Hans Rook is working in the transport and logistics sea trade sector for more than 50
years. He started his career at a shipping agency and having gaining experience in
all facets of import and export services, he was appointed to set up the ICT function
in the company. He is also one of the gurus on EDI standardization – he joined UN
working groups to establish UN/CEFACT EDIFACT messages for the global sea
trade industry. Having been general manager ICT within the shipping agency, Hans
was asked to join the Rotterdam group of experts for the set-up of the Port
Community System in the Port of Rotterdam. His knowledge and expertise of
community systems, IT and port logistics, built up over a 50-year career, is unrivalled.
He is quite simply one of the visionaries in the development of new services to
support the simplification of trade. Hans, retired from Portbase Rotterdam as per 01-
01-2019 where he was senior adviser at Portbase, the Port Community System in
The Netherlands.
From January 2017 he is Chairman of the International Port Community Association
– IPCSA. Global trade facilitation is at the forefront of everything we do. IPCSA is
respected at intergovernmental level, including at the UN and the IMO, and many
decision makers receive and value our expertise.