Liverpool: The “biggest issue” facing the industry at the moment is attracting the right talent to a career in shipping, argues the head of a leading shipmanagement firm in today’s Maritime CEO interview.
Chris Stone is the new coo of Britain’s Bibby Ship Management, with all the credentials for top management. Before Bibby he was with Inchcape for 14 years.
Stone tells Maritime CEO: “We all have a duty to ensure that the shipping industry is sufficiently attractive to offer young people looking for the right challenge a long term career.”
Statistics from shipowners association Bimco suggest the seafarer shortage could be in the region of 37,000 by 2020.
Bibby is positioning itself to have a strong focus on the offshore market, Stone says.
Shipowners, Stone says, are seeking partnership, quality and cost control from shipmanagers. “They also want to ensure that their ships are in a strong managed position to benefit from any potential upturn in the market,” he adds. [24/09/13]
