Welcome to Ocean Insights – bite sized interviews with the thought leaders, innovators and business people seeking to realise the huge potential of the ocean space.
This week we have spoken with Khalid Hashim, Managing Director, Precious Shipping. Precious Shipping Public Company Limited ( “PSL” )Â is a pure dry cargo ship-owner operating in the Handysize, Supramax and Ultramax sectors of the tramp freight market. PSL was established in December 1989 and commenced commercial operations in March 1991.
In this interview Khalid Hashim gives us insight in their vision of the road ahead.
Ocean Insights #3
Khalid Hashim, Managing Director, Precious Shipping.
What do you see as the greatest opportunity for the ocean industries over the next decade?
To convert the prototype Zero Emission Vessels (ZEVs), that have been built, or are in the process of being built, into commercially viable ocean-going ships, within the coming decade.
What do you regard as the greatest challenge?
If we are unable to covert the prototype ZEVs into commercially viable ships in the coming decade, it will represent our greatest challenge.
What do you see as the unique strength of your business and how will it help you succeed?
Our staff are extremely passionate, highly motivated and innovative, and we have more women ashore than men. We have four women out of twelve on our Board of Directors including our Company Secretary. Out of our total work force ashore of 148 people, we have 53% or 78 women working for us and some of them are working in key positions and areas, including Accounts, Finance, Human Resource, Purchasing, Operations, and Post-fixture etcetera.
What key skills are you looking for in the next generation of industry professionals and how are you working to attract new talent?
As a policy we recruit shore staff from the pool of talent that we have sailing on board our ships. When any Senior Officer strikes the management as being worthy of consideration for a shore job, we monitor that person and when the time is right, we bring them ashore to join the rest of our talent pool. That way we have staff who have been with us since the time they joined as cadets and so understand the workings of PSL in and out!
What three words sum up your vision for the future?
Passion, Innovation, Gender-diversity on ZEVs.
Nor-Shipping 2021, Your Arena for Ocean Solutions, takes place in Oslo and Lillestrøm, 1-4 June 2021. Find out more at nor-shipping.com