THE WAY FORWARD
2014 Issue 1
100th ship with crew internet
In this issue:
New office established in Europe Celebrating 110 years of delivering maritime solutions Survival of the fittest: Shipping in the Year of the Horse
Delivering Maritime Solutions www.wallem.com
Message from the CEO What do we stand for? As individuals and as an organisation? In the past few months Wallem’s management team has been debating these important questions. Wallem has made it clear through its master brand that we stand for ‘Delivering Maritime Solutions’. Within that statement and promise are many team and individual contributions which collectively deliver on the diverse range of maritime solutions that Wallem provides today. The Wallem management team has been undergoing coaching to help us identify what we as individuals stand for; it is a great experience to watch as we see how our personal beliefs and concerns align with our client’s concerns and that of the Group. With these concerns aligned the Wallem 3-Year Plan objectives appear clear, defined and winnable to all. We are now harnessing what drives us in our personal and professional lives to align this with Wallem’s delivery promise. I do not want anyone to change, far from it! I want the people at Wallem to believe in themselves, be proud and passionate about our Group, and apply it to their everyday tasks. To support the sustainable future of the Group we have identified ten potential game changing leaders within Wallem and partnered with the Ivey Leadership Programme to provide them Accelerated Management Training. They have been using case study based learning to broaden their knowledge of building successful businesses and leading effective teams. The High Potential trainees come from a multidisciplinary background including crewing, legal, commercial, operations and business development. I am excited by what they will bring to Wallem during their careers.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
I have heard so often of late that Wallem is on the verge a period of an exciting growth. In this case, the rumours are true. Our whole management team is now squarely focused on developing our people (both shore based and at sea), creating new and sustainable service solutions, improving customer service and creating a culture of success and cooperation, all underpinned with efficiency improvements. Our clients, stakeholders and staff can expect big things from Wallem. We have a unique value proposition of varied maritime solutions that can be tailored to clients’ requirements, which no other maritime services company can deliver on. We have experts from all parts of the maritime sector delivering professional, trustworthy and consistent services and we have a management team and workforce that is positioning the company for advancement. In 2013 we celebrated our 110th year, a milestone we are very proud of. As 2014 moves on I am excited about Wallem’s next milestones of continued improvement of customer services, locally focused maritime solutions (where the client requires them), and consolidating our market positioning as the maritime services provider of choice.
Regards,
Simon Doughty Wallem Group CEO
FEATURE
Wallem establishes new office in Europe The Wallem Group is strengthening its ship management and offering a broader range of services by establishing an integrated office, Wallem Europe. It will provide improved access, levels of service and proximity to European clients. Wallem Europe has been established in Hamburg as an expansion of the Group’s existing Wallem Germany operations. It will provide improved access, levels of service and proximity to European clients.
Ulrich Paulsdorff and Joe Corcoran, joint managing directors of Wallem Europe.
from, our clients can and should expect excellent service,” said Atul. The Wallem Europe business will be led by Ulrich Paulsdorff and Joe Corcoran, both with extensive experience in the shipping industry. “Although many maritime service companies are shifting their focus to Asia, it’s an oversight as there are many sustainable ship owning companies in Europe including family-owned businesses and people with shipping in their veins,” said Ulrich.
Wallem Chief Operating Officer Andrew Stephens says Wallem Europe is the Group’s headquarters in the region and is an integrated office, providing a full range of services.
“Wallem wants to be close to our clients to ensure our services meet their needs, and consolidating our ship management services and expanding our range of services in Hamburg gives us more flexibility to deliver.”
“The new office is similar to what has been established in Singapore, offering Wallem’s diverse range of services from a strategic maritime location,” said Andrew.
Tanker centre of excellence
“Within Europe, Hamburg is a key maritime city, centrally located, and is on the same or similar time zone to other key maritime cities. The proximity to London, Paris and Stavanger is also advantageous to maintaining good relationships with oil majors.”
Ship management business The Wallem Europe office in Hamburg has taken over vessel management services supplied from Wallem’s Norway office. The office in Bergen will be wound down. The total fleet serviced by Wallem in Europe will be managed separately as wet and dry fleets.
Joe Corcoran says Wallem Europe will provide tanker owners with a centre for quality operations and excellence with a dedicated and experienced vetting team based in Hamburg. “The location supports communications in similar time zones between clients, oil majors and the vetting team members,” said Joe. “The combined tanker experience and knowledge of Wallem’s existing staff in Europe and Asia will give our clients access to best practice operations and management.”
Atul Sachar, Wallem Europe Tanker Fleet Manager, says the process of transferring vessels is complete and staff from Norway, Germany and Hong Kong have been working closely to ensure there is no interruption to service delivery.
New office address:
“All of us, from safety and technical teams to fleet personnel and the crew, care about the operation of our vessels, and no matter which location they are managed
T +49 40 370 220 500
Sprinkenhof Burchardstrasse 8, 3rd Floor 20095 Hamburg, Germany F +49 40 370 220 599
E europe@wallem.com
Issue 1 2014
3
COVER STORY
100th ship gets internet service Wallem’s crew internet service has hit a key milestone with 100 ships now connected, providing sea staff with personal access to browse, email and chat during their rest periods. Wallem Operations Director for IT, Ian Parkes, says achieving the 100th milestone was just as important as the 99 before it. “At Christmas 2013 we were proud to have our crew better connected than ever before. It was important for us to help seafarers share the festive season with their friends and family, despite their distance from home,” Ian said. “One year ago, we were pleased with the take-up of the Wallem CrewConnect (WCC) service which included free text-only email for crew and was supporting about 200,000 messages each month, but we knew that enabling internet connectivity was a key element to improving life on board. “This Christmas season we had more than 1,000 different users online from on board Wallem managed vessels using the new WCC service, and the free internet Instant Messaging (IM) traffic alone was equivalent to 100,000 pages of A4 text – or roughly the same as 1.5m standard messages. That’s a tremendous improvement in the service we are delivering to our crew. “Since December we have been progressing the roll-out and hitting 100 is a good achievement for the whole team involved. Now we are keen to deliver it to all our vessels within 2014. “While take-up of the service has been very encouraging, we were also very impressed with the support from our partners at Inmarsat and SMSGlobal that allowed the deployment to be completed largely by the crew themselves and proved to be very straightforward, so we expect the rate of deployment to pick up as we continue into the year.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
“The sea staff will also be looking forward to the next version of the software which will provide the IM service from mobiles and tablets. We hope to send this to ships before mid-2014.” Simon Frank, Fleet Personnel Director, said although the service is a key benefit for seafarers, it comes with responsibilities. “We have been lucky to work with great partners in our ship owning clients to develop and deliver the internet service,” Simon said. “It will be a key selling point for attracting and retaining skilled and experienced sea staff.” “It is important, though, that the service does not interfere with the smooth operation of ships. We need to be well rested to do our jobs and seafarers will need to ensure they know when it’s time to put the laptop or tablet down and get enough sleep to operate safely during the next shift. “Limitations to the daily chat time allowance has been built into our Wallem CrewConnect solution so we are very confident of ensuring the proper balance of service and safety for Wallem crew.“ Captain Qiao, a long-serving Wallem seafarer, says internet is a good thing on board because it will attract good seafarers to Wallem. “Today the young men feel they are missing something if they do not have internet access because they use it every day at home,” Captain Qiao said. “We can communicate with friends and family, and read the news. I like to read the maritime news and China Daily online.”
