MAERSK chief financial officer Peter Ronnest Andersen has resigned and will be replaced by newcomer Jakob Stausholm, chief strategy and transformation officer since January 2012.

Mr Andersen joined the carrier as an economic graduate in 1992, spear-heading its global SAP-based financial project. He leaves on June 19 to "look for new challenges outside of the group", he said in a company statement.

Some 250 others are also leaving the Copenhagen headquarters after the carrier's first quarter loss of nearly US$300 million. A total of 400 positions will be lost across central offices in London, Singapore, Mumbai, Pune and Manila.