Press Releases
KPI Workshops Explain Measurement System
A system of measurable standards for the shipping industry is being outlined to a wider maritime audience during a series of workshops being held this month by the InterManager-led KPI Association in Europe and the Far East.
A workshop was held at the Digital Shipping event in Hamburg, Germany, and a seminar for invited guests in Copenhagen at the beginning of February and this week (w/c Feb 13) several workshops are being held in Singapore, with more planned throughout this year.
InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry, is using the workshops as a means of communicating a better understanding of how the measurement system works, including explanations of the performance indicators being used and the process of collecting data.
In Singapore this week InterManager Secretary General Kuba Szymanski, together with InterManager vice president George Hoyt and Markus Schmitz, Managing Director of SoftImpact, led the first full day workshop which was held at the offices of V.Ships (courtesy of V.Ships Singapore Managing Director, Captain Satnam Kumar). He said: “This is a good opportunity for us to talk to current and potential users of the KPI system and explain the benefits first hand as well as addressing common misconceptions. It is also good to hear actual users of the system explaining how they are benefiting from it and have them share their experiences with the wider industry.”
Workshops on the 14th and 15th of September are being held in association GVF – UK EMP during the Maritime Insights conference at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore.
In addition, InterManager has establishes an Asia-based KPI support network to enable users to share best practice and other information. More information on the KPI Association can be found on the website: www.shipping-kpi.org
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Notes To Editors:
The Shipping KPI Standard was developed with shipping companies and maritime organisations and introduces a global shipping industry standard for defining, measuring and reporting information on operational performance in order to:
boost performance improvements internally in companies engaged in the ship operation activities,
provide an efficient communication platform of ship operation performance to internal and external stakeholders.
InterManager President Made Fellow of Nautical Institute
Alastair Evitt, current President of international ship management association InterManager, has been made a Fellow of The Nautical Institute.
Mr Evitt, Managing Director of Meridian Marine Management, is set to be formally presented with his Certificate of Fellowship at this Thursday’s Annual General Meeting of the North West England & North Wales Branch of The Nautical Institute in Liverpool (Feb 16).
Rear Admiral JS Lang FNI, chairman of the Council’s Fellowship Committee, said: “Fellowship of The Nautical Institute is only awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to nautical science, the nautical profession and/or the objectives of the Institute.”
Mr Evitt said: “It is a great honour to be made a Fellow of The Nautical Institute and I will use my best efforts to further the work of the institute and actively contribute to its work.”
InterManager Starts The Year With Expansion
InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry, has started 2012 with significant expansion.
In the first month of this year InterManager has welcomed two Full Members – ship management companies Histria and Green Wave – and two Associate Members – international law firm Hill Dickinson and crew communications provider SMART Link.
And building on this momentum, InterManager has appointed Captain Paddy McKnight to the role of its International Maritime Organisation Permanent representative. InterManager was previously represented at the IMO by Svein Sorlie of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA, who has now retired from shipping.
Captain William (Paddy) McKnight spent 37 years in the Royal Navy, during which time he Commanded three warships – HMS Shetland (an offshore fishery protection vessel) and frigates HMS Leander and HMS Brave – and was second-in-command of The Royal Yacht Britannia. He was later Captain of the Royal Navy Presentation Team followed by a diplomatic posting as Naval Attaché to Rome, Italy.
On leaving the Royal Navy he spent 15 years as the UK representative at The Japanese Shipowners’ Association which entailed interaction with all the leading shipping trade organisations as well as the IMO. In particular, he was a member of the shipowners’ delegation throughout the genesis and development of the Maritime Labour Convention at the ILO in Geneva. Capt. McKnight was promoted Lieutenant of The Victorian Order in 1985 and subsequently appointed as a Gentleman Usher to HM The Queen in 1999.
InterManager Secretary General Captain Kuba Szymanski said: “We are delighted to welcome Paddy to InterManager’s team and look forward to working with him. He is an industry veteran with the characteristics we believe this position demands and his presence at the IMO will enable us to ensure our organisation is fully appraised of key industry matters and that our members views are suitably represented.”
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Notes to Editors:
• Histria Shipmanagement manages a fleet comprising nine modern shallow draft, high cbm, fuel efficient 41,000 dwt oil-chemical tankers, including two newbuildings under construction at Constanta Shipyard. Future plans include the building of two 50,000 dwt shallow draft, high cubic, fuel efficient eco-design oil/chemical tankers scheduled for delivery in 2013.