FEATURE
Lifeboat service hits 200th job Specialist Independent Lifeboat service company, SeaSafe Marine, has achieved a milestone of 200 jobs for its services.
services to our clients’ ships. We are soon to add engineers to our teams based in Singapore, the UK and Houston, USA.”
Andrew Lemmis, SeaSafe Marine Managing Director, said that, given the company was only established in October 2012, this achievement is a testament to the quality of service the team provides.
“Our clients have a need for maintaining lifeboats, but we offer much more than just standard services. Once on board, we also service gangways and accommodation ladders.”
“In 15 months we have gained a range of clients from across the maritime sector including cruise, tanker and bulk carriers, and all are looking for a service which ensures they provide crew and passengers with reliable and compliant safety equipment,” Andrew said.
“We also consider it important that crew are proficient in using the equipment which may well save their lives one day so we also assist crew in performing drills and provide equipment-specific familiarisation training all for an attractive flat fixed fee.”
“What makes this milestone more remarkable is that for the first three months of operation we were busy getting in place our maker approvals, sending our engineers on maker training courses and certifying our quality system to ISO 9001:2008 by DNV.” “We now have engineers based in Hong Kong and China, who regularly travel around the world to provide
Contact SeaSafe Marine Andrew Lemmis, Managing Director T +852 2876 8427
F +852 2876 1888
E adl@seasafemarine.com
Issue 1 2014
5
FEATURE
Sky high celebration for 110 years Wallem Group has celebrated its 110th birthday with events for clients and partners in Hong Kong & Singapore. In Hong Kong there was a Chairman’s dinner for 30 guests and in Singapore more than 100 of the city state’s leading maritime community joined Wallem’s senior management team at a cocktail reception to recognise the Group’s heritage in
Simon Doughty, Wallem CEO, leads the guests in a toast.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
delivering maritime solutions. The reception was held on the 33rd floor of a Singapore sky scraper, offering guests a bird’s eye view of the city. The evening was hosted by Wallem Group Chairman, Nigel Hill, and Wallem Group CEO Simon Doughty. We bring you a selection of the photos of the Singapore celebration. Here’s to another 110 years of growth and prosperity for Wallem and the shipping industry!
Denzyl Allwright of Wallem Shipbroking with Charlie Du Cane of Gearbulk.
Jamie Wrightson of Wallem with Christopher Wilson from Castleton Commodities.
Johan Vermeiren of Wallem Logistics with Piers Bedford, Jumbo Shipping, and Lieven Vander Elstraeten, Bertschi.
Nigel Hill, Wallem Group Chairman, with Aaron Tan, Cindy Kong and Kelvin Wong of UOB.
Tan Beng Tee of Singapore MPA with Frankie Tan of Wallem.
Thomas Salling Nielsen from Clipper with Andrew Stephens of Wallem.
Tim Muehlena, Luke Dorman of FH Bertling with Simon Doughty, Wallem CEO.
Issue 1 2014
7
PEOPLE
And the winners are…. Wallem’s Shore Employee of the Year Awards were announced at the annual dinner in Hong Kong, with winners from all parts of the Wallem world. The awards are bestowed on individuals who have made a contribution to the company’s growth, exhibited the company’s True North values, and delivered on their business goals for the year. Congratulations to the winners:
Man Lau, Manager, IT Infrastructure Man Lau works quietly and diligently in the background to ensure the reliability of the Group’s expanding IT infrastructure. Man has been directly involved in the Hong Kong datacentre relocation in 2013; and many office relocation and expansion projects including Singapore, Thailand and Germany. In addition, he provides remote support to our offices in the United States, Vietnam, and South Africa. Major infrastructure upgrades such as the new SAN storage; email re-platforming and IDM upgrade occured with virtually zero disruption to the Group’s operations, while new services continued to be developed and brought online. These included mobile device management, a corporate drop box, Skype-PBX integration and the SIP softphone. Man and his team are behind the success of these projects. In a year when Wallem’s focus has been on expansion and grabbing new opportunities, it is the dedication of support staff such as Man that allow us to expand whilst remaining connected and supported.
Jack Hu, Marketing Manager, Wallem China Jack Hu has been tireless in his efforts to please our current and new clients for Wallem Agencies and in particular Wallem Shipping China. He is extremely dedicated to the job of gaining new clients and then actively supports the port operations team so that the client receives an unrivaled service. He was recently on board a vessel at anchorage off Yantian supervising hold cleaning (a new service Wallem China now offers which was developed by Jack) from Friday to Saturday night. He then flew back to Shanghai and straight on to Singapore for a fortnight of sales calls. In between the sales meetings he continued his job as Owners Protective Agent, fielding phone calls and contacting local agents in China.
