Karsten Schönewald

Karsten Schönewald is Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Hamburg Port Authority 
(HPA), responsible for the security and resilience of critical port infrastructure in 
one of Europe’s largest and most important logistics hubs. In this role, he focuses 
on safeguarding port operations while supporting the transformation of the Port of 
Hamburg towards a sustainable, digital, and future-ready port ecosystem.

In addition, he serves as CEO of Flotte Hamburg, a subsidiary of HPA and the 
operator of the City of Hamburg’s public vessel fleet. Since the company’s 
establishment in 2017, he has been driving the modernization of the fleet with a 
particular emphasis on environmentally friendly operations and innovative 
propulsion technologies.

Karsten Schönewald joined HPA in 2009 and has held various leadership positions, 
including Head of Railway Technology, where he was responsible for the 
maintenance and modernization of the Hamburg Port Railway infrastructure. He 
also led the project that developed the concept for a centralized ship management 
organization for the City of Hamburg.
Karsten Schönewald is a graduate civil engineer and international welding 
engineer