Σταύρος Κασιδιάρης | 42 χρόνια εμπειρίας στη ναυτιλία

Σταύρος Κασιδιάρης

42 χρόνια εμπειρίας στη ναυτιλία

O κ. Σταύρος Κασιδιάρης, είναι Πρόεδρος της C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε.

Η ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. από το 1978 παρέχει υψηλής ποιότητας Προϊόντα και Υπηρεσίες για έργα Αυτοματισμού και Ηλεκτρολογικών Εγκαταστάσεων σε Ναυτιλία & Βιομηχανία, μένοντας πάντα προσηλωμένη στις απαιτήσεις των πελατών της. Στις βασικές της δραστηριότητες συγκαταλέγονται οι εμπορικές και κατασκευαστικές υπηρεσίες, η ανάληψη της εγκατάστασης, επισκευής και συντήρησης οποιουδήποτε συστήματος Αυτοματισμού. Την ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. στελεχώνουν τρία ανεξάρτητα τμήματα: Εμπορικό, Τεχνικό και Υπηρεσιών, αποτελούμενα από 60 ικανά στελέχη με εμπειρία στη Διοίκηση, την Ανάπτυξη, την Κατασκευή και το Service Συστημάτων Αυτοματισμού. Η Σταύρος Κασιδιάρης Α.Ε. έχει πιστοποιηθεί κατά ISO 9001:2008 από τον οργανισμό Bureau Veritas και όλα τα προϊόντα της φέρνουν τη σήμανση CE, όπως απαιτούν σχετικοί κανονισμοί.

Ηεπαγγελματική πορεία του κ. Σταύρου Κασιδιάρη ξεκινά στους κόλπους της ΔΕΗ, όπου εξειδικεύεται στην παραγωγή και διαχείριση ρεύματος και αυτοματισμών. Το 1978 παραιτείται και ιδρύει την πρώτη του εταιρία μαζί με τον φίλο και συνεργάτη του, Θεόδωρο Μαντάνοβιτς. Η «Θ.ΜΑΝΤΑΝΟΒΙΤΣ – Σ. ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ & ΣΙΑ» είχε ως αντικείμενο την επισκευή ηλεκτρομηχανολογικών εγκαταστάσεων σε πλοία. Το 1992, έχοντας πια αρκετή εμπειρία στο αντικείμενο, συστήνει την C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ & ΣΙΑ ΕΠΕ, εταιρία που εκτός από την παροχή υπηρεσιών στον ναυτιλιακό αυτοματισμό, συνεργάζεται για πρώτη φορά με μεγάλους οίκους του εξωτερικού, διανέμοντας τα προϊόντα τους στην Ελλάδα και στην Κύπρο. Το 2002 ξεκινά η ανέγερση ιδιόκτητου 5όροφου κτιρίου στον Πειραιά, όπου εκεί μεταφέρονται τα γραφεία και οι αποθήκες της εταιρίας. Το 2006 η επιχείρηση μετατρέπεται σε Α.Ε. και το 2009 ιδρύεται η θυγατρική εταιρία παραγωγής Ηλεκτρονικού/Ναυτιλιακού εξοπλισμού, SELECTRON A.Ε. με εξειδίκευση στα μετρητικά συστήματα. Το 2010 εντάσσεται στον όμιλο C&A και η εταιρία αντιπροσωπείας και εμπορίας Ηλεκτρομηχανολογικού εξοπλισμού, ΜΑΝΤΑΝΚΟ Α.Ε. Το 2014 εξαγοράζει τη μονάδα παραγωγής transmitters του ιταλικού οίκου SAMI SRL, μεταφέροντας όλο τον αναγκαίο εξοπλισμό σε ιδιόκτητο εργοστάσιο στον Πειραιά. Σήμερα, η ομάδα της C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. ασχολείται ενεργά με τη σχεδίαση, κατασκευή, εγκατάσταση και συντήρηση ολοκληρωμένων συστημάτων για την αυτόματη λειτουργία και παρακολούθηση των μηχανών των πλοίων, των δεξαμενών, των ηλεκτρομηχανών, των αντλιών και λεβήτων. Η εταιρία παρέχει συστήματα ασφάλειας και προστασίας, όπως πυρανίχνευση χώρων, όργανα μέτρησης επικινδύνων αερίων και συστήματα ελέγχου θαλάσσιου περιβάλλοντος. Επίσης, ο όμιλος C&A διαθέτει εργοληπτικό πτυχίο και αναλαμβάνει δημόσια ηλεκτρομηχανολογικά έργα, ενώ αντιπροσωπεύει περισσότερους από 50 οίκους του εξωτερικού, τα προϊόντα των οποίων διατίθενται κατ’ αποκλειστικότητα στη ναυτιλία και στη βιομηχανία από τα καταστήματα και το e-shop της.