Kinny Pun, Fleet Personnel General Manager, Operations Kinny Pun won the award for her excellent liaison with local government authorities throughout our application process to set up Wallem crewing presence in key recruitment locations. She displays strong commitment to leading the fleet personnel’s Chinese crewing team and enjoys a great amount of respect from her colleagues which is well deserved. Kinny is also a sight to behold in client meetings, crew conferences and board meetings as she translates English to Chinese and Chinese to English in the blink of an eye.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
WALLEM SEAFARER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Wallem Seafarer of the Year Award Acknowledge excellence and nominate a Wallem seafarer for the Wallem Seafarer of the Year Award In Wallem’s Year of the Seafarer we recognise the sea staff who do the maritime profession proud by contributing to a safe and supportive working environment, and exhibiting the essence of Wallem’s True North values. Any Wallem sea or shore staff member, client or stakeholder can nominate. Nominations are open to Wallem seafarers of all ranks* Nominations must be no more than 200 words and address the judging criteria of: • Commitment to safety • Contribution to positive on board working and living environment • Exhibiting True North values Nominate today by emailing: awards@wallem.com
The overall winner will receive a family holiday package, and two runners up will each receive a mariner’s wrist watch. A shortlist will be published in Issue 2 - 2014 of True North magazine, and the winner and two runners up published in Issue 3. * Entries close on 10 May, 2014. To be eligible for nomination seafarers must either be currently sailing on a Wallem-managed ship, or their last contract was with Wallem.
Issue 1 2014
9
FEATURE
Seafarers ready for shipping’s next frontier – electronic navigation
Approximately 40 percent of Wallem’s managed fleet are using ECDIS onboard.
The Mumbai training centre has an ECDIS Navigation Lab fitted with Transas equipment.
Proficiency in using electronic charts has become a major focus for Wallem seafarers to ready them for the next frontier in shipping – a digital bridge – with training in Electronic Chart Display & Information Systems (ECDIS) an essential activity. About 40% of Wallem’s managed fleet is now fitted with an electronic chart system. All navigational officers must complete the generic as well as the type-specific ECDIS training before joining a Wallem-managed vessel fitted with ECDIS. Amendments to SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19.2 require all ships engaged on international voyages to be fitted with an ECDIS. It is mandatory, depending on ship type, to have an ECDIS fitted on the bridge between July 2012 and July 2018. The transition to electronic navigation poses a challenge for the industry, particularly for seafarers without experience in electronic charts. It is vital that navigational officers are provided with both generic and type specific training for the ECDIS fitted on board before joining a vessel. On joining the vessel, officers must familiarise themselves with the navigational equipment before taking over the navigational watch.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
ECDIS training, particularly the type-specific, is a major challenge facing the industry, with a large number of manufacturers providing ECDIS equipment. Wallem’s training centres recognised this issue and began making inroads to meeting the training needs of seafarers.
Mumbai training centre leads the way Wallem’s Maritime Training Centre in Mumbai, India, has been conducting an ECDIS course based on IMO Model Course 1.27 since 2006. The ECDIS Generic Course is approved by DG Shipping India, Liberia and Marshall Island administrations. The training centre team established an ECDIS Navigation Lab with six independent workstations and one master or instructor station. The equipment, supplied by Transas, are Model NaviTrainer Pro 5000 and ECDIS Series 4000, enables training of officers in the Transas system. In addition to Transas, Mumbai’s training centre also offers type-specific courses in Tokyo Keiki (Models: EC8000/8500) and JRC – Models: JAN 701/901/901M, 701B/901B & 2000.
Qingdao focuses on Headway Wallem’s training centre in Qingdao offers type specific training for Headway ECDIS, manufactured by Qingdao Headway Technology Co. The centre teamed with client Genco to install the Headway equipment in the Qingdao training centre, ensuring the full-Chinese crews of Genco vessels are well versed in the use of the Headway ECDIS installed on these vessels. IMO Model course standards are neither available nor recognised in China, but a Chinese Certificate of Competency ECDIS training module is accepted by Hong Kong, Liberia and Marshal Islands flags as compliant with STCW.
Managing the change Wallem has developed a ship specific management of change process for the transition from paper to electronic navigation. It provides a detailed action plan along with guidelines for a detailed risk assessment necessary for a safe transition. The guidelines highlight the importance of vessels continuing to carry paper charts for the first few voyages whilst ECDIS is used, and use the charts as back up along with the ECDIS. This gives ship staff time to familiarise themselves with using electronic navigation, and establish operational efficiency with the equipment.
Pros and cons The data standards for electronic navigational charts and ECDIS equipment are highly detailed and complex. From time to time unexpected issues are uncovered with the data, and officers on watch must be aware that these problems can exist. Being able to identify these problems and make use of independent navigational aids will ensure officers can continue navigating safely. Some of the limitations of ECDIS: 1. Being an electronic system, ECDIS can fail, and/or develop operational faults. 2. Issues can arise from the incorrect coding of electronic chart data. These are often quickly resolved by the hydrographic office that has compiled the data, however, it can also take a few weeks. 3. It can take time for manufacturers to satisfactorily resolve ECDIS equipment anomalies, which generally require system software updates. The significance of these anomalies to safe navigation on a correctly
used ECDIS is likely to be relatively minor, but could lead to accidents if ECDIS is not operated by a welltrained officer. ( Note: The IHO Data presentation and performance checks help identify anomalies and the officer of the watch should be aware of this) 4. The chart display can be small compared to a paper chart. The standards allow the display area to be as small as 270 x 270 mm. Unless used sensibly, users can develop ‘tunnel vision’, meaning an officer is focused on a particular section of the chart on the electronic display and may miss the details ahead of the planned track, leading to poor situational awareness. 5. ECDIS can give a false sense of positional accuracy. The display often appears to be highly accurate and it is easy to assume that this is true 100% of the time. Officers should use two independent means of position fixing as and when available and appropriate, for example radar, GPS satellite system and visuals. 6. There is no standard user interface, such as the controls, menu structure and detailed display layout. A new user can be overwhelmed with the equipment when in challenging navigational waters. Type specific training and thorough familiarisation with the system on board before a navigational watch is essential. Electronic navigation also has its virtues. Here are some of its strengths: 1. In addition to being an adequate replacement for paper charts, the systems contain all of the important information for safe navigation, removing the need for time-consuming manual correction of paper charts. 2. The real time navigation feature, along with the view from the bridge windows and information from the radar, combine to give a complete navigational situation – not just position. 3. The user has control over the display, tailoring it to the needs of the situation. When well set up, ECDIS shows all the charted information relevant to a ship, managing any concerns of information overload. Safe water areas in particular can be clearly depicted. 4. Warnings, alarms and indicators alert the navigator when certain parameters are met or exceeded, as determined by the user. These include deviating from a planned route, approach to waypoints, failure of the positioning system, vessel crossing safety contour and system malfunction or failure. 5. ECDIS assists in reducing human error and significantly reduces the time needed to maintain and update navigation charts. Text by Puran Singh, Marine Superintendent
Issue 1 2014
11
SOCIAL
The lucky ones – Wallem staff safe after typhoon
Women of Wallem volunteers packaged medical supplies for volunteer nurses and doctors.
