SHIPoWneRS/SHIPMAnGeMent


managing globalto local


Taking over the helm at Maersk Line’sAsia – Pacific regional office in Singapore, at the beginning of November last year was Thomas Riber Knudsen. Knudsen moved from a role in China


with the Danish giant to oversee a diverse region that spans emerging markets such as Cambodia to mature economies like Australia.As regional ceo Knudsen’s area of responsibility covers SoutheastAsia and Australasia,with Maersk choosing to manage NortheastAsia separately. In terms of what the role of regional


office is Knudsen says it is not to micro manage each individual territory but to bridge the gap between a local country and the global business and vice versa. “We want to be sure our local


organisations have a global way of working, but we also think its important to retain a local touch and therefore our local organisations are quite empowered with the things they do,” he says. Reflecting this the regional organisation


in Singapore is a small set-up of just 10 people.“It is a very lean regional


management structure,we have decided to focus on having the empowerment out in each individual country,” Knudsen explains. A common area of priority in the region


though is the ease of doing business with Maersk, be that the handling of phonecalls or operational aspects.“The thing we can do something about, and need to do something about is the ease of business.We look at each country and how we do things,” he says. In terms of where the company sees


growth opportunities in the region Knudsen believes these are present across the board, although certain emerging markets do stand out.“There are some obvious growth areas likeVietnam and Indonesia,” he says.Vietnam has been targeted for business growth by many container shipping lines, as its export manufacturing business grows rapidly and its first deepwater container terminal capacity has become operational over the last two years. But he also sees growth in less obvious


markets.“Cambodia is a much smaller market, but there are certainly opportunities


for growth in textile and garment market,” he says. In the Philippines there are opportunities in the export of bananas, which are shifting from reefer ships to containers. In the more matureAustralian market specific opportunities are seen for southbound growth.“I believe there are pockets of opportunity everywhere,” Knudsen says.


regionalambitionS


V.Group controls the world’s largest shipmanagerV.Ships, however,while being the biggest manager globally their presence inAsia is relatively small, compared to many of the other big managers in the region. Based out of its regional headquarters in


Singapore,V.Group has major plans to grow its shipmanagement business in the region and also other areas it is involved in such as technical supervision. “If you look at the shift in ownership in


tonnage clearly we ought to be aspiring to have a fleet that reflects the structure of ownership across the global fleet.We are some way short of that,” says Clive Richardson, coo ofV.Group. As of early this yearV.Ships had 53 ships


under management inAsia and expects to see this number grow.Growth is anticipated to include eight 14,100 teu capacity boxships from China Shipping. “We are


attracted to the region and if we can continue our growth we can get up to the same level as our competitors,” he says. To achieve major growth a major


acquisition could well be on the cards at some point in the next few years.“Our aim is probably both organic growth and acquisitions. I would say we would be looking to make an acquisition within a three year window,” Richardson explains.


“That would have to be one that was


transformational in nature. I don’t think we need to make small acquisitions.We have the team here that can grow the fleet organically.”A merger or acquisition would come as part of what Richardson expects to be a trend of consolidation in the shipmanagement industry over the next three to five years. V.Group is also looking to grow some of


its other business lines such as technical supervision inAsia, in tandem with its core shipmanagement work.“We are planning it carefully and it is starting to appear in our budget this year.We are going to start piloting a few things this year and try and encourage some of the resources to locate out here,” he says. The aim would then be to start rapidly


building up in 2012.“We want to be in a position if the market does pick up that we have done the planning and we are ready to surf that wave,” Richardson says.


Seatrade Singapore Report 2011


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