ΝΑΥΣ: Δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά που η C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. επιλέγεται από μεγάλες ναυτιλιακές εταιρίες προκειμένου να συμβάλει στην ολοκλήρωση κατασκευής πολυτελών και πρωτοποριακών ναυπηγικών κατασκευών. Αλήθεια, ποιά είναι η συνταγή που σας έχει καθιερώσει και παγιώσει στην κορυφή;

Σ.Κ: Το πρόσφατο παράδειγμα του σχεδιασμού, της κατασκευής και της εγκατάστασης του Κύριου και Εφεδρικού Ηλεκτρολογικού Πίνακα σε νέο Mega Yacht - κόσμημα γνωστής εταιρίας από την C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. κάνει την εταιρία μας πολύ υπερήφανη. Για τέτοιου είδους έργα δεν χρειάζεται καμία ιδιαίτερη συνταγή παρά υψηλή τεχνογνωσία, συνεργασίες με αξιόπιστους οίκους παραγωγής υλικών όπως η HYUNDAI ELECTRIC, η SIEMENS, η SELCO και η RITTAL, συγκέντρωση, άμεση διεκπεραίωση των απαιτήσεων και 42 χρόνια εμπειρίας στη ναυπηγοεπισκευή.

ΝΑΥΣ: Είναι αλήθεια ότι η C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. έχει σημειώσει σημαντική και ταχεία ανάπτυξη τα τελευταία χρόνια. Πόσο σημαντικό και κρίσιμο είναι να έχετε την υποδομή και τα κατάλληλα άτομα με τη σωστή εμπειρία για να διασφαλίσετε ότι συνεχίζετε σε αυτήν την πορεία και εκπληρώνετε τους φιλόδοξους στόχους σας;

Σ.Κ: Κάθε επαγγελματικό βήμα, κάθε κρίσιμη απόφαση στην ναυτιλιακή αρένα, καθορίζεται από πολλά στοιχεία μιας ομάδας ανθρώπων εργατικών, τολμηρών και υπεύθυνων στις υποχρεώσεις τους. Αυτά τα χαρακτηριστικά αποτελούν τα θεμέλια της εταιρίας μας, τα οποία κερδίζουν την εμπιστοσύνη των συνεργατών μας και αναπτύσσουν την επιχείρηση. Η επιλογή υψηλά καταρτισμένων επαγγελματιών στον τομέα τους, η διαρκής εκπαίδευση τους και η συνεχής αναβάθμιση της τεχνογνωσίας ειδικότερα των μηχανικών μας αποτελούν τον θεμέλιο λίθο της C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. Κάθε φιλόδοξο μέλλον δεν μπορεί παρά να βασίζεται στην αδιαμφισβήτητη πανεπιστημιακή γνώση και εμπειρία όλου του προσωπικού που ολοένα και εμπλουτίζεται. Οι εγκαταστάσεις της εταιρίας διαθέτουν στο προσωπικό τις κατάλληλες υποδομές με σύγχρονα μηχανήματα και εξοπλισμό, εξασφαλίζοντας παράλληλα ένα ασφαλές και ευχάριστο περιβάλλον εργασίας ως ανταμοιβή για τις σημαντικές υπηρεσίες τους.

ΝΑΥΣ: Η εταιρία σας ήταν από τις πρώτες που έλαβε μέτρα κατά της πανδημίας στον εργασιακό χώρο δείχνοντας με τον τρόπο αυτό πόσο πολύ υπολογίζει τον ανθρώπινο παράγοντα. Τι σημαίνει για εσάς το εργασιακό και στελεχιακό δυναμικό σας και με ποιους τρόπους στηρίζετε τους ανθρώπους σας;

Σ.Κ: Η αλήθεια είναι ότι σε αυτούς τους δύσκολους καιρούς που διανύουμε με την πρωτοφανή εξάπλωση του κορονοϊού, κληθήκαμε να λάβουμε μέτρα για την προστασία της υγείας των εργαζομένων και κατ’ επέκταση των πελατών και των συνεργατών μας έγκαιρα. Η τηλε-εργασία, η διακοπή των προσωπικών επαφών με πελάτες και συνεργάτες τόσο σε επίπεδο επαγγελματικών συναντήσεων στα γραφεία μας όσο και σε επίπεδο επισκέψεων στο κατάστημα μας, η προώθηση παραγγελιών μέσω e-shop, τηλεφώνου και email, καθώς και η ενθάρρυνση για πληρωμές μέσω web banking ήταν μερικά από τα προληπτικά μέτρα που λάβαμε ήδη από το πρώτο κύμα της πανδημίας τον περασμένο Μάρτιο. Τώρα, με την πιθανότητα ενός ακόμη lockdown προ των πυλών, επαναφέρουμε και πάλι ενεργά τα ανωτέρω μέτρα μαζί με την υποχρεωτική χρήση της μάσκας. Αξίζει να αναφέρω εδώ ότι η εταιρία μας παρείχε δωρεάν το τεστ για την ανίχνευση του κορονοϊού σε όλο το προσωπικό μετά την επιστροφή από τις καλοκαιρινές άδειες και συνεχίζει να το παρέχει μετά την επιστροφή των τεχνικών από αποστολές στο εξωτερικό, εξασφαλίζοντας σε όλους ένα υγιές περιβάλλον εργασίας.