• Formed in 1992, Histria Shipmanagement is part of the Histria Group of Companies and encompasses a network of corporate vehicles engaged in ship management, chartering, operation, crewing, repairs and upgrading, technical maintenance and safety at sea for a growing fleet of tankers, bulk carriers and general cargo vessels ranging from 3,000 to 164,000 dwt and totalling an aggregate of more than 650,000 tdw.
• The Romanian-based company was amongst the first European shipping companies awarded the International Safety Management Certificate IMO A 741(18) by Germanischer Lloyd in October 1997. The company has recently updated and restructured its Integrated Management System to give added value to its capabilities to manage a modern fleet.
• Green Wave Shipping Pte Ltd is a Singapore-registered company managing a small fleet of modern stainless steel chemical tankers. The company is a subsidiary of Koyo Kaiun Co. Ltd.
• Hill Dickinson’s international marine, trade and energy practice encompasses more than 100 dedicated marine legal experts based in London, Piraeus, Singapore, Liverpool and Manchester. The practice comprises four teams – yacht, shipping, commodities, and cargo, freight and logistics. Each of the marine teams works closely with an international network of maritime lawyers, marine surveyors, investigators and loss adjusters to provide the complete marine legal service 24/7.
• Hill Dickinson’s enrolment enables InterManager to reacquaint themselves with former member Ian Maclean who has now moved to Hill Dickinson having previously been with Ince & Co.
• Philippines-based SMART Link provides satellite communication for the maritime industry with an estimated 120,000 active subscribers. Backed by telecommunication company SMART Communications Inc, SMART Link serves seafarers in the Asia-Pacific region, Indian Ocean, Middle East and parts of Europe and America and is installed on some 7,500 vessels.
Care For Crew As Well As Environment Says InterManager
Modern corporate social responsibility should include measures to care for crew as well as the environment, says InterManager Secretary General Captain Kuba Szymanski.
Discussing corporate social responsibility (CSR) at this year’s InterManager Annual General Meeting, Capt. Szymanski said: “People talk of ‘hugging trees’, I say let’s hug seafarers first!”
Urging ship managers to embrace crew concerns when implementing a CSR programme, Capt. Szymanski asked: “Why do we care more about birds and whales than we do about seafarers?”
Demonstrating the effects of increasing amounts of legislation, former ship’s Master Capt. Szymanski stripped off an item of clothing for each official law that audience members’ could call out – stopping after tearing off his jacket and tie to the relief of amused delegates attending InterManager’s AGM in Manila, Philippines this week.
“Educate do not regulate,” Capt. Szymanski urged international organisations like the IMO and EU, vowing to ensure InterManager members will work to self-regulate to ensure mandatory regulation is minimised. He later explained: “I am all in favour of protecting wildlife and the environment of course but I want to make sure that it is achievable and manageable. I am a great believer in empowering ships’ crew and Masters to make sensible and correct operational decisions onboard without fear of unfair criminalisation.”
InterManager members, who already sign up to a Code of Conduct, are actively involved in discussions about industry-wide initiatives such as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and corporate social responsibility. Capt. Szymanski told them: “In my opinion CSR goes hand in hand with the KPI project.”
We Must Protect Crews From Horrors Of Piracy Says InterManager President
The “horrors” of piracy have dominated the first year of Meridian Marine Management Managing Director Alastair Evitt’s first year in his role as President of InterManager, the international trade association for the shipmanagement industry.
Summing up his first year representing the world’s third-party and in-house ship managers, Mr Evitt told the InterManager Annual General Meeting today (November 15th) that the fight against global piracy is a priority for his presidency and praised the way the shipping industry has united to fight it.
“With 273 seafarers held hostage at this time, I feel it is appropriate to acknowledge the horrors of international piracy,” Mr Evitt said. “This issue has brought the shipping industry together.” He praised industry initiatives, particularly the Save Our Seafarers campaign and the work of the Maritime Piracy Human Response Programme, and highlighted InterManager’s campaign urging Flag States to allow ship owners and managers the “freedom to choose” whether they wish to deploy armed guards onboard during transits through piracy zones like the Indian Ocean.
Mr Evitt, who has completed the first year of his two-year term of office, said: “Our sea staff are the backbone of our industry and their safety and well being are a primary concern for InterManager.” He also described the process of releasing pirates captured by naval forces as “appalling” and stressed the importance of “reducing the effectiveness of motherships” and of the international community putting in place credible measures to trace and criminalise the financiers of international piracy.
InterManager members have gathered in Manila, Philippines, for today’s AGM. Members will discuss key shipmanagement issues including piracy, the growth of maritime security providers, corporate social responsibility, crew manning and training, in addition to hearing updates on the industry-wide Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Project.
