Page 14: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2026)

FEATURE INTERVIEW

HAYATO

SUGA,

PRESIDENT & CEO,

CLASSNK

By Greg Trauthwein

All images courtesy ClassNK lassi? cation societies have always occupied a industries, such as the automotive sector, I deliberately chose this unique position in maritime: technical arbiters, ? eld. Rather than focusing on a narrow area of specialization, I rule makers, certi? ers, and, increasingly, strate- was motivated by a desire to contribute to the maritime industry gic advisors helping shipowners navigate some as a more comprehensive ? eld. For that reason, I aspired to build

Cof the most consequential decisions in ship- a career in classi? cation, where I believed I could gain broad ping’s and shipbuilding’s history. As maritime grapples with experience and make meaningful contributions to society.” decarbonization mandates, digital transformation, automa- That thinking naturally led him to classi? cation.

tion, and the growing in? uence of arti? cial intelligence, that “I wanted a more comprehensive role,” Suga said, explain- role is becoming both broader and more complex. ing that classi? cation offered exposure not only to ship design

For ClassNK, one of the world’s largest and leading classi? - and survey work, but also regulation, certi? cation, develop- cation societies, the challenge is not simply keeping pace with ment and broader industry engagement.

industry change, but helping de? ne how that change unfolds. That long view has culminated in him taking the top lead-

For President and CEO Hayato Suga, who took the helm ership role of a storied organization that today spans roughly just over a year ago after nearly four decades with the orga- 130 of? ces worldwide, employs approximately 2,000 peo- nization, the industry’s current moment is unlike anything he ple, and classi? es about 9,700 vessels totaling roughly 280 has seen in his career. million gross tons, placing it among the world’s largest clas-

Suga hails from Hiroshima and graduated Hiroshima Uni- si? cation societies.

versity, joining ClassNK in 1986. “This was a time when the But sheer scale is only part of the story. The larger question maritime industry was facing a signi? cant downturn,” said Suga. is how classi? cation evolves as shipping itself is fundamen- “While many of my classmates chose to pursue careers in other tally rede? ned.

14 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • June 2026

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