Για εμάς στην C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. πρωταρχικό ρόλο στην εξέλιξη της εταιρίας παίζει η καλή ψυχική υγεία και ευημερία των εργαζομένων. Για τον λόγο αυτό φροντίζουμε το περιβάλλον στο οποίο κινούμαστε όλοι να είναι ευχάριστο, φιλικό και αξιοκρατικό. Επιδιώκουμε την ατομική εξέλιξη του προσωπικού μας και ενθαρρύνουμε την ατομική πρωτοβουλία. Παρέχουμε σεμινάρια wellness, τεχνικά workshop και εκπαιδευτικά προγράμματα ασφαλούς εργασίας με πιστοποιήσεις κ.ά. Οι εργαζόμενοι στο τεχνικό τμήμα, που αποτελούν πυλώνα της ανάπτυξής μας, έχουν την πλήρη υποστήριξη της εταιρίας τόσο από πλευράς συνεχούς κατάρτισης μέσω εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων όσο και από πλευράς έξτρα ιδιωτικής ασφάλισης υγείας, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της ασθένειας από Covid-19, από μεγάλο διεθνή ασφαλιστικό οργανισμό. Να σημειώσω επίσης, ότι πρόσφατα προμηθευτήκαμε και εγκαταστήσαμε στο χώρο εργασίας απινιδωτή μαζί με σύστημα παροχής ιατρικού οξυγόνου. Επίσης, σε μια μικρογραφία της καθημερινότητας μας στο γραφείο θα δείτε το ιδιόκτητο κυλικείο μας, το οποίο ετοιμάζει δωρεάν γεύματα και ροφήματα για όλους καθόλη τη διάρκεια της λειτουργίας της εταιρίας.

ΝΑΥΣ: Δεν είναι λίγοι αυτοί που αναμένουν ότι η ζήτηση ναυτιλιακού εξοπλισμού θα κορυφωθεί κατά το πρώτο εξάμηνο του 2021. Aν επιβεβαιωθούν αυτές οι εκτιμήσεις με ποιο τρόπο η C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. διατηρεί τις γραμμές επικοινωνίας ανοιχτές με τη ναυτιλιακή κοινότητα ούτως ώστε να είναι ετοιμοπόλεμη να αξιοποιήσει κάθε ευκαιρία που θα της παρουσιαστεί;

Σ.Κ: Σε κάθε διαχείριση κρίσης, όπως αυτή που επέφερε η πανδημία, πρωταρχικό ρόλο παίζει η οργάνωση και η ετοιμότητα να ανταποκριθείς στα νέα δεδομένα. Στη ναυτιλία για να αξιοποιήσεις κάθε ευκαιρία που παρουσιάζεται πρέπει να έχεις τη φαρέτρα σου γεμάτη, να εφαρμόζεις μια πολύπλευρη πολιτική. Η στοχευμένη επικοινωνία του εταιρικού προφίλ της C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε. ως υπενθύμιση της 42χρονης εμπειρίας της στον ναυτιλιακό χώρο, η προώθηση υπηρεσιών και προϊόντων στα διαδικτυακά κανάλια, η πληρότητα και η οργάνωση αποθήκης, η καλοκουρδισμένη τεχνική ομάδα και φυσικά ο συντονισμός και η άμεση εξυπηρέτηση του τμήματος πωλήσεων είναι τα όπλα

που πάντα και κυρίως τώρα χρησιμοποιούμε.

ΝΑΥΣ: Αν θέλαμε να δώσουμε μια περιγραφή στον όρο “έξυπνο και ασφαλές πλοίο” ποια θα ήταν αυτή;

