Flexible Working – UK changes in 2024

Flexible Working – UK changes in 2024

From 6 April 2024, employees in the UK will be able to request flexible working from their first day in a new job.

Following the request, employers must deal with it in a ‘reasonable manner’ which is deemed to include assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the application, holding a meeting to discuss the request with the employee, and offering an appeal process if the request is declined.

If an employer does not handle a request reasonably, the employee can take them to an employment tribunal!

This new legislation can be a minefield for employers. Whilst flexible working can boost retention rates and reduce absence rates by improving an employee’s work-life balance there is lots to consider when implementing a flexible working policy.

1. What type of flexible working?

Flexible working not only includes working from home as well as in the office (hybrid working) but also includes flexible hours and a work-from-anywhere approach (agile working). Some people are more productive in the evening or early morning, but you must consider if this works for your business.

2. Access to global talent

Flexible working allows access to a bigger work pool, not only across the UK, but the skills and talent of employees overseas can now be accessed more easily.

Employers do need to be mindful of local legislation when employing people based oversees as they may be different statutory requirements when it comes to annual leave, pensions etc

3. Cost savings

Flexible working can massively reduce an employer’s overheads, and also any contributions they were making to travel allowances.

Employers need to consider If they will make any contribution towards an employee’s WiFi/office equipment if they are working from home.

4. Wellbeing

Although flexible/home working is often considered to be beneficial for an employee’s wellbeing, the boundaries of office and home space can become blurred with it becoming harder and harder to switch off.

5. Company Culture

Remote working can hinder spontaneous interactions and effective communication between teams. It can contribute to misunderstandings between teams and individuals and have a negative impact on a company’s culture. Managers must ensure they consider regular in-person get-togethers and social events to facilitate the ‘water cooler’ moment.

6. Managing a team

It can be extremely challenging to manage a team ‘from a distance’ and conversely, employees might feel demotivated by not feeling part of a team or having that close relationship with their manager. Teams must make sure they schedule regular formal one-to-one’s and informal check-ins to ensure well-being and performance. Never has the importance of a clear job description and targets been more important.

It’s clear that there is a lot to consider before an organisation can fully embrace flexible working, and you can read the full article regarding the upcoming changes on the government website. The topic will also be discussed at this year’s Maritime People & Culture conference in the context of its effect on a company’s culture.

Spinnaker launch salary benchmarking for hotel staff on-board cruise ships

As an extension to the success of the wage benchmarking provided for deck & engine crew on-board cruise ships, Spinnaker are now providing salary benchmarking for hotel staff.

This benchmarking will cover roles in job families such as Medical, Activity & Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Purser, Housekeeping, Hotel Administration, Accounting, Marketing & PR, Reservations & Sales.

The reports aim to provide data by nationality and job family, and will not only cover monthly salaries, but also bonuses and gratuities.

Spinnaker have been benchmarking salaries and wages of seafaring and shorebased maritime professionals sinch 2007 and as a result have built up a reputation in the market as a trusted 3rd party.

The reports aim to enable Heads of Crewing and Hotel Directors to ensure that they are paying their hotel staff in line with the market.

Spinnaker are currently collecting data and reports will be available in July.

Please contact a member of the team to find out more.

What are some of the unique issues that senior seafarers face onboard ship? An interview with John Beavis from The Captain’s Coach®

We asked The Captain’s Coach John Beavis for his thoughts on the some of the challenges that currently face seafarers (and senior seafarers). Here’s what he had to say.

Aside from the challenges of the natural environment, the revolving door of geopolitical uncertainty, and separation from their support network, a concept now alien to most, perhaps the biggest challenge for our senior seafarers is finding balance and even pace.

Whether it’s balancing the need to develop their own capability with those around them, securing a sense of sustainability, so that they remain a safe pair of hands at the helm, or retaining a sense of proportion to support their emotional wellbeing, the world around them doesn’t – and can’t afford to – shut down. They become burnt out.

More than ever, we want (and need) them to get the best from themselves, get the best from their teams, and keep the industry as alluring as it once was to a new and vibrant generation. One whom have evolving expectations, and one whom value money and time in almost equal measure.

Adapt or die, we need to remain competitive in the new recruitment landscape. And we need to think more holistically. AI will not save all!

