Dr Helmut Sohmen, OBE, JP (1939-2025)
27 October 2025, SINGAPORE – BW Group and the Sohmen family announce with deep sadness the passing of Dr Helmut Sohmen, distinguished businessman, lawyer, and long-time chairman of World-Wide Shipping Group and later BW Group, on 26 October 2025 in Hong Kong.
Born in Austria in 1939, Dr Sohmen studied law at the University of Vienna, Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University, and as a Fulbright Scholar at Wesleyan University.
Dr Sohmen joined the family shipping enterprise in the early 1970s and became Chairman of World-Wide Shipping in 1986, steering the group through challenging global markets with prudence and foresight. He was a board member of HSBC Holdings, President of BIMCO, Chairman of ITOPF, and Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowner’s Association amongst others. He later oversaw the formation of BW Group, one of the world’s foremost energy transportation companies. He served as chairman for 28 years until 2014.
Beyond business, Dr Sohmen contributed significantly to public life in Hong Kong, serving as a Member of the Legislative Council, Chairman of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and in multiple other civic roles. As a major supporter of education, he established multiple scholarship programmes to support student exchange as a means to bridge cultures, and endowed chairs at leading Hong Kong universities.
Dr Sohmen was an avid hiker, and loved nature. He is survived by his wife Anna Pao Sohmen, his children Michèle Marshall, Andreas Sohmen-Pao, and Philip Pao Sohmen and their spouses James, Doris and Candace, and nine grandchildren.
Memorial service for Dr Helmut Sohmen
A memorial service to celebrate the life of Dr Helmut Sohmen will be held at 5.00pm on Wednesday 10 December 2025 at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong).
To RSVP, please click here.
In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting one of these organisations in memory of Dr Helmut Sohmen:
- Austrian Mountain Rescue – https://bergrettung.at/helmutsohmen/
- The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts – https://forms.gle/U1HurqPW86PCmcYu6
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – https://w5.ab.ust.hk/jsdm/donation_form?eventId=DONINMEMHELMUTSOHMEN
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About BW Group
BW Group is a leading global maritime company involved in shipping, floating infrastructure, deepwater oil & gas production, and new sustainable technologies. Founded in 1955 by Sir YK Pao, BW controls a fleet of over 450 vessels transporting oil, gas and dry commodities, with its 200 LNG and LPG ships constituting the largest gas fleet in the world. In the renewables space, the group has investments in solar, wind, batteries, and water treatment.
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