InterManager Welcomes David Cameron’s Call For Armed Guards On UK Flagged Ships
InterManager (an active member of the Save our Seafarers (SOS) campaign) is, after months of campaigning, delighted to hear the public vilification of piracy issued by the UK Government. The SOS campaign has strived to bring recognition of the horrific and detrimental effect of Somali piracy to both Governmental and public awareness.
Alastair Evitt, President of InterManager, said that it was a quantum leap in public perception to hear the issue of piracy and merchant shipping addressed by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron so openly and frankly. Mr Cameron told the BBC yesterday: “Somali piracy is a complete stain on our world.”
InterManager has campaigned for the freedom of Owners and Managers to choose to deploy armed guards onboard ships they manage. The UK Government’s recognition of the value of armed guards and the right of the owner and manager to deploy them, in the right circumstances and in accordance with BMP4, is a great lead by the UK government and it is InterManager’s firm belief that this stance should be adopted by all flags and charterers that still do not openly support it.
InterManager re-iterates its position that it is not calling for every vessel to have armed guards onboard, rather that when a detailed risk assessment deems this the preferred option, then individual flag state legislation or charter party clauses should not obstruct Owners and/or Managers in taking this decision.
InterManager further supports ongoing initiatives to licence the companies providing armed guards (based on qualification, competence and experience), to define the rules of engagement in the event of a pirate attack and to control the type and flow of weapons deployed both onboard and while in transit to and from vessels.
InterManager Supports Industry Campaign Movie In Battle Against Somali Piracy
SOS SaveOurSeafarers, a high profile, shipping industry anti-piracy campaign is taking its message to celluloid with the launch of a short video highlighting the human and economic cost of Somali piracy.
The six-minute video highlights the significant threat of Somali piracy attacks for the worldwide seafarer community and potentially for world trade itself.
The video, which is also posted on YouTube, uses a mixture of hard-hitting real life interviews, and the latest technology to create a hard-hitting action sequence where a ship is captured and hostages taken. This is followed by a harrowing testimony from a former hostage, and comments from the EUNAVFOR Chief of Staff, and from InterManager President Alastair Evitt, representing the SOS Steering Committee.
Commenting on the video, Mr Evitt said: “This footage and the personal testimony from the seafarer are very thought-provoking. I urge everyone to visit the SOS website and to support this vital campaign to help raise international awareness and encourage world leaders to do more to eradicate piracy. We cannot allow our seafarers to endure this treatment!”
In the video footage Mr Evitt advises viewers to click on the SOS website link to send a letter to their national politicians. He says: “Send a letter – it will make a difference!”
Bill Box from SaveOurSeafarers, commented: “Whilst recent incidents such as the high-profile kidnappings of Judith Tebutt and Marie Dedieu have put the issue in the headlines, these two incidents barely scrape the surface of this ongoing crisis.
“Seafarers have been constantly under threat from Somali pirates for the last five years, with at times more than 800 innocent seafarers being held hostage for months on end in appalling conditions and facing mental and physical torture at the hands of their captors. Piracy costs the global economy as much as £12billion a year and continues to threaten key transport routes through the Indian Ocean.”
The SOS campaign, launched in March 2011, is made up of the largest ever grouping of international seafarers’ organisations, shipping companies and shipping industry associations. It has already received backing from the British, Philippine and Georgian governments and has seen support from 180 countries.
Full information on the campaign can be found at www.saveourseafarers.com
The video can also be viewed by the following direct link:
The Problem Of Piracy Affects Us All
InterManager Welcomes Bibby Shipmanagement
InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry, is delighted to welcome Bibby Ship Management Ltd to its membership.
Located in Liverpool, Bibby Ship Management Ltd provides a quality assured comprehensive technical management service to the international marine industry. The firm’s parent company, Bibby Line Group Limited, has been established for 200 years and appreciates investment in long-term results and commitment to core values – aims which chime well with InterManager’s aims and objectives.
Between them InterManager’s members are involved in the management of more than 4,370 ships and almost 250,000 crew members.
Alastair Evitt, InterManager President, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bibby Shipmanagement to InterManager’s growing membership. Our members are actively involved in achieving global standards across the industry. Working together and sharing best practice is a hallmark of InterManager membership and we look forward to involving Bibby in our discussions and activities.”
Martin Kent, Managing Director of Bibby Ship Management’s Liverpool and Singapore offices, commented: “Over the past fourteen years Bibby Ship Management has expanded its operations globally within the various disciplines that encompass ship management so it was natural for us to consider joining InterManager. We are pleased to have been given this opportunity and look forward to being an active member within the association.”
