Young People a Solution to Industry Issues
By Carly Fields
The industry needs more radical thinking to solve the myriad issues that the breakbulk and project cargo industry is facing – and engaging better with young people could be the answer. That’s the viewpoint of Christel Pullens, managing director of Sea Ranger Service, president of WISTA Netherlands and member of the Breakbulk Europe Advisory Panel.
Speaking with Breakbulk, Pullens said the sector needs to recognize that young people have no boundaries.
“They are not used to the ‘way we have always done it,’ so attracting them to our industry and making them actively contribute to solutions is a big opportunity,” she said. “We really have to demonstrate what we are capable of as a sector and how innovative we already are.”
Through her role at Sea Ranger Service, Pullens is walking the walk with a goal to train 20,000 young people for a maritime career by 2040, alongside restoring 1 million acres of ocean biodiversity. “That’s a big challenge and every day we’re working hard to accomplish that,” Pullens said.
Looking ahead, Pullens said that Europe’s Fit for 55 plan – referring to the EU’s target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 – is an important topic for ship owners operating in the region. This includes a “drastic” reduction in emissions from shipping, the use of alternative fuels and energy taxes. “We will be forced to focus more and more on alternative fuel as ship owners,” Pullens said. However as there will be insufficient alternative fuels to meet demand, she urged ship operators to consider alternative propulsion options as well.
The ongoing impact of the pandemic is also on her mind. In her position as president of WISTA Netherlands, Pullens is supporting a study on the impact of Covid-19 on women in the maritime industry.
“It looks like they’ve been affected harder than men. As WISTA, we want to really know what the effects are.” Through the study, WISTA is gathering evidence, to see what it can do to address problems and help women, if necessary. The results of the survey are expected by the end of the year. WISTA has more than 3,800 members in 54 countries, made up of women in management positions in the maritime industry.
Pullen herself is motivated by challenge, something she relays in a story about a past career win. When she joined Dockwise in 2008, the company had a proven track record in moving drilling rigs, but was keen to start up a new division for logistical management of projects. Pullen initially found it challenging to ‘sell’ the plan internally and did not have a full-time team to begin with. “But we managed after some time to really get the attention of the management and to win a small but complex project which gave us an entrance to all other kinds of logistical projects,” Pullens said. She kept a picture of that job and has been carrying it around ever since. “When something becomes really hard I think of that project and am reminded ‘hey, we persisted and we managed, so I can do that again.’ ”
Carly Fields has reported on the shipping industry for the past 22 years, covering bunkers and broking and much in between.
