Meyer Werft, the century-old German shipbuilder, has undergone another management reshuffle. The company recently announced the appointment of Jörg Heidelberg as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), who will help steer the company into its next phase of development.
Jörg Heidelberg’s appointment is the latest in a major management reshuffle at Meyer Werft. Previously, Meyer Werft had announced two other significant personnel appointments: Melanie Freytag will become Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in November 2025; and André Walter will officially assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on July 1, 2026.
It is understood that Jörg Heidelberg has over twenty years of experience at Meyer Werft and has deep ties to the shipyard.
In 1985, at the age of 10, Jörg Heidelberg witnessed the launch of Meyer Werft’s first cruise ship, the “Homeric”. In 1995, after a year-long internship at Meyer Werft, Jörg Heidelberg decided to accept Meyer Werft’s apprenticeship training. In 1997, Jörg Heidelberg officially joined Meyer Werft as an industrial mechanic apprentice. During his apprenticeship, he independently undertook multiple projects, demonstrating leadership potential and a proactive work attitude.
After completing his apprenticeship, Jörg Heidelberg chose to pursue further education at university while continuing his employment at Meyer Werft, becoming the shipyard’s first “working student.” Following graduation, he held various positions within Meyer Werft’s technical and production departments. Leveraging the extensive experience gained across these roles, he successfully ascended to the position of COO.
With the COO appointed, Meyer Werft has assembled a new leadership team led by Chief Operating Officer Jörg Heidelberg, Chief Financial Officer Melanie Freytag, and incoming CEO André Walter.
Mayer Werft stated that under new management, it will continue to focus on the cruise market, developing cruise products that combine cutting-edge technology, luxurious experiences, and environmental sustainability to meet the market’s growing demand for travel.
Mayer Werft, renowned for building luxury cruise ships, is a century-old shipyard with a long and distinguished history. In recent years, however, Mayer Werft has faced difficulties, even teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Lacking sufficient funds to cover upfront shipbuilding costs, the shipyard found itself in a predicament of having orders but no money to build them. It was only through the intervention of the German federal government and the government of Lower Saxony, where the shipyard is located, that the company was able to escape this predicament.
Currently, Mayer Werft has transitioned from a private to a state-owned enterprise. The German federal government and the Lower Saxony state government jointly invested €400 million to acquire 80.8% of Mayer Werft’s shares. The Mayer family, the original owners of the shipyard, has reduced their stake to approximately 20% and has the right to repurchase shares by 2028. This move aims to help Mayer Werft avoid bankruptcy.
Besides the management changes, Mayer Werft has also been a focus of attention in the newbuilding market recently. On December 15, 2025, MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of MSC Lines, signed a letter of intent with Mayer Werft to build 4+2 New Frontier-class cruise ships. This order is worth at least €10 billion, and the two parties will finalize the signing of the formal order within the next six months.
The New Frontier class is a completely new ship type for MSC Cruises, with each ship having a gross tonnage of approximately 180,000 and a maximum passenger capacity of 5,400. The six orders placed by Meyer Werft represent the first new ships of this class, with deliveries expected to begin at 2030 and continue at least until 2035.
Meyer Werft stated that its shipbuilding partnership with Mediterranean Cruises marks a significant milestone in the shipyard’s 230-year history, ensuring sustained full capacity utilization over the next decade. Currently, Meyer Werft holds confirmed orders for multiple cruise ships, including two LNG dual-fuel vessels for Carnival Corporation; one Disney Wish-class cruise ship for Japan’s Oriental Land Company; and four cruise ships for Disney Cruise Line.