InterManager Calls For Freedom Of Choice In Deploying Armed Guards Onboard Ship
InterManager members have called for more proactive methods to be developed in the protection of ships transiting pirate-infested trade lanes by launching a campaign to allow owners and third party managers the freedom of choice in employing armed guards onboard ships they manage.
The InterManager campaign, which has received more than 90% support from its members, proposes to lobby Flag States and Charterers to review their rules relating to armed guards onboard ship.
It claims that any decision taken to provide armed guards should be based on a robust risk assessment of each vessel and its transit and should be in accordance with the guidance set out in Best Management Practices 4 (BMP4) – the recently produced IMO guidelines on the employment of armed guards. Such decisions should be unhindered by restrictive Flag State legislation or Charter Party agreements.
Pressure for greater protection of ships transiting danger areas such as the Gulf of Aden and the NW Indian Ocean has grown following concerns over the effectiveness of naval operations in the area. Notwithstanding the efforts of the international community’s naval forces deployed in the area since 2008, more than 3,500 seafarers have been taken hostage by pirates with around 60 dying as a result of their captivity.
InterManager, whose members include ship managers as well as crew managers, is keen to give all support possible to protect its seafarers from the mental and physical torture, degrading treatment, food deprivation and dehydration, that those held hostage suffer.
InterManager believes the shipping industry needs to work closer with those flag administrations, oil majors and bulk charterers who prohibit owners from protecting their assets in the manner to which they believe they should be protected. The current situation creates a disparity between those companies free to involve armed private security and those who are prevented from utilising this option, so increasing unnecessary risk for their crews.
Alastair Evitt, InterManager President, said: “At the end of the day it is the welfare of our crew members and their families that is at stake and there can never be too many initiatives running in parallel to address this disgraceful situation.
“Pirates are demanding increasingly larger ransoms as a result of which many ships are being held hostage for longer periods while owners attempt to negotiate deals. This can inevitably cause more personal stress to those captured and their families.
“InterManager believes the shipmanagement sector has to utilise all tools available to it to stop ships being hijacked. Statistics to date demonstrate that no ship carrying armed guards has been captured,” he said.
InterManager Announces The Development Completion Of The KPI Project
InterManager, the international trade association for the shipmanagement industry, is pleased to officially announce the completion of the development phase of its six-year project to produce an industry-wide performance measurement tool. Now the Project is set to be rolled-out to the worldwide shipping industry.
Working with The Norwegian Research Council , Marintek, Wilhelmsen ASA and a wide range of Industry Stakeholders, InterManager has developed a global shipping industry standard for defining, measuring and reporting information on operational performance.
The Shipping KPI Project proposes a global shipping industry standard for defining, measuring and reporting information on operational performance in order to boost performance improvements internally in companies engaged in ship operation activities and provide an efficient communication platform about ship operation performance information to internal and external stakeholders through increased transparency.
InterManager President Alastair Evitt, Managing Director of Meridian Marine Management Limited, announced this milestone at a lunchtime reception at the London offices of the International Maritime Organisation today (June 21st). “I am delighted that InterManager members, in collaboration with many industry stakeholders, have been able to bring this comprehensive new measurement system to the worldwide maritime industry. It has taken a great many hours of work and a huge commitment from our membership and other stakeholders to develop the KPI Project and we look forward to working with all industry stakeholders to ensure it grows into a widely used tool that contributes to placing safety and quality firmly at the heart of the shipmanagement process,” he said.
George Hoyt, InterManager Vice President and chairman of the InterManager KPI committee, gave thanks to all members of the InterManager KPI working group and stakeholders. He said, “The KPI project is the greatest example of ‘team work in shipping’ that I have ever been involved in. Every member of the InterManager KPI working group, and the stakeholders who participated in the project, have made valuable contributions. The position we are at today could have only happened with their extraordinary level of cooperation and their common goal of self improvement by creating solutions through collaboration.
He added: “This tool can help us achieve higher levels of effective communication that will lead to greater levels of safety for our seafarers and efficiency for all operators. Given the proper support, this voluntary initiative will be a giant step forward in the industry’s journey towards continuous self improvement and higher levels of safety. Increased levels of transparency will also help us overcome many of the challenges that currently exist in boosting the image of the shipping industry.”
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Notes To Editors:
The Shipping KPI Standard – Key Facts:
• A voluntary industry initiative
• Proactive relative to regulators
• Meeting future transparency requirements
• Informing public opinion
• Provide consistent external performance communication
• Indicating policy and regulatory implementation effects
• Internal improvement
• Fleet/industry benchmarking
• Performance based contracting