From my experience of coaching Captains and the leaders of high performing teams there have been three recurring themes that if seen in unison and brought into play form the basis of a recipe for success in the maritime arena.

1. Development

Whether it’s accruing experience to feel a little more comfortable in the chair, acquiring tools and techniques to align the team while fostering their talents, or implementing initiatives and managing regulatory change, you can swiftly see there’s a lot to juggle. So for our Senior Seafarers there’s a delicate dance to be learnt and we need to recognise those steps take time to master.

2. Sustainability

It’s also perhaps no surprise that one of the most common themes (and concerns) amongst my Coachees is that of safeguarding their own sustainability.

By that we don’t just mean physical rest or sleep. But meaningful moments and time set aside to rest their brains and recharge their mind. It’s a muscle that they (and we) rely upon to flex – and rest – in order perform their role capably, diligently, and safely. Day in and day out.

Do worse things happen at sea? Well sometimes. So when circumstance dictates, we need that same muscle to shift gear and pivot from a “Business as Usual” mindset to one of crisis management. One that demands no less than a calm, considered approach to see through the mist of misinformation with clarity, enabling them to direct the team with calculated, incisive, and often lifesaving, decisions.

3. Wellbeing

Balancing daily duties, directing teams, overseeing operations, and on call 24/7, you can appreciate that securing sufficient rest, recuperation, and some degree of recreation, is more than simply a challenge. It’s hard, if not impossible, and something (or someone) usually must give.

The challenge is clear, and the key to all of the above, is finding balance between the three.

This is why we need to acknowledge the need to invest in maintaining our teams before they break, in the same way that we invest in maintaining our machinery before it fails. And in appreciating both and investing accordingly we have a golden opportunity to pave the way to providing the pulse in the blue economy.


We asked John a few specific questions regarding how to best support and help seafarers today and these are some of his thoughts.

How do the support needs of senior seafarers differ from those of younger/junior ones?

This depends greatly upon context and the Coachee’s own personal situation.

Within the Coaching for Captains® I’m working with soon to be or recently promoted Captains and Chief Engineers. Compared to those I support within the Sounding Board Service they tend to be younger and the themes we discuss differ. It’s not unusual to be covering ground that spans awareness and self-awareness, beliefs and values, communication, confidence, leading self, people and perspectives.

For the more senior seafarers subjects circle change, communication, and culture. They sometimes straddle the personal arena too, especially when considering a move ashore and / or career pivot.

Either way, while the themes tend to differ, both have needs that link to development, sustainability and wellbeing.

Is there a technology gap between older and younger seafarers – either in vessel operations of the ship or in the use of personal technology?

It’s not something I’ve detected. That said, what I have observed are ways we use communication platforms. While some tend to engage on a F2F as much as possible, younger candidates are favouring digital means. While each have their merits, from experience I feel the gift is to develop a sense of which mode to use when.

What else could be done to encourage more seafarers with experience to stay onboard rather than coming ashore?

Certainty and balance.

Certainty or a lack of is one of the most common causes of consternation within my Coachee’s. Not knowing exactly the duration of their contract can often cause them as much stress as handling a relatively major incident.

This certainly doesn’t apply to all, but for some there are golden opportunities to reduce churn, and in turn commercial risk, by building greater redundancy into the rotation schedule and tightening up on scheduling. This will save them both money and time, and place them in a favourable position in the eyes of those either considering a career at sea, or cross decking from one operator to another.

We look forward to seeing John tackle these questions and more at the annual Maritime People & Culture conference in May. Find out what’s on the agenda here.

Seafarers Employers’ Association releases first ‘Trends Report’ highlighting the difference in Shipowner and Shipmanager pay

The Seafarer Employers’ Association is a member’s ‘club’ for shipowners, ship managers, oil majors and manning agents, providing vital pay data for crew on all major vessel types. The pay reports are an essential tool to retain and attract crew, whilst remaining competitive in the current market.

The Association has been running since 2017 and providing Daily Wage Cost information for the sector, and most recently published its first ‘Trends Report’.

This report, shared with members earlier this year, compared year-on-year pay, pay from shipowners and shipmanagers, and pay for seafarers by nationality.

Across bulk carriers, crude, and chemical tankers, pay for Master’s and Chief Engineers were higher in shipowners when compared to shipmanagers.