“We consider ourselves incredibly lucky that none of our seafarers on leave died or were injured in the super typhoon, although many lost their homes,” Wallem Fleet Personnel Director Simon Frank said in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. “We have 2300 Filipino seafarers on board our ships, and 93 with homes in the region devastated by the typhoon. The whole Wallem community was quickly on the task of connecting our seafarers on board with their families, and confirming the safety of those on leave.” Wallem’s local manning agent representatives from Cebu traveled to the area and visited many of the seafarers and the family members TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
of those currently on board. This helped to contact the seafarers that the onshore staff had not been able to connect with over the telephone. “We had three seafarers request to be returned home from their jobs on board and our Fleet Personnel team had them replaced and repatriated quickly,” said Simon. “We understood how important it was for them to be with their families.” “We had seafarers contacting our manning agents saying that if someone needs to go home, they would step in. We appreciate how the Wallem community of seafarers came together to help each other.”
The second floor of this seafarer’s home was blown off.
Motorman Mariano Ebina, who had been on board for a month and a half, was repatriated home after his wife had a miscarriage during the typhoon which hit his hometown of Leyte. “My wife was very frightened during the storm, the wind was powerful and trees were falling.” His wife has now recovered and after three months at home Mariano has requested to return to work and will join the Wallem-managed Crown Jade vessel in February. Immediate financial assistance was made available to staff and seafarers in need, with 22 people receiving assistance which will chiefly go towards re-building homes.
The typhoon wreaked havoc on homes and buildings.
In the Philippines the Women of Wallem chapter in Manila packaged up medical supplies purchased by Westminster Seafarer Management for the Philippines Army Medical Groups’ volunteer nurses and doctors to take to the Samar region. The agency teams in the Philippines have been proud to assist clients with the aid efforts they are supporting. In particular, Saudi Air Cargo has made many flights delivering relief supplies into Manila and Cebu. There is still a long road ahead in the recovery and Wallem is committed to assist Wallem seafarers and their families where possible.
There is still a long way to go in the recovery and everyone at Wallem is keen to help. Seafarers on board have collected donations which have been given to the Red Cross. Staff in the Hong Kong office put together hygiene and kitchen kits which have been delivered by the Crossroads Foundation [www.crossroads.org.hk]. The office staff in Hong Kong and around the world got behind the Sailors’ Society fundraising efforts and made a donation of HKD70,000 to aid the Society to continue its good work. Wallem will also host six seafarers at the Sailors’ Society Hong Kong Shipping Dinner in February.
Wallem’s agency team was proud to support the relief flights from Saudi Cargo into Manila and Cebu.
Issue 1 2014
13
FEATURE
航運業馬年預測 歐美經濟復甦 中國政策扶持 馬年航運業利好有明顯增長 航運業對一國的經濟極為重要，也是對外貿易、社會發展的重要 支撐。世界各地的經濟興衰，對航運業的發展有直接影響， 要預測馬年航運業的形勢，先得從世界經濟大局說起。 2014是甲午之年，火旺遇甲木，火勢難擋，木火通明， 相生氣旺。流年飛星四綠星入中，對經濟有利，大旺 東、西 兩方。中國處 於東 方 極 重 要位 置，馬年亦有 「大利星」、「將軍星」飛臨，無論 經 濟及 外交均 處 於順 利的一年。「六白星」飛西方 相 會「值 運 一白星」，歐美經濟有復甦之象。香港位處中國 南方，今年有「八白財星」飛臨，馬年香港經濟 有好的發展。 雖然大火之年並不是十分旺屬水之航運業，但 東、西方今年經濟有明顯增長，有利出口業， 帶旺 航運 業有正面增長，尤以 沉靜已久的歐 洲航運有明顯改善。美國經濟轉好，隨著當地 氣 溫 降 低，煤 炭 運 輸的需求 會 明顯 提 升，尤 以馬年下半年美國航運增長理想；上海自貿區 的成立吸引商品聚集利好航運業，預測中國政 府會有一些正面的措施出籠，為航運業帶來扶 持；亞 洲區因中國經 濟 蓬勃，令航運 業的需求 進一步上升。 今年航運業較興旺月份是3、6、7、8、10、11月， 第四季 是乾散 貨 運輸的傳統 旺季，也 是糧食 豐收 期，大利航運業。馬年屬大火之年，火主創新，會有 新氣象為業界帶來驚喜，新興國家與新興航線也會有 不錯表現。總觀馬年航運業是維穩有增長之年，但要留 意有「鬥牛剎」出現，意味同行之間會有爭拗和結怨，價錢 方面的競爭壓力增大，對一些較小型的公司不利，規模較大 的公司則不受影響，業內出現汰弱留強的情況。
周凡夫簡介
Master Chow Fan-fu
從事風水玄學近30年，作風 低調，曾替不少商界名人和 娛樂圈藝人相命，擅長八字 命理、風水、改名、轉運。
Chow Fan-fu has been working in the field of Feng Shui metaphysics for nearly 30 years. He has a very low-key style and has a reputation for insightful fortune telling, Fengshui, renaming and changing fortune. He has worked for quite a few well-known business people and celebrities.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
Survival of the Fittest Fengshui Master Chow gives insight into shipping in the year of the horse Translation from original text
There will be significant growth in the shipping industry in the Year of the Horse. The shipping industry plays a crucial role in the economy of a country as well as an important support for foreign trade and social development. Economic trends around the world have a direct impact on the development of the shipping industry. To forecast the situation of shipping in the Year of the Horse, we must take a look at the world economic situation. 2014 is the year of the Jiawu, which happens only once every 60 years. Fire also meets wood and becomes unstoppable. Wood, accompanied by fire, brings brightness and Chi. Four green stars are moving to the centre and will bring good luck for the economy, particularly for the east and west. The stars of Big Fortune and The General are moving east, where China is located, so it will be a good year for the economy and in foreign affairs. The Star of Six White will meet the Lucky White Star in the west, which means that the European economy will enter into recovery. Hong Kong’s location in the south of China will have Eight White Fortune Stars visiting, which will bring good development in the economy. Although the year of fire is not so good for the shipping business, as it is related to water, the
significant increase in economic development of both the east and west will bring positive impacts for imports, exports and shipping. European shipping, which has been quiet for a long time, will increase in the coming year. The U.S. economy will also take a turn for the better. As the temperature in China decreases, the demand for coal transportation will be significantly increased, especially in the second half of the Horse year. The establishment of the Shanghai Free Trade Area will attract favourable business to the industry. In the forecast, the Chinese government will put positive measures in place, bringing extra support to the shipping industry. The Chinese economic boom will help the shipping industry in Asia continue its rise. March, June, July, August, October and November are good months for the shipping industry in 2014. The fourth quarter of the year is the traditional peak season for dry bulk cargo transport, as well as grain harvest period, which is good for shipping too. The Year of the Horse symbolises fire, which brings innovation, indicating new activity in the industry. Emerging countries and emerging routes will experience good performance. The main trend of the Horse year in shipping is the maintenance of stability with some growth. But watch out for the “Bull brake”; there will be disputes and grudges within the industry. There will be pressure to remain competitive in prices, which will be a disadvantage for smaller companies, it won’t be an easy time, but most larger firms will remain unaffected. It will be survival of the fittest.
Issue 1 2014
15
NEWS
Sonangol Rangel and Troviken crews aid in rescues
Captain Mavel Gonsalves accepts a letter of appreciation from Argentinean officials on behalf of the crew for the Sonangol Rangel crew’s rescue support.
The Sonangol Rangel crew played a critical role in the successful rescue of crew from a sinking yacht off the Argentine coast in early December. Captain Mavel Gonsalves redirected the Sonangol Rangel after a call from the Argentinian Coast Guard to assist in locating the yacht and aiding the Naval Helicopter in rescuing the two crew members. The crew spotted the yacht and lit up the area with search lights. The yacht sank but the crew were saved and lifted from the water by the helicopter. Argentinean officials visited the crew of the Sonangol Rangel at Quintero, Chile on 12 December and presented a letter of appreciation to the crew. Well done to Captain Mavel Gonsalves and all staff on Sonangol Rangel. The crew of the Wallem-managed tanker Troviken, led by Captain Biswas, also maintained the long standing tradition of saving lives at sea. The crew assisted six Peruvian fishermen whose boat had been drifting at sea for 10 TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
days due to an engine failure with little food or water. The Troviken was en-route from Tenerife to La Libertad (Ecuador). The sea staff from the Troviken tried to restart the fishing boat but without success. They then contacted the local MRCC (Paita).
Island Splendor evades pirates The Wallem-managed tanker Island Splendor was approached by two pirate skiffs while transiting to the Cape of Good Hope from the Arabian Gulf. The vessel was 210 miles off the coast and had an armed security team on board. The crew initiated well practised emergency procedures and they mustered in the safe area. The pirates fired on the vessel and the security team returned fire following their clear and agreed rules of engagement. The pirates turned their skiffs away and the ship continued her voyage without further incident. The incident was reported to MSCHOA, UKMTO and DPA. The pirate skiffs were tracked down by the
Combined Task Force. MSCHOA has thanked Wallem and the vessel for the information on the skiffs which enabled them to neutralise the skiffs and the pirate action group. We recognise Capt Bulsara and his crew in responding effectively to the situation, keeping all crew safe. Well done to the security team of S. Rajagopal and John Yu in the Safety & Insurance Department in Hong Kong who monitor the vessels transiting the high risk areas and arrange armed teams based on threat assessment. We are also thankful to the private security firm and the CTF naval units for their vigilance and effective actions.
Logistics business grows with new clients
Chartering wins Koch sole representation
Wallem Logistics signed an agency agreement with the German forwarder EMO, covering business between Thailand and Germany, with possible extension to other Wallem locations in 2014. Another agreement was signed with the Bangladeshi company Galaxy which covers shipments between Bangladesh and all Wallem Logistics offices. The Japan marine logistics team secured three new clients for air freight between Japan to Singapore, attracting them with excellent rates which Wallem had negotiated. Wallem Logistics Thailand has secured a contract to move 6,000 tons of machinery and heavy equipment from Thailand to Bangladesh on behalf of Marmedsa Noatum Maritime.
The Wallem Chartering team has been appointed to the panel of brokers for Geneva-based Koch Fertiliser Trading as sole Far East representatives for small handy movements. We have now completed the first of what we hope will be many fixtures for this high profile charterer.
Gregory Mussa
Issue 1 2014
17
NEWS
Managers and brokers in cricket showdown Six of Wallem’s finest cricketers joined the Noble Cricket Sixes Tournament in Hong Kong, spread across two teams; Managers 1 and Brokers. Vijay Soman, Rahul Tonapi, John Yu and Rajan Gupta were part of the Managers 1 team, while Superintendents Samar Das and Gavin D’Souza played for the Brokers team. The teams met in the Bowl final, with Wallem’s cricketers bowling and batting against each other, with Managers 1 winning the final showdown.
Officers meet in Manila
Toepfer selects Wallem in China & Sing
A Wallem Fleet Officers’ Meeting was held in Manila in November 2013 for our Filipino seafarers and crew supply partners, with guest speakers from Hong Kong, Germany, Norway, Singapore and India, and owners’ representatives. A Viken dedicated seminar was held also held. Family dinners and live entertainment were arranged at the end of the events, and were enjoyed by all.
Toepfer International Asia has appointed Wallem for 20 agency calls a month in China and 60 bunkering calls in Singapore each year. Toepfer International specialises in trading agricultural products, in particular grain, feedstuffs, vegetable oils, oilseeds and fertilisers.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
Cooks course recognised for MLC 2006 Wallem’s in-house cooks training course in the Philippines training centre is now recognised and complete for MLC 2006. We are waiting for final accreditation from the Philippines authorities to issue certification. In the meantime cooks serving on Wallem vessels can attend the 10 day course at our centre and then sit the examination elsewhere to receive a MLC 2006 cooks’ certificate.
Wallem vessel “one of the best” Sonangol Kizomba was identified as “one of the best” by an ABS Principal Surveyor from Toronto, after a successful class survey and audit in Canada. Considering the vessel is almost 13 years old, such recognition reflects a job well done by Capt. Sawhney, Capt. Sameer (pictured) and all past and present crew members. Capt Sameer
Wallem speaker at Asia maritime conference
Two vessels receive AMVER Awards
Navin Passey, India Managing Director, spoke at the Asia Pacific Manning and Training Conference in Manila in October. Navin spoke on a panel of experts about recruiting, training and retaining quality crew. It was attended by over 300 global marine professionals. Navin has also recently been elected to the Executive Council of IMEC (International Maritime Employer’s Council) London.
Notori Dake and Kita Dake received 2013 AMVER Awards by US Department of Homeland Security. The AMVER Awards recognises ships which remain “on plot” for at least 128 days in a calendar year and are a tribute to the support of a ship’s crew, management, and ownership, which is so integral to the program’s success.
Issue 1 2014
19
PEOPLE
Indonesia hosts first officers meeting The first Wallem fleet officers’ meeting in Indonesia was held in late December, reflecting the growth in number of crew members from the region. New ship management clients with a preference for Indonesian seafarers have resulted in the pool tripling to approximately 240 in the 18 months to December 2013. Prior to this Wallem only employed Indonesian officers, but today recruit and employ the full ship’s quota. Wallem currently provides an almost full complement of Indonesian crew to seven vessels, in addition to individuals on various ships. Twenty nine officers attended the meeting in Jakarta, along with 11 representatives from Wallem’s manning partners in Indonesia. Representatives from Wallem’s Singapore and Hong Kong offices also participated in the one day event. We had the honour of welcoming James Leonard, Managing Director of Marco Shipping, Singapore, a subsidiary of International Shipholding Corporation, USA, to the event who attended as a ship owner’s representative. Lost time injury, Port State Control and safety matters, MARPOL compliance and team work, were all topics covered in the meeting. The deck and engine officers also separated into their departments to focus on issues specific to their work. The first Wallem Fleet Officers Meeting in Indonesia was a great success thanks to
Capt. Suharto’s contact details: M +62 81 18 503 263 E MSU@wallem.com Skype wallem.msu
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
the active participation of attendees. Our appreciation goes to all officers and cadets who attended the meeting, as well as to the organisers, manning partners and Wallem staff. Wallem has been employing Indonesian seafarers on a smaller scale for more than a decade. We are confident that Wallem’s presence in Indonesia, based on a solid foundation, will develop into a sustainable source of high quality seafarers. A more permanent training presence has also been established in Indonesia with Capt. Muhammad Suharto appointed as a Wallem training instructor in Jakarta. He will be conducting briefings, training, familiarisation for officers and ratings joining Wallem vessels, as well as interviewing potential candidates.
Ship broking and commercial services restructure for growth Wallem’s Ship Broking and Commercial Service business units have been restructured into two units from its previous single Denzyl Allwright Nitin Mathur entity. The teams continue to work together closely as their businesses are complementary. The restructure has given opportunities to Nitin Mathur and Denzyll Allwright to be promoted to managing director positions. Nitin is now the Commercial Services Managing Director, based in Hong Kong, and Denzyl is the Shipbroking Managing Director based in Shanghai. Wallem’s ship broking service includes S&P and chartering capabilities. A master mariner, Nitin has experience in chartering and operations of gas tankers, crude and product tankers, cement and bulk carriers and feeder containers. He also has experience in the resolution of charter party disputes and management of operational risk. Denzyl is originally from South Africa where he started his shipping career in 1992. He has a wide range of commercial and operational knowledge from a broad shipping background including ship agency, brokerage and dry cargo chartering. His career has taken him from Singapore to Amsterdam and Shanghai, where he has been based for the last nine years.
(l-r) Ray Mc Namara, Wallem Ship Management Managing Director, Richard Pride, ABS Greater China President & COO, Simon Doughty, Wallem Group CEO and Pier Carazzai, ABS Hong Kong General Manager.
CEO elected to ABS The American Bureau of Shipping has elected Wallem Group CEO Simon Doughty to the society. The membership recognises Simon as a person eminent in his marine field of endeavour. The society’s purpose is to further safety of life and property at sea. Richard Pride, ABS President and COO of the Greater China Division and Pier Carazzai, General Manager of ABS Hong Kong, presented Simon with the plaque of membership. Wallem Ship Management Managing Director, Ray Mc Namara, is also a member of the ABS Technical Committee, reviewing new rules and providing feedback on them and their application. Wallem currently has 50 vessels with ABS classification.
Farewell to a friend and colleague Former Wallem Innovative Solutions managing director Patrick Slesinger died on 26 October 2013 in Hong Kong. Patrick was with Wallem for 20 years, building the Innovative Solutions team. His work showed the shipping community how we could harness information systems and technologies to benefit our business and operations. A highlight of his career with Wallem was receiving a CIO Asia Award in 2008 for the enterprise resource planning project he led for Wallem’s financial systems - the AX system.
Patrick Slesinger
Issue 1 2014
21
PEOPLE
Long service awards Congratulations and a big thank you to the following staff celebrating a milestone year of service with Wallem from October to December 2013. The shore-based staff listed achieved a milestone year with Wallem in 2013.
