20 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2014
MARITIME CAREERS
Start at sea, then scale the heights ‘Restless momentum’ is a buzz phrase at Bibby Ship Management, and it certainly applies to the firm’s new managing director, finds Debbie Cavaldoro
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Everybody’s love of the maritime industry develops in a different way. Many people have family or friends already working at sea, some have been messing around on boats from a young age, but for others it is the opportunity to travel the world that sets off a chain reaction which can lead anywhere. ‘When I left university with a business degree and didn’t know what I wanted to do,’ explains Mark Robertshaw of Bibby Ship Management. ‘So I began phoning round companies on the Isle of Man where I’m from, asking to meet the managing directors and find out more about their industry. ‘Looking back, it could appear rather conceited or even naïve phoning the heads of the various businesses in the banking, insurance, retail and leisure sector asking for their valuable time, but I simply wanted to find out what their businesses did and what they liked about their job and thought this would be the best route. Surprisingly, it worked and everyone I spoke to was really helpful. ‘I managed to get a meeting with Captain Nigel Malpass, who was the managing director
of Bibby International Services. Unfortunately it was at 9am on the day after my 21st birthday so I’m not sure I was looking my best, but when I walked into his office I saw all these fantastic photographs on his walls that he had taken when he had been away at sea. ‘He told me all these stories about his time at sea and onshore management and from that point I knew a career in shipping was for me.’ Following this meeting Mark took an MSc post-graduate course in International Shipping at Plymouth University and then set out to discover the world. ‘Unfortunately I found it quite hard to get my first job in shipping and started in the finance sector to pay the bills, but luckily an opportunity arose on the Isle of Man for a trainee shipbroker and I put my best foot forward and got my first break in shipping,’ he adds. ‘However, I was determined to see the world by this point — it was the global nature of the business that had attracted me in the first place. ‘I eventually saw an advert for a management trainee in Singapore and jumped at the chance. I got an interview with the owners of Seaconsortium, a Singaporean
Advice service for seafarers and their families
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I think seafaring has something especially great to offer young people
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ship owner and operator, and got a job which would move me to Asia. ‘Seaconsortium’s management programme involved getting managers onto ships to experience what the seafarers have to go through and the operational differences of different types of vessels and ports, which I think is invaluable. I got to know a lot about the ports in Asia and life onboard!’
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Mark had only been in Mumbai for two months when his line manager left, leaving him in charge. Another six months later and Mark was switched to the head office in Singapore. He then moved to Hapag Lloyd’s offices in Singapore and was now travelling round the world for a living — just as he had wanted. A few more years later and he made another
bold move — to invest in, and sett up, the Asian HQ of the maritime e recruitment company Fastream,, in Singapore. One of his clientss was Bibby Ship Management,, who eventually offered him thee chance to move back to the Isle of Man. ‘When you grow up in a small town you want to see the world, and when you travel the world it’s nice to come back home,’ he admits. ‘By this time I had three children who had all been born in Singapore, but my wife and I both have family on the Isle of Man so we travelled there a lot and the boys knew the area.’ Mark still travels a great deal in his new role, looking after Western Europe, and believes that going ‘full circle’ has bought him the best of both worlds. ‘The company and the role give me the international business opportunities and the chance to continue working with different countries and different cultures, which I love,’ he says. ‘“Restless momentum” is one of our key values and I think that also describes me very well. The company give me a lot of autonomy to develop the parts of the business I work for and understand. I have worked for both large multinationals and small start-ups and Bibby Ship Management combines those two to give employees and clients the best of both worlds. It may well be this ‘restless momentum’ which saw Bibby
Bibby Ship Management managing director Mark Robertshaw
Line Group’s profits rise rapidly between 2008 and 2012, a time when almost all other companies were being affected by the global down-turn. The Group is made up of nine inter-linked sectors including supply chain services, shipping and retail. It owns businesses as diverse as financial services and retail chain Costcutter. Bibby Ship Management itself provides services including crew management and supply, training, marine and offshore surveying, consultancy and travel. Mark contributes the success of the ship management side of the business to the high quality of service from the company. ‘We are looking to grow the offshore side of the ship management business where quality and safety are key,’ he adds. ‘We have been around for long enough that clients know they can trust us. It is difficult to develop that kind of reputation from scratch. Word of mouth is a big factor; we get enquiries coming directly to us all the time.’ Despite the huge growth in recent years, Mark has no intention of slowing down the development of the business. ‘We are experts in our field and understand the differences between separate offshore areas
which all come under different legislation,’ he says. ‘It’s a different business to running deepsea ships. ‘Shipping is such a great business to be in. Even if it isn’t as well paid as other sectors, travelling round the world and meeting different people from different cultures and countries is great. ‘I am proof that you don’t need to have family in the industry or any connection with it — you can just get the qualifications and get out there,’ he adds. ‘I think seafaring has something especially great to offer young people. There is paid training and rotations tend to be shorter these days so the work/ family balance is much better. Many seafarers can be at home half the year which compares very favourably with office workers who don’t get much time in the evenings and so only really spend time with family at the weekend. With internet access at sea improving all the time it’s not even as cut-off when you are away. ‘Then, in as little as five years, if you decide you don’t want to stay at sea there are so many opportunities to use your unique skills in shore-based jobs,’ he concludes. ‘The experience gained at sea can pay dividends for many years.’
FREE, FAST & CONFIDENTIAL SAIL is an advice service operated by Greenwich Citizens Advice Bureau on behalf of the Seamen’s Hospital Society. We provide information, advice and support to serving and retired merchant seafarers, fishermen and their families on a wide range of issues including:
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We also provide specialist support to other agencies and currently take RN referrals from the White Ensign Association. CONTACT US FOR ADVICE Phone: 08457 413 318 (Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 4.00pm) Fax: 020 8269 0794 Email: admin@sailine.org.uk Post: PO Box 45234, Greenwich, London SE10 9WR
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Mark Robertshaw speaking at a Mersey Maritime event last month
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