sea, Baltic Sea and English Channel.
Before DFDS, Hermann spent nearly six years with Boston Consulting Group in Copenhagen, where he became a principal in 2017. His work there included commercial due diligence, post-merger integrations and strategic transformation projects. He also holds an MBA from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in law from the University of Copenhagen.
Polar travel specialists founded Polar Latitudes in 2010. The company brought combined Polar Latitudes and Albatros operations under the Polar Latitudes Expeditions name in 2025, with the merged operation listing Ocean Albatros, Ocean Victory, MS Seaventure and Ocean Nova for the 2025-26 season.
“Joining an industry leading company like Polar Latitudes Expeditions with so many passionate colleagues is really a dream come true,” Hermann said. “The company has grown significantly over the last couple of years, but the ambitions don’t stop here.”
“I can’t wait to continue the journey and meet everybody on the team,” he said.