Σ.Κ: Ως «έξυπνο και ασφαλές πλοίο» θα μπορούσε να οριστεί το καινοτόμο πλοίο που έχει σχεδιαστεί και κατασκευαστεί με βάση τις νέες τεχνολογίες, οι οποίες διαμορφώνουν τον σχεδιασμό των συστημάτων του και τη συνολική λειτουργία του. Χαρακτηριστικό ενός τέτοιου πλοίου είναι και η αυτονομία. Η σωστή εκμετάλλευση των νέων τεχνολογιών μπορεί να φέρει στο πλοίο βελτιστοποιήσεις στις διαδρομές, εξοικονόμηση χρόνου, ελάχιστη δυνατή κατανάλωση καυσίμου, επίβλεψη την απόδοση των βασικών υποδομών του πλοίου, αυτόματη επεξεργασία και ανάλυση δεδομένων σχετικά π.χ. με τον καιρό ή τα εμπόδια στο ταξίδι, έγκαιρη αναγνώριση σφαλμάτων στα συστήματα παρακολούθησης μηχανών και μηχανημάτων, αλλά και οδηγίες αποκατάστασης. Επιπροσθέτως, όλες οι ανωτέρω πληροφορίες μπορούν να μεταδίδονται σε πραγματικό χρόνο στο γραφείο ή σε προκαθορισμένα άτομα. Έτσι, μετά την λήψη δεδομένων και τη σωστή αξιοποίηση τους, που επιτυγχάνεται στην εποχή του Industry 4.0, μπορεί να επιτευχθεί εξοικονόμηση καυσίμου καθώς και προληπτική συντήρηση, η οποία σε πολλές περιπτώσεις μπορεί να αποδειχθεί σημαντική. Μακροπρόθεσμα η δημιουργία ενός περιβάλλοντος «έξυπνου πλοίου», όπως η μείωση του κόστους συντήρησης και η αποδοτικότερη λειτουργία συστημάτων προσφέρει πολλαπλά οφέλη, οδηγώντας τη ναυτιλία να κινείται υποχρεωτικά προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση. Παράλληλα, το «έξυπνο πλοίο» διαθέτει αναβαθμισμένα συστήματα ασφάλειας που διαρκώς ανανεώνονται και εμπλουτίζονται με νέους κανονισμούς, αποσκοπώντας στην εύρυθμη λειτουργία του και επιτυγχάνοντας την παρουσία ενός ασφαλούς περιβάλλοντος τόσο για το ίδιο το πλοίο όσο και για το προσωπικό και το φορτίο.

ΝΑΥΣ: Ως ηγέτης στον τομέα του Αυτοματισμού και Ηλεκτρολογικών Εγκαταστάσεων σε Ναυτιλία & Βιομηχανία πιστεύετε ότι η αμφισβήτηση στις παραδοσιακές προσεγγίσεις και η ανάπτυξη προηγμένων και ριζοσπαστικών υπηρεσιών προς όφελος των πελατών σας είναι μονόδρομος;

Σ.Κ: Η απόλυτη πίστη στα παραδοσιακά μέσα ή η απόλυτη πίστη στην ανάπτυξη προηγμένων υπηρεσιών δεν ταιριάζει στη φιλοσοφία της C&A ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ ΚΑΣΙΔΙΑΡΗΣ Α.Ε.. Αυτό όμως που είναι συνυφασμένο μαζί της είναι η προτεραιότητα στις ανάγκες του πελάτη και η πλήρης ικανοποίηση του αποτελεσματικά και άμεσα. Είμαστε υπέρμαχοι της εξέλιξης, της υιοθέτησης νέων πρακτικών και της εφαρμογής νέων ιδεών, ωστόσο πιστεύω ότι και οι παραδοσιακές προσεγγίσεις, αυτές που συνεχίζουν να αποδίδουν τα μέγιστα με την πάροδο του χρόνου, δεν πρέπει να παραλείπονται από το στρατηγικό πλάνο μιας εταιρίας σαν τη δική μας.

Panos Kirnidis Palau is a truly SMART digital registry

New technologies, a digital registry, e-certificates, COVID-19 Pandemic, the effects on the global economy, projections about the future of the Shipping Industry, the numerous regulations and their effect in the industry, women in Shipping, aims and goals for the furure, are just some of the topics we discuss in the following interview with Mr. Panos Kirnidis, HCG, BEng, MSc, CEO Palau International Ship Registry, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Palau to Greece.

NAFS: Few months ago in an interview given from you Mr. Kirnidis to NAFS magazine, there was an answer to our question explaining why would a ship owner register his vessel under the Palau flag rather than with one of its competitors. You mentioned that SMART.Registry was the key. Could you please analyse the investment in becoming a SMART registry and how does the shipowners really benefit from your smartness?

