Taiwanese container carrier TS Lines is set for a generational leadership transition, with founder and chairman Chen Te-sheng stepping down and handing control of the company to his son, Chen Shao-hsiang.

The 74-year-old founder will retire on June 1 as part of a long-planned succession process, while remaining involved in a senior advisory capacity.

Chen Te-sheng founded TS Lines in 2001 after leaving Taiwanese carrier Wan Hai Lines, where he had spent nearly two decades in senior management roles. Under his leadership, TS Lines evolved from a small intra-Asia operator using chartered feeder tonnage into one of the world’s top 20 liner companies.

The company expanded aggressively during the covid-era shipping boom, growing its owned fleet, ordering newbuildings and broadening its geographic reach beyond Asia into markets including the Middle East, South America and transpacific trades.

TS Lines listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in late 2024, raising around $128m through its IPO.