"The strong tail winds that benefited the supply chain industries during the pandemic are coming to an end," said chair of the board Robert Uggla in a statement.

"With an increasingly challenging outlook, the board believes Vincent holds the right experience and capabilities as CEO to pursue and oversee Maersk's strategic and organizational development in the years to come," he added.

Company veteran Clerc currently heads the company's Ocean & Logistics business.

Skou, who has been in the job since 2016, oversaw the group's transformation from a conglomerate into an integrated logistics company.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik)