In his first new year’s message as president of InterManager, the association for third party shipmanagers, Bjørn Jebsen admitted this year had been very testing, but prospects for next year were a little rosier.
“There is no shying away from the fact that 2016 has been a difficult year for our industry. The frighteningly low freight markets domino effect on the whole industry has tested even the most seasoned of maritime professionals,” Jebsen admitted. He became president of the association a couple of months ago.
Jebsen is CEO of Jebsens, one of the oldest family-run shipping companies, with over 220 onshore personnel and over 8,000 seafarers in its pool.
“As owners began to tighten their belts,” Jebsen recounted of the past year, “managers were being squeezed even tighter they had to make decisions based purely on cash flows rather than investment potential. The overall effect being on the quality of service managers can offer not only owners but also seafarers.”
Concluding, the Scandinavian said: “InterManager is encouraging investment in the next generation of seafarers, who will play a vital role in restarting the growth of our industry.”
