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COMPANY PROFILE
GULF CREWING: A NEW CHAPTER GULF CREWING MANAGING DIRECTOR, KAREN BEATON OPENS UP TO TPMEA ABOUT A TURBULENT YEAR, AND SHARES HER VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY.
While companies and individuals across the globe were feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the untimely passing of Gulf Crewing Founder, Nigel Beaton, sent shockwaves throughout the industry and beyond. A hugely popular and influential character, Nigel left behind not only a well-established company in Gulf Crewing (GCC), but also a loving family. Keen that her husband’s outstanding legacy should be continued – and with a long and successful career in the industry in her own right to draw experience from – Karen Beaton is confident that she is the woman to take the company forward. “Nigel left such a huge dent in the industry; it’s important that we recognise the successes that we’re now building from,” Beaton began.
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“Things are going to be slightly different from now on, but while the look and feel of the company will change slightly, the ethos remains the same. We are committed to continuing Nigel’s legacy – he will always be the founding father of the company and at the heart of everything we do, but now I want to push forward with Gulf Crewing under my leadership. We’re still Gulf Crewing, but with a new twist.” After such a traumatic year, Beaton could have been excused for taking some time out. However, as she explained to TPMEA, she is not taking over the running of the company through some sense of obligation – she has a genuine passion for the industry and a desire to succeed. “I’m not doing this just because I feel like I should,” she said. “I am doing it because I want to,
and I believe that we can take it to the next level.” So, with a steely determination, Beaton, alongside Gulf Crewing’s long-time Operations Manager, Alelie de Castro, set about creating a plan to take the company forward. “Alelie has been the rock throughout all of this,” the Managing Director reflected. “She has been with us since Nigel started the company in 2008, and she has just picked it up and ran with it. She is my right-hand woman, and I’m so lucky to have her.” First on the agenda was navigating GCC through the difficult lockdown period. “There was no work at all for the boys, so we focused a lot on training during this time,” Beaton, revealed, adding that the team completed the Events Safety Alliance training with Jim Digby, as well as the WHO COVID-19 training certificate. “We were