40 Years Purchaser
25 Years Lai Wai Chun, Amy
35 Years Chief Engineer
Managing Director
Borthwick, Frank Joseph
Passey, Navin
30 Years Chief Engineer
Bedi Satpal
Senior Superintendent
Berry, YP
Assistant Manager, Procurement
Lau, TC
Superintendent
Gupta, Umesh
Fitter
Karmakar Chanchal
Insurance Clerk
Leung, Michelle
Fleet Manager
Prasenjit Sen
Fitter
Rebelo Edwin G
Captain
Shah Shahryar M
Chief Engineer
Sharma Suresh K
Electrical Engineer
Yadav Netram
20 Years Bosun
Conje Ricky Z
Bosun
Hidalgo Nove C
Captain
Khan Rizwanullah
Motorman
Loza単es Celerino Jr. C
Chief Cook
Morco Leoncio Jr. C
Second Officer
Satish Kumar Pilla
Captain
Saxena Amit
AB
Selar Dharmendra J
Marine Superintendent
Singh, Puran
Manager, Group Yam, Andrew Accounting Systems Marine Superintendent
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
Yu, John
15 Years Third Engineer
Abangan Arnulfo F
Motorman
Aringay, Antonio B.
Purchasing Supervisor
Benny Chin
Pumpman
Cambal, Zoilo
AB
Cardenas, Victor
Second Officer
Chakraborthy Sandeep
Second Cook
Deodato, Carlos
Cook
Fernandes Stanly R
Chief Engineer
Kandapal Narayan
Third Engineer
Mistry Deepak V
Bosun
Nelmida Ferdinand L
Chief Cook
Oriente, Benjamin
Bosun
Palarca, Wilson A.
Third Engineer
Perdido Vicdion M
AB
Perez, Honorio
Business Analyst
Sandy Chan
Captain
Sharma Gaurav K
AB
Tandel Mahendrakumar J
Motorman
Tandel Naileshkumar T
Chief Engineer
Tkachev Evgeny
Senior Accounts Clerk
Wilson
10 Years
AB
Flores Robert F
Second Officer
Ghosh Rajendra
Bosun
Habito Richard A
Motorman
Hondrade Leo J
Motorman
Jamisola, Emilio
Electrical Engineer
Janoti Jiwan S
Fitter
Kumar Ashok
Operations Manager
Lee, KP
Third Engineer
Leynes, Ronnel
AB
Lilles Jesus J
Electrical Engineer
M.A.H Peiris
Motorman
Mesiona Rufo G
Messman
Mistry Dashrathkumar B
Third Engineer
Mitchelina Alan J
Fitter
Mondragon, Danilo M.
Motorman
Narayanan Lanesh
Chief Officer
Palcat Vicente Jr O
Bosun
Pere単a, Crisol
Second Officer
Pitogo Erdan O
Chief Officer
Priymak Andrey
Fourth Engineer
Saban Jeffrey J
Chief Cook
Sabas, Jovito C.
Third Engineer
Salve Nilesh P
AB
Sapul Remie S
AB
Singh Yashwant
Third Engineer
Sirsikar Vishal V
Bosun
Solanki Kishan B
Bosun
Bautista, Jeremeias R.
Pumpman
Suizo, Modesto
Third Officer
Beldoa Richel J
Bosun
Sumagpao Romeo S
Chief Cook
Blanco Romarico D
Third Engineer
Sumaway, Rodolfo
Fourth Engineer
Bughaw Marcelino Jr F
Third Officer
Sumaylo Cabrini L
Chief Officer
Danga Sanjeev
AB
Tandel Harishbhai K
Bosun
Del Rosario, Maryon
AB
Ureta Ireneo T
Bosun
Dela Cruz Richard I
AB
Valcos Ferdinand Martin A
AB
Dessai Rajesh A
Chief Cook
Valondo, Alejandro I.
Second Engineer
Devarajan Narasimharaghavan
Second Officer
Veigas Alexson J
Chief Cook
Eday Albert C
Fitter
Velasco, Antonio D.
Second Officer
Fernandes Ajit B
Bosun
Vellayikkode Jithesh C
Fitter
Fernandez Rene A
AB
Villamor Rene S
Fitter
Ferreras Ricardo S
AB
Yaun, Jose Marie V.
Issue 1 2014
23
PEOPLE
Finance embraces True North True North is an attitude, what we do every day, writes Monica Cheng, Wallem’s Manager of Group Accounts. It is not an easy task to put our True North values into words, or use a few sentences to explain what True North is. True North is an attitude, what we do every day, and is already part of our instincts. Here are some examples of where I see True North alive at Wallem: • As part of the Wallem finance community, I work with Wallem offices around the world on a daily basis. In recent years there have been many changes in international accounting standards, but the pace at which these changes are adopted varies from country to country. However, for Wallem’s Group reporting, we all must follow one set of standards. It means staff at some offices must do extra work to bridge the gap between local requirements and international standards. I am glad to be working with a very capable team which sees us as “one Wallem”, regardless of nationality or culture. With minimal explanation of the situation, our finance team instantly understood the importance of compliance to the same set of accounting standards and took that as our common objective. Open-minded discussions took place and constructive ideas Monica Cheng were exchanged. Despite requiring more work, people were happy to tune their reporting formats with additional disclosures which enable figures from different systems to speak the same language. • Last year I was in charge of an outsourcing exercise to shift part of our payment function to our BPO (Business Process Offshoring) team in the Philippines. Despite this not being a large project, our BPO team demonstrated the highest quality in their services. Apart from delivering the services as planned, the team gave suggestions to expand the scope of their services. It was a pleasure working with people who care and pay attention to your project. Both the Hong Kong and BPO teams are proud of and benefited from the project. • Every year I take part in organising the annual Wallem Finance Workshop, where the finance people around the Wallem world are welcomed to Hong Kong for accounting updates and knowledge sharing. You may not be surprised to hear me say that all helping hands I approach are enthusiastic and have a high standard of delivery. (I am sure you have the same experience working with Wallem people). The beauty is, people come to me and ask what and how they can help – and it happens many times. People do not care whether it is small (well, may be small but important!) or feel hesitant if it is big (when a large effort is needed). They see the power of team work and put it into action. Thank you, my team! These are a few examples picked from our daily life. It is our True North values that distinguish us from our peer companies in the market and let Wallem stand taller in the eyes of clients and business partners. We are living and acting True North every moment. WE are True North, WE are Wallem!
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
Wallem Staff Q&A Chief Officer Yu Yan Wei Q: What is your role/position? A: Chief Officer about to join Genco Reliance Q: Describe your job in 30 words or less. A: The chief officer is in charge of the cargo, including its safety and calculations. I am the leader of the deck department, arranging work plans and deck maintenance along with assisting the captain. Q: What is the best part of your job? A: The important responsibility I carry for the ship, owners and crew members.
people on board. Our vessel sailed to assist the rescue, providing radio communications with the shore station and instructions to the emergency vessels. I was proud to assist in the rescue operation. Q: Why do you work for Wallem? A: I know Wallem is a good quality crew manager and the management systems are of a high standard so I also know I can learn from them.
Q: What is your best memory from your career so far?
Q: Where was your last holiday destination, tell us a little about it?
A: I have been a seafarer for 12 years and in that time the most memorable event was a rescue in the Aegean Sea of a passenger ferry that was on fire with 400
A: I am away from my family for my job so when I have a vacation I like to spend time with my wife and four year old son at home in Tianjin, China.
Christina Hartmann, Fleet Personnel Superintendent, Wallem Europe Q: When did you start to work with Wallem? A: I started on the first of February 2011, so I have been a member of the Wallem Family for three years.
This was a great moment, as we all worked as a team and everybody wanted to help him.
Q: What is your role/position?
Q: Why do you work for Wallem?
A: I work as a Fleet Personnel Superintendent in the Crewing Department of Wallem Europe.
A: The opportunity arose to apply to work for Wallem and after researching and talking to my colleagues it became apparent to me that Wallem offers many opportunities for today and tomorrow. I took part in the Wallem Fleet Officer Meetings, which have always given me a great chance to meet the seafarers I only know from their CVs, and to meet the office teams of Wallem Mumbai, Westminster and Wallem Manila. On top of that I get the chance to travel to the vessels to meet the seafarers in their daily work environment. It’s very exciting to work with such an international team. And best of all: The Wallem team is never afraid to have some fun! We even entered a dragon boat race once.
Q: Describe your job in 30 words or less. A: Assessing seafarers and their eligibility to serve on board our fleet. Planning all aspects of the seafarers’ time on board from point of assignment to disembarkation. Q: What is the best part of your job? A: When the planning works and seeing that the seafarers needs have been taking care of, such as being relieved on time. Q: What is your best memory from your career (biggest achievement/proud moment)? A: I had a Master on board and I knew that he and his wife were trying for a baby, but due to whatever reasons they were not lucky. So they tried to adopt a child. One day he called me and told me that they had been approved by the adoption authorities and they would soon receive a child, so he needed to be relieved as a matter of urgency. I immediately started to find a relief for him and as everybody knew him and his story, more than one Master was willing to join. We were able to relieve him by the next day and he flew home to become a proud father.
Q: Where was your last holiday destination, tell us a little about it? A: My boyfriend and I visited Scotland, driving through Scotland for two weeks, every day pitching our tent in a different location. We went hiking, whale watching and of course we visited a lot of the old castles. Loch Ness was on our route as well, but Nessie was presently on vacation. The countryside is amazing and we hope to return one day to see more.
Issue 1 2014
25
PEOPLE
Wallem cadet graduates head of the class Wallem-sponsored Engine Cadet Arun Prasad Mane has been awarded the Commodore Murthy Rolling Trophy for Academic Excellence, coming in head of the class at the Marine Engineering Training Institute at Cochin Shipyard. “I just tried my level best,” said Arun Prasad of his success. “From my time in school I have wanted to join this field and I was focused on learning everything I could. The level of teaching at the Institute was good, which helped me learn. I also received support from Captain Manjeshwar at the Wallem Maritime Training Centre.” “My uncle is a chief engineer with Wallem, so he was an influence in choosing Wallem, but all I have heard about the company has shown it is good to work with.” Once he has received his seaman’s documentation, Arun Prasad will spend a month at the Wallem Mumbai Training Centre, learning about Wallem’s safety systems and
receiving handson training with the engine room simulator. He will then join a Engine Cadet Arun Prasad Mane with his Academic Excellence Wallem-managed certificate. vessel, receiving mentorship from ship-board staff as he gains vital on board experience. Arun Prasad said he chose the engineering field because he sees good career prospects from it. “With a mechanical degree and shipping experience I will have good opportunities later in my career. “In the future I would like to be a class surveyor.” The final step in Arun Prasad’s training will be sitting for the Mercantile Marine Exam of Competency in India, which can only be sat for after at least six months of sea training. Arun Prasad will then be a qualified engineer and Wallem will welcome him on board as a junior engineer.
Engine Cadet Arun Prasad Mane with the proud staff of the Wallem Maritime Training Centre in Mumbai.
TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
Women of Wallem community activities The Women of Wallem (WOW) chapter in Manila has been actively involved in packing relief supplies for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, including clothing and medical supplies. They made a donation of 100 Monoblock Chairs to Tampugo Elementary School, Tagudin Ilocos Sur and donated clothing to the Jose Fabella Medical Center. There is always time to celebrate and the members joined Propeller Club Scholars to celebrate Christmas. Thank you to Virgie Cuaresma, Sol Panulaya, Tina Derige, Beth Armamento, Lanie Abada, Ness Pablo, Anne Tan, Nadia Marcelino, Lilibeth Escarmoso, Imelda Del
Rosatio, Sol Panulaya, Beth Vargas, Lanie Abada for your time and commitment to WOW. WOW Chennai members spent a Sunday afternoon with the children of Safe India, a small orphanage founded in 1994. The members joined the children for lunch and then celebrated Diwali by lighting crackers. The members presented Safe India with a month’s worth of provisions and new clothes for the children. Thank you to Deepa Kirupakaran for arranging the visit and donations.
New staff members
Ben Shao, Group Learning and Development Manager
Srividya (Vidya) Thangirala, Head of Software Application Development
June Yau, Hong Kong Human Resources Manager
John Liu, Sales Manager, China
Issue 1 2014
27
HEADQUARTERS (HONG KONG) T +852 2876 8888 E group@wallem.com SHIP MANAGEMENT & TECHNICAL SERVICES T +852 2876 8200 E wsmhk@wallem.com SHIP AGENCIES & LOGISTICS T +852 2876 8500 E wshk@wallem.com COMMERCIAL SERVICES & SHIPBROKING T +852 2876 8800 E wcshk@wallem.com INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS T +852 2876 8050 E wishk@wallem.com
Delivering Maritime Solutions www.wallem.com