Young Brothers names Steen Christensen president to stabilize island freight

Young Brothers, the interisland freight company that moves goods between Hawai‘i’s islands, announced on January 13, 2026 that Steen Christensen has been named president, effective immediately. The board selected Christensen to lead the company through a period the firm described as one requiring operational focus, financial sustainability and continued reliability for island communities.

Christensen brings nearly 40 years of logistics experience to the role. His background includes founding Koldstone Logistics & Consulting and senior executive positions with Scan Global Logistics, SEKO Logistics, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, GEODIS and Deutsche Post DHL. He succeeds Interim President Frank Almaraz, who joined Young Brothers in July 2025 and will remain involved as an adviser during the transition.

Young Brothers framed the leadership change around the company’s central role in Hawai‘i’s island supply chain. For Kauai County, that role is practical and immediate: wholesalers, grocery stores, farms and construction projects all rely on regular barge and freight schedules to keep shelves stocked, food moving and infrastructure work on track. Company leaders emphasized priorities including shoring up finances, maintaining reliable island service and listening to employees, customers and communities as Christensen assumes command.

For local markets, a leadership change at Young Brothers matters because management decisions affect service frequency, turnaround times at harbors and the costs of transporting goods between islands. Christensen’s résumé in operational and transformational leadership suggests the company may pursue efficiency measures or service optimizations intended to balance cost controls with reliability. Those moves could influence shipping costs for Kauai businesses and, by extension, prices paid by residents for staples and building materials.

The transition follows a period of heightened public attention on interisland supply chains across Hawai‘i, as islands contend with rising costs, labor constraints and the need for resilient logistics. While Young Brothers did not announce specific policy or rate changes with Christensen’s appointment, the company’s stated priorities signal an intention to align operational practices with longer-term financial sustainability.

As the new president settles in, customers and community leaders on Kauai will be watching for concrete steps: adjustments to sailing schedules, investments in terminal operations, communication changes and how the company engages with local stakeholders. With Almaraz remaining as an adviser, the immediate handover is framed as orderly, but the pace and direction of any operational changes will determine how quickly residents and businesses feel the impact.

The appointment brings experienced logistics leadership to a company central to Kauai’s daily commerce. What comes next is a period of execution and oversight—residents and local businesses will want clear updates on service continuity and any shifts that could affect availability or costs of essential goods.