Page 8: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q1 2015)

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EDITOR’S DESK

Managing the Human Element oo many times, we are simply not aware of what we do not know. That said; if the ? rst quarter of 2015 brings only one thing into crystal clear focus, then that would probably involve the reality that the human element of maritime

T operations is the glue that holds the entire business model together. At the same time, any ? aws or faults in this aspect of your far ? ung, waterborne enterprise are sure to take you down. The days of merely ? nding someone to wander up your gangway to meet minimum crewing requirements is certainly over. The advent of the Standards of Training, Certi? cation and Watchkeeping (STCW) is a big part of that equation, but it is by no means the only variable in play.

The right seafarer won’t be cheap, he or she won’t be easy to ? nd and once here, that individual will need to be trained and veri? ed as competent. If only it were that easy.

You may ? nd, more often than not, your (considerable) investment in human resources walking back down that gangway and onto someone else’s platform. Beyond this, it probably won’t be for the usual reasons. Within this issue of MarPro, we examine the ins and outs of recruitment, retention, training and what makes all of that tick. You might just be surprised at what you did not previously know.

Separately, and even in a precarious energy environment that has impacted if not upset some previously solid business models, the white knight known simply as LNG is still in the mix. Coming and already enforceable environmental standards for the maritime industry are (slowly) moving some players towards LNG as a fuel. The ever changing, geopolitical landscape will make sure of that. Through it all, innovation is the key, bol- stered by a 50-year safety record unmatched in any other sector. Once peeled away, the misconceptions that remain about LNG, its transport and technology, will eventually evaporate like the boil-off consumed by a ship from its transocean lique? ed cargo. That story begins on page 46.

Because not all “maritime professionals” work at sea, this edition also pro? les the necessary (and enormously interesting) work done by marine insurance professionals everywhere. In particular, a look at the role of the marine surveyor in the realm of marine underwriting is a fascinating journey into a curious, but entirely necessary career path.

But, what PJ Jacquelin does for Barney and Barney – a Marsh & McLennan Agency

LLC Company since 2012 – cannot necessarily be described in the context of simple survey work. Addressing marine risk from all angles, and leading his ? rm’s Global Ma- rine Practice Group, Jacquelin weaves an interesting mix of of? ce and ? eld work into a career built on many layers, including but not limited to, at sea commercial experience,

U.S. Coast Guard service and even time spent as an instructor at the California Maritime

Academy. As you turn the pages, you’ll come to understand that, for this maritime pro- fessional, there is ‘no risk in a curious career path.’

Joseph Keefe, Editor | [email protected] 8 Maritime Professional 1Q 2015I I