P.K.: We are continuing to invest in developing new technologies to support our ship owners because being a SMART registry is no longer just a choice – it is the only future and the effects of the global pandemic have illustrated this. Shipowners have already seen the benefits, especially from the speedy delivery of our e-certificates, which means faster response times and no courier costs; online applications for ship, yacht and seafarer documentation and an online library with certificate verification and expiration notices, including the updating of marine notifications. These are the benefits we offer because we are a truly SMART digital registry. But this has taken time and a great deal of planning to get to this stage: we have had to come from a standing start and grow as we continued to offer our services to ship owners. It has been a challenge to stand against the traditional registries but we have shown that we can do it. We have invested in a dedicated business intelligence department that includes our own software engineers and developers. They have created unique software applications that drive our workflow management processes and these give our shipowners an edge. Our e-certificates cover all our services and processes for both ships and seafarers; we have automatic monitoring of these certificates that enable us to advise shipowners of expiry dates and renewals well in advance. These are unique processes that tell our fleet when they have 90, 60 or just 15 days left before expiration of their certificates, as well as advising them on deficiencies with a similar process. The onset of the global pandemic showed the industry that digital operations, particularly in relation to ship visits, surveys and examinations, needed to be handled remotely. We have created our e-survey checklist for these inspections and this enables a global reach through this electronic platform. Our interactive website has become the focal point for shipowners looking for online tariffs, payments, certificates and as a comprehensive library of maritime information. This is just one part of our continued investment and yet we remain committed to the ethos of customer-centric operations: the human element is vital to our operations and our staff is available through online chat, email or phone to offer same day delivery of services, as well as a friendly voice. We understand the needs of shipowners, managers and operators, those working in an environment where time is of the essence and cost-savings can be a make or break issue. We are saving them both time and costs by investing in technology. As we grow, then so our services become more cost-effective thanks to these investments. Our increasing technology is based on our investment in the right people and understanding the needs of the industry. We created our own Deficiency Prevention System SMART.DPS® (introduced in 2017) to offer shipowners information in real-time on their vessels and this is accessible from desktops and now mobile phones. DPS is fully administrated by PISR with the main objective being to introduce a more preventive and risk-based approach to targeted ships for inspection and to enhance the quality status on PISR registered vessels. Our SMART.DPS® achieves an almost unequalled level (93%) in estimating the probability of Port State Control (PSC) attendance. So rather than leaving ship owners at the mercy of PSC and possible detentions, we have proved that with our DPS and the right professional auditors, surveyors and inspectors, we can provide ship owners with a round the clock service that reduces their exposure to these detentions. To support our DPS we have developed a network of more than 100 Flag State Assistants (FSAs) in 43 countries and 42 Deputy Registrars in 26 countries and we can source surveyors, engineers and experts to handle any issues for our clients across the globe. They are an important part of our operations as are the PISR FSAs who attend the ship and assist the Master and the Crew for preparedness prior the PSCO attendance; and they remain on board during the PSC inspection with the authority of the Flag Representative to help assist the Captain. There is also a significant cost-effective value as the attended SMART.FSA® may carry out in combination with other services, the Annual Safety Inspection (ASI).

“PISR is proud of its history and our experience in the maritime sector. PISR has grown from its foundations to become a recognised and respected registry working around the globe. We offer our clients unmatched value on the strength of our sound fundamentals in core businesses – impartiality, reliability and safety. The quality of our employees is the key to drive our growth by creating a performance-oriented culture within the organization and by following principles. It is our people at every level of the registry who make the real difference in setting us apart from the competition. We are proud of our achievements. I am confident that PISR will see even greater growth and scale even greater heights in the next few years. We extend a warm welcome to all those who share our vision of a future where safety is prime scope, development is sustainable and operational flexibility is achieved”. Panos Kirnidis BEng, MSc,

CEO Palau International Ship Registry Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Palau to Greece

Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) is one of the fastest growing registries in the world. By investing in advanced technology, highly experienced staff and building on a foundation of a fully electronic registry, PISR continues to provide the highest standards of administrative, legal, technical and support functions to ship-owners and managers. Having a set of unique SMART. Registry® tools and a dedicated Deficiency Prevention System – SMART.DPS® with greater operational and cost-effective flexibility for ship owners, PISR is redefining the Ship Registration service and proves that the world’s oceans are big enough for a smart superior Flag of confidence that ship owners can trust and believe in.

“Our goal is clear and we are aiming to be one of the leading ship registries in the global shipping industry. To do this we had to answer the question – “Why would a ship owner register his vessel under the Palau flag rather than with one of our competitors?”

The answer to this very simple but crucial question is because at PISR we deliver real business benefits through operational and cost effectiveness for ship owners. Plus at PISR we guarantee what we promise! We are the SMART.Registry® and we deliver our services faster, more efficient and for the best possible value for money. As times change and technology develops, our clients are looking for traditional registry support, blended with new technologies, which is why we have made significant investment in our Information Technology systems and we have developed a unique SMART.Registry® solution that is fully integrated with SAP Business One ERP system and SalesForce CRM system. In addition, our interactive website is being constantly updated and is fully dynamic, informative and responsive to our client’s needs.

Our plans for the next five years will fully underpin the ambitious growth expectations we have for PISR. Stated in it, our aims are to inspire and attract the best people in the shipping world to be a part of PISR and keep ourselves ahead of the rest of the industry, with more unique technology, operational excellence and more reliable and dependable IT-systems that will benefit ship owners.