Although, in the past few years we can see shipmanagment pay becoming more competitive. This is most noticeable in the bulk market where we have seen a 27% and 29% increase in Median Daily Wage Cost (DWC) payments for Masters and Chief Engineers respectively in shipmanagement organisations since 2020.

Of those nationalities and vessels reportable, Romanian Masters working on LNG vessels received the highest median DWC.

Overall, over the past 4 years, we can see an upward trend line across most ranks, nationalities, and vessel types.

We hear from members that there is a skills gap in the market for certain ranks, consequently retaining and recruiting skilled crew is more important than ever.

The next Seafarers Employers’ Association report is scheduled for publication in July 2024 and data collection is currently underway.

If you would like to take part in the 2024 report then please contact [email protected] for more information or view our website.

All About Shipping’s Top 100 Women in Shipping 2023

We are delighted that Spinnaker’s Managing Director of the Executive Search division, Teresa Peacock has been voted one of the Top 100 Women in Shipping for the 5th year running and has increased her ranking from number 49 in 2022 to 32 in 2023.

This is well-deserved recognition for Teresa who has worked with Spinnaker since 2008. She is not only a Board Member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) but also a Committee Member of Maritime UK’s Diversity & Inclusion in Maritime Taskforce.

Teresa is also involved with promoting careers within shipping, with the ‘Inspiring the Future’ project, which connects schools and colleges with employers and people from the world of work.

You can see the full list of winners below and well done to everyone who was nominated.

  1. Mia Krogslund Jørgensen, Head of People, Culture and Strategy at HAFNIA, (Denmark) (4).
  2. Sabrina Chao, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, Hong Kong and former president of BIMCO, Hong Kong (3)
  3. Semiramis S. Paliou, CEO Diana Shipping Inc, President of Helmepa and Intermepa, Greece (1)
  4. Melina Travlos, head of Neptune Lines Shipping and Managing Enterprise, head of Neptune Dry and president of Union of Greek Shipowners, Greece (14)
  5. Elina V. Papageorgiou, Lloyd’s Register Global Strategic Growth Director, and LR’s Greece Vice President, Greece (0)
  6. Mary Carmen Barrios, senior vice president for Ports, Terminals, Stevedoring Ops for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Wallenius Wilhelmsen (7)
  7. Dr. Marina Papaioannou, Head of DNV Maritime Academy Hellas, Maritime Service Centre & Advisory at DNV GL Maritime, Greece (2)
  8. Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director at INTERTANKO, London, U.K (5)
  9. Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Maritime Journalist, publisher, co-owner and director of publishing Petrospot Ltd (Bunkerspot and ship.energy), Director of Shipping Innovation, organiser of London International Shipping Week, U.K (19)
  10. Elpi Petraki, president WISTA-International and WISTA-Hellas, Chartering Manager at ENEA Management Inc., and II vice-president EENMA (USSDS), Greece (11)
  11. Akanksha Batura Pai, Head of Strategy & Growth Sinoda Shipping Agency Pte Ltd, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Goodwill Maritime Ambassador (GMA) representing Singapore, Singapore (0)
  12. Angeliki Frangou, CEO of NAVIOS, Greece (52)
  13. Maria J. Angelikoussis, CEO Angelikoussis Group, Greece (18)
  14. Nicola Good, Journalist and Global Head of Brand and External Relations Marine & Offshore at Lloyd’s Register (9)
  15. Maria Karahaliou, Lloyd’s Register, Global Technical Client Care Training & Development Manager (27)
  16. Dr. Helen Thanopoulou, Professor at the University of the Aegean, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport, Greece (10)
  17. Anne H. Steffensen, Director General and CEO at Danish Shipping, Denmark (53)
  18. Dorothea Ioannou, CEO at the American P&I Club – the first female for over a century, Governor of the Propeller Club of Greece, and WISTA-Hellas Member, Greece (12)
  19. Maria Theodosiou, Managing Director at GP General Procurement Company Limited (GENPRO) Gen-Pro, Cyprus (0)
  20. Eleni Letoni, Communications, Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Greece (25)
  21. Ida Stier, founder of Stier Group, Las Palmas de Canaria, Canary Islands (92)
  22. Maria-Christina Ktistakis, CFO Genimar Shipping & Trading S.A. and WISTA-Hellas former president, Greece (24)
  23. Debora Madrid, Maritime Lawyer, former WISTA-Venezuela president; she was 61st in 2021 (see under Debora Valera), now owner and CEO at Madrid Painting Kc, Venezuela (0)
  24. Katerina Mahera, Senior Business Development Executive Data Intelligence at VESON, Greece (13)
  25. Monica Kohli, Senior Lawyer, FD&D, Gard (UK) Limited; WISTA UK president, UK (60)
  26. Danae Bezantakou, CEO at Navigator Shipping Consultants, First Vice president at the International, Propeller Club, Port of Piraeus, founder of YES Forum and president iforU, Greece, (15)
  27. Pailette Palaiologou, vice President Marine & Offshore Division, hellenic, Black Sea & Adriatic Zone, Bureau Veritas Hellas S.As, Greece (22)
  28. Philippa Charlton, Chief Marketing officer of Lloyd’s Register and member of the Executive Leadership Team , UK (31)
  29. Zoe Upson, FACT director of Freight and Commodity Talent and founder of WOMEN TOGETHER, UK (65)
  30. Dr. Sadan Kaptanoglou, Director / Board member at Kaptanoglu Denizcilik San Ve Tic As, president TURMEPA and vice president of INTERMEPA, former BIMCO president, Turkiye (64)
  31. Isabella Ryckbost, Secretary General at ESPO (European Sea Ports Organisation), Belgium 72)
  32. Teresa Peacock, Managing Director Spinnaker Global and WISTA -UK BoD member, UK (49)
  33. Dorota Lost-Sieminska, Director Legal Affairs and External Relation Division at the IMO, UK (0)
  34. Katerina Raptakis, Digital Transformation, Cyber Security and e-Governance, Navios Group, Greece (20)
  35. Suzanna P. Laskaridis, Director Lavinia Group, Laskaridis Shipping Co. Ltd and founder of Real Times Graduates, Greece (28)
  36. Claudia Ohlmeier, DNV, head of section Class systematics Data and Operation Centre at DNV Hamburg, former president of WISTA Germany (37)
  37. Daphne Angelidou, ExCo Member for the Americas / WISTA Argentina President and CEO at Agencia Maritima Intercontinental, Argentina (32)
  38. Ioanna G. Prokopiou, CEO at Sea Traders and founder of Prominence Maritime S.A., Athens, Greece (36)
  39. Jucilla Walters, Marketing and Communications Manager at Waves Group, UK (0)
  40. Sanjam Sahi Gupta, founder of Maritime SheEO, also director for Sitara Shipping (India) (43)
  41. 41.Dr. Sasha Heriot, Product Development Business Manager, Evac Group UK (40)
  42. Susan Terpilowski OBE, Founder Image Line and former president WISTA UK, UK, (39)
  43. Kristie Loutsiou, EA to Professor Costas Th Grammenos CBE Dsc, Centre for Shipping, Trade and Finance, Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) UK (47)
  44. Anna Vourgos, co-founder Aphentrica Marine Insurance Brokers and former WISTA-Cyprus president, Cyprus (30).
  45. Martina Meinders-Michail, Managing director at MSM, WISTA Cyprus member, Cyprus (58)
  46. Patty Apostolopoulou, Marine Client Manager at Lloyd’s Register EME Greater Southampton Are and Secretary at HESGB (Hellenic Engineers Society of Great Britain (UK) (61)
  47. Lady Teresa M Stevens, founder and director, Guardian Maritime Limited, UK (48)
  48. Despina Panagiotou Theodosiou, CEO Tototheo Maritime and ex WISTA International president, Cyprus (16)
  49. Karen Martin, Commercial Director, LISW (London International Shipping Week) UK (8)
  50. Elina Souli, Deputy head of Brittannia Piraeus office and WISTA-Hellas secretary-general, Greece (21)
  51. Elvia Bustavino, Deputy Administrator & ViceMinister of Maritime Affairs, Panama Ship Registry, Former President RedMAMLa, Maritime Award of the Americas, 100 Most Powerful Women Forbes, WISTA member, Speaker, Panama (6)
  52. Natalia Margioli, head of HMC and ICS Piraeus Branch, Greece (29)
  53. Elena Sendona, Fashion designer and journalist, the heart and soul of fashionality and beyondgreeksalad, Greece (23)
  54. Unni Einemo, former director of IBIA and IBIA’s representative at the IMO, UK ( 51)
  55. Milena Pappas, Commercial Director of Star Bulk Carriers Corp., Greece (66)
  56. Anna-Maria Monogioudis, Director, Aegean protective Coatings, Piraeus, and WISTA-Hellas former president, Greece (44)
  57. Natasha Brown, Media and Communications at the IMO, London, United Kingdom (62)
  58. Alison Cusack, Cusack & Co, UK (0)
  59. Dorthe Bendtsen, Chief Operating Officer (COO), former head of Corporate Services at global marine energy provider KPI OceanConnect, UK (54)
  60. Maria Mavroudi, Marine Insurance Broker and Founder of Searock Marine Insurance Brokers. Founder of Kallichoron Boutique Hotel, Island of Astypalaia, Greece and former WISTA-Hellas BoD secretary, Greece (69)
  61. Claudia Paschkewitz, Diversity & Inclusion Director, Columbia Group, Hamburg, Germany (0)
  62. Ashlee Williams, Vice President of Data Operations, Client Services & Customer Care, S&P Global Market Intelligence, UK (0)
  63. Katrina Davis, Executive director and Marine Insurance broker at Gallaghers, United Kingdom (55)
  64. Eleni Polychronopoulou, ERMA FIRST and the full group of companies owned by them – also president of METIS and HEMEXPO and vice chair of Sea Europe, Greece (71)
  65. Shelagh Ingledow, lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards and Greek shipping Hall of Fame, Greece (63)
  66. Kate Bollanou of KB Training and Consulting UK (0)
  67. Natalia Bury, Chief Operations Officer at Tototheo Maritime and President of WISTA Cyprus (0)
  68. Catherine Mulvihill, CEO of the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN), UK (0)
  69. Maria Papadoyanne, manager at Seascape Marine & Trading Ltd, WISTA Hellas member, Greece (77)
  70. Carleen Lyden Walker, Chief Executive Officer at Morgan Marketing & Communications, IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador, member NAMEPA, USA (73)
  71. 71.Artemis Vamvakopoulou, co-founder and managing partner at Extrovert Business Communications and Posidonia Exhibition Press Office, Greece (74)
  72. Olga Jaques, Business Development & Events Manager at Maritime London, UK (75)
  73. Katerina Fitsiou, director and relationship manager at XRTC Greece and treasurer of the Association of Banking & Shipping Executives of Hellenic Shipping, Greece (81)
  74. Sandra Speares, Journalist/writer; the heart and mind of The Maritime Advocate, UK (78)
  75. Maria M. Tripolitis, director at PMS (Piraeus Marine Services) and secretary-general of the Chios Marine Club, Greece (86)
  76. Evgenia Benavides, Terpel, WISTA Colombia and IBIA member, Colombia (83)
  77. Maria Yiassa, Senior Marketing Manager at the Swedish Club and co-founder at Seaorama, Greece (0)
  78. Karin Orsel, Marin Ship Management BV, The Netherlands (82)
  79. Chrysoula Patrikiou, CEO and founder of Potentia, Greece (98)
  80. Gina Panagiotou, Lawyer, UK (85)
  81. Maria Angelidou, Manager at GAC Greece and former BoD member of WISTA-Hellas, Greece (91)
  82. Namrata Nadkarni, Journalist, CEO of Intent Communications, United Kingdom (0)
  83. Laia Politou, Attorney-at-Law, Claims and Insurance Manager at Goldenport Shipmanagement, Greece (90)
  84. Irini K. Notias, Country Manager for Sing Fuels, ex-governor of the Propeller Club Port of Piraeus and founder of Project Connect and Adopt a Ship, Greece (89)
  85. Carly Fields, Journalist at Break Bulk Magazine, UK (0)
  86. Julia Siebert, COO of COLUMBIA Blue, UK (0)
  87. Elisabeth Cosmatos, CEO of Cosmatos Shipping Services and Cosmatos Group, President of The Heavy Lift Group (THLG), Greece (0).
  88. Jaqueline Burton, Kongsberg Maritime, Head of Creative Design, and chair for the board for SAMS, Sustainable Autonomous Mobility Systems (97)
  89. Liona Bacha, Shipbroker, Founder and CEO of Hellaschart, Greece (0)
  90. Holly Birkett, journalist at TradeWinds, UK (68)
  91. Olga Bornozis, Managing Director at Capital Link USA (87)
  92. Anna Kaparaki Lecturer in Maritime Law at John Moores University, Liverpool and senior Solicitor at Mackinnons Solicitors LLP, United Kingdom (95)
  93. Camila de Oliveira Diniz, HESGB Events (Brazil) (67)
  94. Holly Bibby, Marketing Manager at KVH Industries, UK (0)
  95. Frances Baskerville, Small Ship Cruise Management at Noble Caledonia, ex-vice president at CIRM, UK (33)
  96. Debbi Bonner, journalist and founder j-l-a media, UK (57)
  97. Anastasia Kuzmenko, VP-Marketing & Communications at IEC Telecom Global, Dubai (0)
  98. Ergi Guven Kale, Chief Clinical Officer at Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS), Turkey(0)
  99. Pam Kern, licensed Clinical Maritime Psychotherapist, UK (0)
  100. Julia Anastasiou, Board of Directors of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, and Chief Crew Management Officer / Managing Director of OSM Thome, Cyprus (0)

This list is taken from the AllAboutShipping website which published the list of winners on February 21st 2024.

Spinnaker Stress Relief Recommendations

Managing stress is not an easy task. But here at Spinnaker we have many avid book readers and podcast listeners, all of whom turn to them to de-stress, relax or reflect. They cover topics from self-development to Formula 1, to true crime to help understanding others.

Phil Parry, Chairman

My recommendation is ‘Human Kind, A Hopeful History’ by 27-year-old Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. If you’ve ever – in fact who hasn’t – despaired about the human condition while watching the news, then this is the book for you. Human Kind is an extraordinary book about human nature and the human condition. This was an airport purchase for me, which is usually a mistake. On this occasion, it was a winner.  The book is part historical, part sociology, part psychology, and a big chunk of investigative analysis, research, and journalism.  It’s a really good read that will wash away some of the cynicism and pessimism we all far too often experience nowadays when thinking about ourselves as a species and about the future. Bregman’s central theme is that humans are friendly, peaceful, and healthy but we, and our motives and reasons (this being key to some of the obvious examples of behaviour during wartime) are generally misreported and misunderstood.

David Tubb, Director of Recruitment

There are quite a few recommendations from me! First up, podcasts. As an avid lover of F1 this is great! ‘Formula for Success – FFS!’ It’s just two experts having a good laugh and discussing new and old stories. For any F1 lover like me, this is a must-listen too. The other is ‘Art of Manliness’, now, this is not as misogynistic as it sounds. It is an eclectic podcast regarding a mix of self-development, general life skills and covers interesting topics in general.

And books. I currently have Clarksons’ Farm on the go. Now I know he is a love him or hate him kind of guy, but this book is just a great laugh. It is the TV show in written form and if you’re looking for a silly, but entertaining read to lift your spirits, this is definitely it! And from the self-development side of things, I have been reading a lot of Dale Carneige, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ and ‘How to Enjoy Your Life and Your Job’. (Not that I don’t like my job…)! Although the books are quite on the ‘old’ side, they have principles that still stand and are needed to this day. They’re great at helping you create a new approach to life and discover talents about you never knew you had in your life and in your work.

Helen McCaughran, Marketing & Business Development Manager

Between work and looking after children it’s difficult to take time out to read or listen to a podcast, but when I take the dog for a walk, I normally tune in to Stephen Bartlett’s Diary of CEO or Desert Island Discs. The former has a variety of guests including celebrities such as Davina McCall who had a very troubled upbringing, and self-starters such as the female entrepreneur who started Bumble. The latter is great for listening to music from all eras, as well as finding out the back story of people in the public eye who you may never have heard about.

When I travel, I like to read and the latest book I took away with me was ‘Surrounded by idiots.’ Now this is not meant to be offensive to any of my friends, family or work colleagues, but it simply helps you understand that there are more people not like you than there are like you. It groups people into different personality types and helps you understand how to communicate with the different groups. My ‘type’ is introverted and ‘laid-back’ and clearly might clash with others who are more extroverted. I’d highly recommend it.

Bethanie-Taylor Grenfell, Marketing & HRC Administrator

I could go on and on for days about books and podcasts I read or listen to help relax and de-stress but I will stick to two. The first being ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney. This was one of the first books to make me cry… but for an overwhelmingly good reason! It is a gorgeous story about growing up from childhood to your twenties and identity, young love and friendship. But all with the underlying theme of the desire to feel understood by the people around you but also how lonely growing up can actually be. It is just beautiful!

The other is ‘The Psychology of your 20’s’ by Jemma Sbeg. This is just brilliant! I completely lost my identity when I left University but I realised, it’s not just me, there are so many people out there in their twenties that don’t have a clue what they are doing… which was me. One of my favourite episodes is ‘The psychology of the eldest daughter’ which was just fascinating to me as it was like listening to a biography sometimes. Feeling misunderstood, confused and out of place can be the source of a lot of my stress, but this podcast gives you a minute to realise it’s not just you, but there is a whole community out there that feels the same.

Daryna Rozum, Reward Consultant

I wasn’t sure if the podcasts I listen to can be considered de-stressing but after giving it some thought I realised – yes, they definitely work as such for me! I love a good true crime podcast and ‘Rotten Mango’ is one of my favourites. They’re quite long (some can be up to 2 hours), but each episode covers cases that aren’t given much international media coverage. What I like about this podcast, is how engaging and emotional they are. You actually learn a lot of cultural and societal contexts behind criminal cases as the presenters don’t stick to just one country.

Oftentimes I listen to it while working with data – when a task requires more of a manual job, it’s nice to occupy your brain with something (They have a couple of maritime cases as well which is a special treat). I think for me, stress comes at a point when you get overwhelmed by something and it grows to the size of a black hole. Then listening to something that tells you about something even scarier out there – it’s weirdly calms you down and you start appreciating what you have now more. And it gives you an insight into the human psyche too!

Liam Daly, Principal Recruitment Consultant

2 recommendations from me. ‘The Drive’ by Peter Attia. This talks about how to improve your quality of your life span, not improving the length of it, which I think is a very important message to live by. The next is ‘Rich Roll’ by Rich Roll. This talks about people from all rays of life discussing fitness, health, stress and mental health. All subjects that are a real core and focus in my life.

Monique Turner, Business Development Consultant

Date yourself they say! There are too many to list here but ‘Date Yourself Instead’ by Lyss Boss is quite insightful. Ask yourself, would you date you? Do you truly know you? Well, if you need to think about the answer to those questions, this might be the ideal podcasts for you. It aims to inspire you to become the best version of yourself while being very candid about personal experiences to help YOU!

The secret to happy and effective managers

I was interested to read in HR Magazine earlier this year that happy teams start with happy managers.

The article stated that having a fully engaged and happy manager would result in a team that were themselves 50% more engaged and happy. No surprise there, but the 50-million-dollar question is, how do we make sure that managers ARE happy and engaged in the first place?

Firstly, in a workplace post covid, with managers are managing people who are working from home or working flexibly. As a result, companies need to ensure that their technology is up-to-date and that the management, at least from a technology point of view, is no more difficult than it would be if the employees were in the office. It’s not always the case that a bad workman blames his tools, if the tools aren’t up to the job then the workman can’t do his job properly!

It’s not just the physical tools that are crucial. It’s making sure that the manager is also equipped mentally to deal with his or her direct reports. It’s commonly known that there are more people not like you, than there are like you and as a result, managers are dealing with multiple personality types on a daily basis and need to adapt their managerial style accordingly.

With this in mind we have been working with behavioural changes experts t-three since 2017, in delivering effective leadership programmes for managers in the maritime sector. These programmes incorporate the personality profiling tool Facet5. Facet5 is based around 5 key elements – Will, Energy, Affection, Control and Emotionality. A score on each of these facets builds our unique personality profile and allows us to understand not only how we behave as a manager, but also how we need to adapt our managerial style to manage others and get the best out of them.

t-three have put together extensive leadership programmes for global clients in both the maritime sector, including V. Group, and non-maritime sector, including Jaguar Land Rover, Transport for London and Sainsburys.

The next programme designed exclusively for the maritime sector will launch on the 25th April 2024 and you can find out more on our website.

Article written by Helen McCaughran, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Spinnaker.

