US operations staff top highest salaries

Who gets paid the highest salaries

Operations staff in the United States receive the highest base salaries and bonuses, especially those working within the tanker industry, according to data from Spinnaker’s 2019 shore-based salary survey. 

Generated from the salaries of 3,500 commercial operations staff, the report also showed that Denmark is one of the highest European payers. Year on year median base Danish salaries have increased at all job levels. Whereas median base salaries in the UK and the United States have generally remained flat.

Who pays the most?

Oil major and commodity groups pay the highest overall total compensation packages and at some levels they pay as much as 32% higher than shipowners and shipmanagers.

What’s the gender split in operations?

68% of commercial operations staff within Maritime HR Association member companies were reported as male and 28% as female. The percentage for the number of women in operations reported in 2019 was the same as the previous year.

Teresa Peacock, Managing Director of Spinnaker’s recruitment business, says “We are increasingly being asked for more diverse shortlists; organisations are particularly keen to get more women. We did a recent Executive Search and out of over 80 candidates on a longlist, we found 8 women within that. Interestingly, 7 of the 8 were at a more junior level and only one was at the required seniority which again is telling us that although there are not many women going into shipping, there ARE women going into shipping, but they are struggling to make it to those senior level roles.”

Nationality notes

Indian nationals made up the largest proportion of employees within Maritime HR Association member companies, accounting for 29%.

“Clients are aware that they want a more diverse workforce,” says Peacock, “which covers not only gender but nationality too. It’s something very much on our clients’ minds.”

Company structure

In a ‘typical’ company, for every Head of / Director of Operations, there are 3 Senior Managers, 7 Senior Professionals, 11 Professionals and 8 Junior / Trainees.

To find out more about shore-based salary benchmarking and membership of the Maritime HR Association which will enable you to access the full report, please contact our benchmarking team at [email protected].

Marie Kelly appointed VP, Defence at Gard

Handshake to celebrate new hire

Gard have announced that Marie Kelly has been appointed as Vice President, Defence and will head up the Defence team in London.

Christen Guddal, Chief Claims Officer at Gard said “We are very pleased that Marie is joining our market-leading Defence team. She has a wealth of experience from private practice across all kinds of shipping disputes – both wet and dry, that will be of enormous value to our Members and a significant additional resource for our dedicated Defence lawyers.”

Marie Kelly said: “Gard is a world class P&I Club with a tremendous global network and a singular focus on the maritime industries. I am delighted to be joining them to further develop the Defence offering and deliver the client service that is a vital part of the brand.”

Prior to joining Gard, Marie was a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP in London since 2017, having led their litigation practice in Greece since 2005.

Gard’s Defence cover insures shipowners and charterers for legal and other costs incurred in establishing and defending claims arising out of the commercial operation of a ship or a Mobile Offshore Unit, where these risks are not covered by any other marine insurance such as P&I or Hull & Machinery.