Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2023)

CIO IN FOCUS mulating best practices from industries outside of because of the synergies of our teams, I have a combined re- maritime has been a mantra in boardrooms and sponsibility. In a nutshell, I'm responsible for the technology conferences for decades, as traditional maritime of the company plus the data strategy and the digital journey.” mindset has, at times, been seen as an impediment “He [Tom Crowley] knows the importance of technology;

Eto achieving next-level ef? ciency. we don't have to convince him,” said Graziuso, noting that’s

Enter Erika Graziuso, Chief Information Of? cer, Crowley. not always the case as “technology can be a heavy lift from

Her tenure at Crowley and her experience in maritime a cost standpoint. When there are tensions from revenues and match: one year. But while Graziuso is short on maritime ex- the bottom line, the ? rst thing you do is to cut technology perience, she comes well-equipped with a depth and breadth costs, which is not the case here.” of digital transformation experience and accomplishments, working globally with huge, complex, organizations, includin STARTING THE 1,000-MILE JOURNEY nearly two decades with Deutsche Bank [50,000+ employees] The axiom 'a 1,000-mile journey starts with a single step' is and another ? ve at The Adecco Group [35,000+ employees], a apt in Graziuso’s case when joining the maritime industry, as

Fortune 500 company leader in the HR industry. she readily admits she had a lot to learn when looking at the

So while the transition from corporate behemoths to a me- company assets and assessing the job to connect them.

dium-sized American company might not seem the most logi- “In my mind the ship was like a building, and the only cal move, Graziuso saw opportunity aplenty, starting with the difference was that one is ? oating [with 30-40 people in it], roots of this iconic U.S. maritime company. another is attached to the ground.” In looking at it from that “There were a few things that attracted me to shift my ca- perspective, she questioned the complexity and amount of in- reer from huge European companies to a U.S. medium sized vestment.

company in a completely different industry,” said Graziuso. But it didn’t take her long to realize that here initial percep-

The ? rst was the legacy of the company itself, started by one tion was wrong.

man with one boat in 1892, building a legacy and a family “I realized that it's not just a ? oating building, it's much company that has not only withstood the test of time and gen- more complex from many points of view. The ? rst one is our erations, it has ? ourished and grown to be a brand and culture crew, the mariners and the people that spend their time on the leader in the sector. vessel. They do not consider it just a building, but their house, “I was fascinated by the idea of how it is to be in a company too,” said Graziuso. where there is this concept of being a family. Obviously, we Also, in the case of a physical building, if there’s an IT are professional, but still there is this strong concept of be- problem the connection to the building can be cut overnight or longing to a legacy.” over the weekend. “That's a concept you cannot apply on the

In tandem, she was intrigued to jump into an industry that vessel, because it's not just work, it's their life and they need was far from its peak of digital transformation. “The banking to be connected” she said, particularly the new generation that started its technology transformation years ago due to regula- “is born with a cell phone in their hand. In the past [24/7 high tion, competition, and market pressure,” said Graziuso, seeing speed connectivity] was a luxury, now it is a ‘must,’” and in her new job with Crowley and maritime as more creation than fact, foundational to the digitalization journey. re? nement of digital transformation. Courtesy of easy access to the ships, captains and crew,

Last, but certainly not least, she gives props to her new Graziuso quickly changed her initital perception and “heard boss, his forward-looking perspective and his vision to build loud and clear” that having a high-speed network available on the organization’s 130-year legacy, as well as his penchant 24/7/365 was a 'must have.' She considers the connectivity a to not simply ‘talk the talk’ but to also ‘walk the walk’ in terms foundational element in building Crowley’s digital pyramid, a of real and meaningful investment. “The long-term strategy mandate that is being carried out today. By the end of the year that Tom Crowley has in mind, not just for shipping but for nearly every vessel in the ? eet will be connected this way.

all business lines, is forward looking and exciting; it is with While high-speed connectivity is an imperative to attract feet on the ground and eyes on the sky. It's a balance between and retain mariners, it’s a business priority too, enabling the being practical in what we are doing today, but having an eye entire crew to stop working in of? ine silos, waiting to upload on the future.” or transmit only when close to shore where high-speed con-

So today Graziuso sits at the helm of Crowley’s digital nectivity was traditionally had.

transformation across business lines. “It's the infrastructure, In this regard, Crowley has evolved to Starlink with Inmar- it's the technology to enable the business growth, it's data, it's sat as a back-up, helping to digitalize onboard processes and everything that is related to digital journey,” she said. “Unlike create a seamless, always-on work? ow as if the crew were sit- big organization where they have these roles split in three C ting on their desktops and laptops on shore. Having a back-up levels – CDO, CIO and CTO – because of our size, and also system is also key to ensuring safety at sea, and when it comes 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2023

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