For ship owners this is a significant financial benefit. Our clients are looking for traditional registry support, blended with new technologies. From the beginning PISR was to be a registry based on class-leading technology allied to the human element. But in an industry that always seem to look to traditional methods and operations, it was a real challenge for us to establish ourselves. We have achieved this because we were clear from the outset with our plan and promises: we have gone through the maturity stage and delivered and proved that confidence can be achieved by sticking to the plan and proving that age is no barrier to success. It takes time for shipowners and the industry to accept a new registry. PISR has proved that perceived weaknesses present opportunities and we have taken those and established ourselves as a credible flag of confidence. Recognition has come not only from our shipowners but also from our peers in the maritime industry. Our standing in the IMO is notable and recognition by the STCW White List is a testament to the work we have put in to create a ship registry that delivers on its promises. It is also important that as a reputable ship registry we do not forget the commitment we have to governance and regulations. These are the cornerstones of the industry’s success and we are highly supportive of the IMO and its work, something we know benefits our ship owners. As PISR strives for the highest of quality standards we have been approved by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd (LRQA) to the standards of ISO 9001:2015 and approved by BQC to the standards of ISO Anti-Bribery 37001:2016. These benefit our ship owners as transparency is the key to operational success and PISR can offer these benefits to every ship owner in the fleet, regardless of size. As we have said SMART technology is the base of our offerings, but we also believe in having a strong human element as part of our commitment to shipowners. We have spent time building our network of 42 Deputy Registrars (DRs) in 26 countries and more than 100 Flag State Inspectors (FSIs) in 43 countries. Through choosing the right people we have an experienced team to be able to help our customers with whatever they need, where they need it and most importantly all through local people who understand their needs in their own areas. Being in contact with ship owners we established a global presence with our own offices in the USA, Greece and Cyprus with new offices in Rotterdam and Shanghai on the way. This means we can make instant and transparent decisions as these offices are empowered to make decisions themselves and work with our Global Workflow Management System; this assures we are able to give same day responses for all inquiries.

NAFS: COVID-19 has already had a profound effect on the global maritime industry and the situation is changing daily. There are three words that PISR is using during this pandemic to ensure its operations in effective and efficient way: Care, Support and Contactless. Could you please explain what do these three words mean for you?

P.K.: The words are more than three mantras – they are the way we position PISR and work for the benefit of ship owners and our employees. COVID-19 has already had a profound effect on the global maritime industry and the situation is changing daily. With this pandemic likely to continue for some time, at PISR we have not changed our way of working, just where we are working from at times and as stated, we are working to care for, support and offer all our ship owners a contactless service that serves their needs. From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we moved to remote operations without any negative impacts on our services. This was a vital step in our care and commitment to our employees and we ensured they all had the latest software and hardware to carry on working from home during this period. It was also the period when the industry came to terms with remote operations and recognised the need for the right people, right technology and right processes to carry on working. For us at PISR, we also believed we were taking into consideration the support services such as the postal workers and delivery drivers by having our processes online and interactive on our website. This new way of working is the SMART way: we have made our fees and pricing transparent and cost effective and our online fee calculator instantly shows how competitive we are and that there are no hidden fees, allowing for easy online payment. It means there are no delays or concerns over late payments, reducing the potential for stress among our ship owners. Through our digital operations we can guarantee same day delivery to both offices and ships of certificates within a matter of seconds. This is reducing the administrative burden on ship owners and is an essential part of our commitment to care, support and contactless operations which cover all of our services. Besides our investments in technology, we have never forgotten our commitment to ship owners. We recognize and respond to their needs which include the importance of speed in decision making, especially when it impacts on the operational and technical management of their ships. This is why we have built our registry around four pillars: responsiveness, instant and transparent decision making, localization and effectiveness. As the pandemic continues to impact maritime shipping we are in regular contact with ship owners to offer them our support and technology services to keep them operational. Ship owners are looking for a registry that offers a comprehensive, cost effective service regardless of location, age and ship size. This is where PISR excels because we provide the latest digital services to every single ship owner who is registered under the Palau flag. This is care and support in the right places with the right services.

NAFS: At PISR you seemed to have faith in the global economy and its powers of recovery regardless the severe shock due to Covid-19 pandemic. You have stated that what we need is faith in systems, belief in strong governmental actions and a determination not to lose sight of the recovery that will come. Could you please explain this?

P.K.: There was and is no reason to panic. I was saying that in the early part of the year as the global pandemic began because I had faith in both the actions of the government in controlling the issue and the systems we were using to carry on our services. Rather like a blame culture, panic is essentially a worthless exercise: we knew little about the effects on the global economy at the start of the pandemic but we did know it would have some effect on our industry. The maritime sector has indeed reacted and responded well as I believed it would and will continue to do so I am sure. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a severe shock to the global economy and in particular to the global shipping industry. More than 90% of world trade travels by sea and throughout the crisis PISR continued to work closely with ship owners to ensure the effects of these disruptions were kept to a minimum and did not impact on their operational abilities. I want this balance to continue with PISR standing shoulder to shoulder with ship owners as they fight back from the pandemic and its effects on the industry. I had faith in the global economy and its powers of recovery, in systems and belief in strong governmental actions and a determination not to lose sight of the recovery that will come. So

what does this mean for PISR in light of the pandemic? Well we continue to say to ship owners that PISR is tomorrow’s leader, today and globally known as a SMART.Registry® with customer-centric focus offering real value-added services and differentiated, innovative and reliable solutions for ship-owners and managers. This is the mantra that drives us forward and is attracting an increasing number of customers to our registry. The reality is here and we all must come to terms with the fact that the world is going to change very significantly following the Covid-19 outbreak and industries will face new challenges in the next 12 months that will bring even greater pressures. Over the coming years, we see a bright future for Palau International Ship Registry and those ship owners who trust in us. I can assure them and everyone in the maritime world that PISR will continue to be at the front of the drive to make ship registration services smarter, simpler, even more transparent and cost-effective.

