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and maintenance areas. And, he’s spent time at sea, watching the bridge teams interact with one another and with the pilot. “The job is very operational and I love getting to be able to get back to sea again,” says Burke.

On the Job: Job ONE

Burke today reports to Carnival COO

Alan Buckelew. In the new role, his per- formance will be benchmarked against several measurable criteria. And, Burke hit the ground running in December. “We’re trying to make sure we don’t have major fi res. We’re working hard on getting the right prevention and sup- pression systems in place. Part of that is training: teaching the crew how to use their gear, when to use it and not to be afraid to use it. Carnival instituted formal bridge resource management procedures a couple of years ago and from what I’ve seen, it is working very well. Part of that is getting away from the master who is autocratic and dictatorial and where his subordinates are unwilling to question what he does. The bridge offi cers need to work as a team and I see progress on that. Clearly, the company is focused on health, safety and the environmental issues – otherwise, they wouldn’t have hired me for this position.”

Cross Training & New Opportunities

Burke’s value to his new employer runs far deeper than simple experience and/or skill sets. That’s because the U.S.

Navy and the global merchant fl eets do things differently. Burke sees opportu- nities for his deck and engine crews to learn lessons from his military counter- parts and, he says, there are more than a few things that the Navy could learn from the commercial sector. He explains, “Today, there’s a far greater reliance on technology than you and I may have seen years ago. In both places, there are peo- ple who are reluctant to go to electronic chart system, but that’s changing. One of the things the Navy does better than the cruise industry is train – in simula- tors, putting mariners in situations where www.maritimeprofessional.com | Maritime Professional | 21

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