North Star Bolsters C-Suite as Business Scales Up for International Growth

16 April 2026

North Star’s executive team line-up includes CCO Michael Gordon, CHRO Duncan Palmer, CLCO Joanna Lang, and CTO Kenneth Coughlan. (Image credit: North Star)

North Star has strengthened its executive team in two strategic areas, reinforcing its status as a leading service operations vessel (SOV) owner-operator in Europe, and driving the expansion of its client base, talent pipeline, and offshore wind operations.

Duncan Palmer has joined the company as the first Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Joanna Lang has been promoted to Chief Legal & Compliance Officer (CLCO).

Kenneth Coughlan has also been appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO), succeeding James Bradford following his retirement and taking on the mantle of guiding North Star’s drive towards a lower-emissions fleet by 2045, reinforcing the company’s forefront role in maritime innovation.

Headquartered in Aberdeen with bases in Lowestoft, Newcastle, and Hamburg, North Star employs around 1,500 seafarers and onshore personnel and is the UK’s largest employer of offshore cadets. The company has a renewables fleet of 10 SOVs in operation or in build, plus 37 emergency response and rescue vessels, which provide 24/7 safety-critical support to approximately 50 North Sea installations.

As CHRO, Duncan will spearhead North Star’s people strategy, shaping a high-performing, scalable organization to support the company’s growing offshore wind and maritime operations. He brings 24 years of experience in talent strategy across complex, global industries, including senior roles at Sodexo, Prosafe, and Petrofac. He is a graduate of Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.

In her expanded role as CLCO, Joanna will oversee all legal and compliance matters across the business. Her remit spans shipbuilding contracts, vessel chartering, supply agreements, ESG reporting, compliance frameworks, and corporate governance, while also providing support for strategic projects, financing activities, and international expansion. With a 25-year legal and commercial career, including senior positions at Rovco, Rovop, and Subsea7, she brings deep sector expertise and plays a central role in enabling North Star’s growth with robust governance and risk management.

As CTO, Kenneth will lead North Star’s technology and innovation strategy, focusing on fleet decarbonization, newbuild programs, and alternative fuel adoption. Having started out on offshore on crew transfer vessels and progressing into SOV design and operations, he combines hands-on operational insight with technical leadership. A trained naval architect, Kenneth brings over a decade of experience in maritime and offshore wind, most recently as Global Head of Maritime Technical Projects at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, where he led SOV newbuild and advanced low-carbon initiatives, and was also a former North Star client.

Gitte Gard Talmo, Chief Executive Officer at North Star, said: “These appointments bring exceptional expertise and proven leadership to the business, strengthening innovation, decarbonization, and governance across our fleet, and reinforcing our position as a trusted SOV partner across Europe.”