NAFS: According to PISR, one of the keys of its successful operation is that PISR has been recruiting the brightest, best in the shipping world as its fleet grows as ship owners look for a stronger global presence. Please tell us few words about it.

P.K.: This is about having a plan and sticking to it, even in a world that has had to come to terms with the demanding strictures of a new regulatory environment. For PISR we came into an industry that was changing but still based on a set of established practices. We began our operations with a firm and defined plan to become one of the world’s foremost ship registries and we realised that we had to have a transparent plan that would engender confidence in ship owners. We are still on course to achieve our objectives and we have come a long way in a short time thanks to our unique digital services and recruiting the right people. This is perhaps one of the weaknesses of the industry: viewing new entrants as being short on credibility and confidence. We have proved these are outdated ideas. Since we began operations, we have registered thousands of ships and with a fleet currently over 400 ships in size and to service the fleet we need the best people in the maritime world. Over the past year we have welcomed new Deputy Registrars from Singapore, Panama and Sri Lanka. Our strong belief is that in choosing the right people we create an experienced team to be able to help our customers with whatever they need, wherever they need it, locally. We want ship owners to feel that we are with them in their region and on hand when they need us. With new Deputy Registrars coming on board, we are confident that we can offer our fleet relevant and deliverable registry services where and when they want them. We have carefully chosen our DRs and FSIs based on their experience, knowledge of the maritime sector and their credentials. For anyone in the PISR fleet it means we can serve them across the globe in their own language and in their own time zone. This is vital to their operations and we recognise the effectiveness of partnerships with the DRs we have recruited to increase our presence around the globe. Flag State Inspectors are vital to ensure that satisfactory standards on-board vessels are maintained and meet the standards that we at PISR expect from our fleet. These vital inspections are carried out by the carefully selected FSIs we have recruited to verify the ship’s statutory documentation, its general condition, structure and machinery and the all-important safety and life-saving equipment. It is a role we consider vital in defining our standards and position as one of the world’s leading ship registries. The balance for our FSIs is that they are strategically located in key ports globally to provide effective and efficient inspections on Palau flagged ships. Our constant attention to detail ensures we conduct training programs – both onsite and e-learning courses – for our inspectors, so as to ensure they are always providing owners and operators with professional service and that inspections are conducted in a professional and timely manner with as little as possible burden on the shipowner and the vessel’s crew. The whole network of Deputy registrars, Flag State Inspectors and surveyors provide ship owners with the confidence they need to continue their operations. Every element of their ship’s operations can be checked, certified and approved according to the statutory regulations and codes. Without their work we would not be the flag of confidence we are now. This is PISR in action and growing as planned. But there is also the recognition of our efforts from other sectors of the maritime world and we have bi-lateral agreements with other ship registries such as Liberia of crew certifications, as well as strong partnerships with the IMO, and other regulatory bodies. Last year we were added to the IMO STCW White List and this further endorses our hard work and commitment to compliance and training.

NAFS: As a reputable and growing registry, how you ensure that any vessels that are in breach of the UNSCR regulations related to sanctions violations from vessels trading with North Korea will not be flying the Palau flag or those of your respected partners in this new initiative?

P.K.: This is an important issue and we have developed in-house our own vetting system which builds upon data from third-party suppliers such as PurpleTRAC and is currently being cited as best in class system for preventing us endorsing vessels that are undertaking sanction violations. In February this year I said that any vessels that violate the current United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) will not be registered with the Palau International Ship Registry. It was a simple statement and one we had no hesitation in making. PISR is fully behind the UNSCRs regional and global security initiative and as I said, we are fully supportive of the need to maintain law and order on the seas. As we said above, our recognised vetting system uses data from both the industry and diplomatic channels. In fact, we were asked during the year by the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Non-proliferation (ISN) to make presentations on our system and its capabilities in London, New York and the Fiji Islands. We were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of our system and it has now become a reference point for others in the maritime world. Using this system, and with a determination to support the resolution, we joined Liberia, Marshall Islands and Panama and other registries in a Memorandum of Understanding. Now vital information is shared between major registries - when a flag registry deregisters or is in process of deregistering, or when it denies registration of a vessel due to engagement in sanctionable activity. Once any vessel has been identified we can take the appropriate action, but the bottom line is that Palau International Ship Registry is a flag of confidence and as such, we will not allow any such vessels to fly our respected flag.

NAFS: Women are an integral part of the maritime world and are entitled to achieving their goals as anyone else in the industry. How Palau support women seafarers?

