I began my career as a maritime officer with Shell, transitioning ashore into a ship repair project manager role—the only position I ever applied for. From there, my journey evolved as I took on various executive functions in ship repair yards. My deep passion for the maritime industry, and ships in particular, has been the constant driving force behind my career. This enthusiasm made it easy to devote energy to my tasks, keeping me self-motivated and fully immersed without concern for the time or day of the week.
I’ve been fortunate to work under exceptional leaders who identified my contributions and entrusted me with increasingly senior responsibilities. I believe that staying in a role for 4–6 years is ideal for achieving meaningful results while maintaining motivation and focus. For me, taking on long-term challenges with periodic organizational changes has been vital to staying effective and inspired.
As a CEO, I’ve learned the importance of balancing strategic development with day-to-day operational demands. A hands-on approach has always been my preference—I believe in verifying “paper truths” by spending time in the field and seeing things for myself. This practical style has been central to my success, but more importantly, it has brought me great joy and satisfaction in my work.
My conclusion is that the CEO role isn’t something you can learn in school. It comes naturally to those who work with passion, dare to take on challenges others avoid, and possess the self-confidence to drive and communicate a vision while maintaining a high pace of implementation.
Jos Goris
CEO
Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions
