Page 34: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2021)

SHIP DESIGN CLASSIFICATION

Interview:

Kevin Humphreys,

Marine and Of shore President, the Americas, Lloyd’s Register

With $1 billion in turnover and 7,100 employees globally, Lloyd’s Register is on a mission to grow. Earlier this summer it tapped Kevin Humphreys to lead its Americas business, and he interviewed with Maritime Reporter TV to discuss the path ahead.

By Greg Trauthwein were never asking before, looking for counsel (on issues) that

Kevin, looking at the Americas, where is Lloyd’s Register they never asked before.

traditionally strongest?

Traditionally, the maritime lending industry was always very

One of our core business sectors in the Americas is the cruise sector (with about 35% of global construction market staid and in the background. You weren’t concerned who an owner’s lenders were. You weren’t concerned who an owner’s share). We also have a large presence in Canada, (as the Ca- nadian Navy and Coast Guard) rely heavily on LR for their main customers, charters, or bene? cial cargo owners were. That building standards and risk management. Lastly, I would has totally changed. All of these parties now need advice; to understand (and manage) the risk. So, the conversations have (broadly categorize) complex projects in the offshore sector.

changed (among all key stakeholders to better manage risk).

That’s the context of what’s going on, and one of the biggest

When you look at LR in the Americas, where do you see pieces of that, I think, is the digital world. How do I squeeze weakness, and what is your strategy to improve?

out ef? ciencies? How do I reduce emissions? How do I have

That’s a fair question. One of the places we’re investing sig- ni? cantly is platforms, digital platforms, both on our internal compliance that’s fair and equitable across the board? Digital processes, and as that ? ows out to the external processes for technology help to do that (and more).

If you think about charter party agreements, they’re essen- our customers. We want to be able to deliver bread-and-butter tially unchanged for 300 years: “Get my cargo from A to B services to our customers seamlessly, painlessly and ef? cient- ly. I’m used to being in companies with great, smart, technical at a certain delivery date.” Well, can we make that dynamic? people, very smart engineers, very good at what they do. But Can the port send signals based on traf? c that adjusts the char- you need to create a cultural where they understand what they ter party agreement electronically using data? These are the do in terms of the value of the clients. We’re selling expertise places where digital can really impact an operation. I have a unique perspective on digital as it leads into this change. I to help our clients grow. lived in New York for ? ve years, and at the time I was in law enforcement, not the maritime world. At the time, New York

With decarbonization, digitalization and autonomy,

City and Mayor Giuliani really wanted to drive down crime maritime is at an interesting crossroads. What are LR rates, so they instituted a tool called CompStat. Now Comp-

America’s priorities in the coming years?

This is really a dynamic regulatory environment, and the Stat is not horribly sophisticated by today’s standards, but the idea was, for the ? rst time, I’m collecting data so I can under- environmental concerns have radically changed. You see in- dividuals in risk counterparties to deals asking questions they stand relationships; when I do something here, what happens 34 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2021

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