The world’s oceans are big enough for a SMART Registry

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building on the IMO’s 31 year Women in Maritime programme by also offering free of charge Certificates of Competency (CoC), Certificates of Proficiency (CoP) and Certificates of Endorsement (CoE) for women looking to develop their maritime careers in global shipping. Not everyone in the industry seems to be onboard with these developments, as women account for little more than three per cent of the seafarers currently working; we want to see this increase dramatically. As a strong supporter of WISTA and its work in developing opportunities for women in shipping, we can truly say we have a strong belief in these issues. Personally I have never considered women as special in the shipping world simply because they are women. We should look on women in the maritime world as normal, just like the men who work with them and are often reporting to them in senior roles. What they do in the maritime world is respected and welcome and we fully support this drive for empowerment in the shipping world.

NAFS: Can you tell us a little about your services for yacht owners?

P.K.: Our focus has always been on those ship owners looking for the peace of mind and cost-effective services that have sometimes proved elusive in this industry. We have achieved these and now we are responding to an increasing number of enquiries for registrations from yacht owners, particularly in Europe. Our registration services for yacht owners are comprehensive, simple to interact with and most importantly, clear and concise for small ship owners and in particular, for the new generation of yacht owners who are attracted to PISR by our rates and digital registration services. There were so many rules and regulations that were often confusing to yacht owners who also found them time-consuming and complex. We have tackled these recently and introduced simplified yacht registration services that are custom-made and we offer one, three or five-year yacht registrations to make registrations a simpler process and one that will benefit yacht owners.

NAFS: Please tell us about your future aims and what are your plans for the next five years?

P.K.: Our plans for the next five years will fully underpin the ambitious growth expectations we have for PISR. Stated in it, our aims are to inspire and attract the best people in the shipping world to be a part of PISR and keep ourselves ahead of the rest of the industry, with more unique technology, operational excellence and more reliable and dependable IT-systems that will benefit ship owners. We are on course and on track with our plan to become one of the world’s leading ship registries using the latest technology. Yet we cannot stand still in this business and PISR’s growth must continue in parallel to new developments in the industry and new technologies being developed. We are working on our ISO:27001 which is the Information Security Management Systems standard that improves information security and makes it less likely that we will suffer a breach or other type of unwanted cyber incident. We are looking at rolling this out by the end of the first quarter of 2021. PISR is on track to becoming the leading IT-based ship registry and shipowners recognise our efforts and the system we have in place. What does speak volumes about services and the confidence shipowners have with us, is that in the past 12 months we have seen growth of more than 43 percent with a level of customer satisfaction at 96 percent from recent figures. This proves we are delivering on our promises and customers are remaining loyal to us with a remarkable 93% in customer retentions. Our ship owners are loyal to us because we offer them the services that work and PISR will in 2021 and beyond, implement more technologies, making ship registrations smarter and more efficient. I would like to point out that we have not stopped planning and refining our online services in the past five years and along with our continuing recruitment we are confident we are on the right course for expansion. What is important for PISR is that our growth coincides with the recovery of the global economy. Once the maritime shipping world is back up to speed, we want to ensure our ITbased registry services continue to be the most sought after in the industry. We will continue to develop unique programmes such as our Deficiency Prevention System and if there is one thing the pandemic has taught all of us, it is that remote operations, surveys and audits are the way forward. I am pleased that we began this process some time ago and we are definitely ahead of the curve in this area. No matter what the size of the vessel or the location, PISR registration services are straightforward and simple to complete. We also have dedicated registration professionals who can assist with specific issues and requests. As we introduce new digital services we will continue to provide the highest quality of digital and personal services to all ship owners in the PISR fleet. This is not the time to stand still despite the continuing global pandemic: we have always looked further down the road to develop new services and refine our current ones and this will continue. The interaction between the human element and the digital world is one we see as providing huge dividends for those in the PISR fleet. We understand the needs of ship owners because we are talking to them all the time and this is one of the cornerstones of our integrated services to them. The key to the success of PISR in the next decade will be that we always listen to ship owners, something we believe makes us a dependable and approachable registry. Technology is the future, a great intellectual once said and even 60 years after that supposed eye-opening statement, the world of technology is still the future driving force for the global ship registry. In the near future what will signal out PISR and our services from our peers will be the biggest challenge, but we are confident of our offerings and the relationships we have forged with our customers. We began as a new entrant into the ship registry world and with a determination and desire to eventually be one of the world’s leading registries. We wanted to create and re-design the ways followed by existing ship registries to differentiate PISR from the existing registries. So in our case we concentrated on high level service and made that the cornerstone of our initial development and into the future this will continue because service is a powerful differentiator and we know the real difference lies not only in our services but in how we deliver them.

NAFS: Recently you were appointed as Honorary Consul General of the Republic in Palau in Greece what does this mean?

P.K.: It is a great honour to be recognized and appointed Honorary Consul General for Palau and I would like to publicly thank them for this. With my Honorary Consul General hat on, I will represent Palau in Greece and my most important task is the enhancement of the bilateral relations on trade, the economy, culture and sciences between the Palau and Greece. I want to develop a stronger understanding of the Palau and support the development of international relations. It also means I can represent Palau citizens in Greece and wider afield and give assistance in consular protection for the Palauan citizens and institutions.