Hot Jobs – Top 10 maritime vacancies – February 2024

For over 25 years, Spinnaker has been assisting shipowners, shipmanagers, oil majors, and P&I clubs in fulfilling their recruitment requirements. Every day, we receive a constant influx of new job openings, all conveniently listed on our website. To simplify your job search, we have handpicked a collection of the ten most sought-after positions available right now. Get in touch if you’re interested but do it quickly as they won’t be around for long!

A full list of current vacancies can be found on our website:

IT Officer – Athens, Greece

We are looking to find an experienced IT Officer to provide technical assistance and support for a Greek Shipowner (SME) based in the Northern Suburbs of Athens. You will be the primary point of contact for troubleshooting IT issues onboard vessels and onshore locations. Primary responsibilities include providing friendly, knowledgeable technical support to personnel and crew, installing hardware/software and perform upgrades both shipboard and onshore and creating detailed documentation and generate reports on support issues.

View Job – IT Officer, Athens

S&P Projects Coordinator – Athens, Greece

We are currently working with an international shipowner with several offices globally that is currently looking at the expansion of their in house S&P/ Projects department by adding a S&P/ Projects Administrator to their office in Athens. This will be a fantastic opportunity for someone that wants to join a truly dynamic department and would like to be part of a team that works towards high value transactions on a day to day basis. You would have direct exposure to the Managing Director of the organisation and as such this will need to be someone that is confident in their own abilities and able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously.

View Job – S&P Projects Coordinator, Greece

Business Development Executive – East London, UK

Join the fascinating industry that is maritime as a Commercial Business Development Executive for an international company specialising in handling bulk cargoes. Working with existing customers, and developing new relationships, you will be the focal point for clients, working with Terminal Managers to provide costing, quotations and delivery of services. This is a role that will offer you extensive world wide travel where you will be negotiating rates and contract on client projects.

View Job – Business Development Executive, East London

Demurrage Claims Analyst – London, UK

We are currently partnered with a major international oil and products trading group based in London who are looking for a Demurrage Claims Analyst to be based in their HQ. This is a new hire that will be responsible for the accurate and timely review, issuance, negotiations, and settlement of demurrage claims associated with the transportation of crude oil and chartering activity. This role closely collaborates with trading and shipping operations, finance and accounting, as well as legal departments to ensure accurate information and guidance is being provided to the traders and charterers to reduce risk and exposure to the company and optimize trading profits.

View Job – Demurrage Claims Analyst, London

Commercial Operator (Tankers/Chemicals) – Singapore

We are currently working with a well-reputed, global client, and have placed an increasingly active approach to sustainability at the heart of their business model. Due to company expansion, they are looking to take on a tanker vessel operator to join their team in Singapore. The vessel operator will be expected to successfully and efficiently manage end-to-end operations of owner and time-chartered vessels in order to maximise profits and ensure all requirements of each charter party are fulfilled.

View Job – Commercial Operator (Tankers/Chemicals), Singapore

Tanker Market Analyst – Athens, Greece

We are currently working with a Shipowner in Greece who are looking for a highly skilled and detailed-oriented Tanker Market Analyst to join their dynamic team in Athens, Greece. Your insights and recommendations will contribute to the informed decision-making and strategy formulation for the organisation. Responsibilities include market research, data analysis, forecasting, competitor analysis, report generation, regulatory compliance and collaboration across teams.

View Job – Tanker Market Analyst, Athens

Dry Bulk Charterer – London, UK

We are currently with an international Shipowner/Operator who are looking for a Dry Bulk Charterer to join their expanding team in London. This company have a growing fleet of Dry Bulk vessels, currently running a fleet of 12, with 8 more on order including Ultramax and Kamsarmax. They are looking for someone with the relevant dry bulk experience to come and manage and build a cargo book. You will be expected to show a familiarity with the major charterers in the dry bulk market, as well as having the ability to bring in third party cargoes and develop a 360-degree book.

View Job – Dry Bulk Charterer, London

Port Captain – Houston, USA

The role itself will be reporting into the Commercial & Operations Director. You will be responsible for ensuring safe and cost-efficient operations of shipping cargo while supervising all cargo-related and commercial matters. You will also be required to provide support to the Chartering team with pre-fixture clearances, optimizing stowage in collaboration with Masters/Ship Operators to maximize cargo intake based on local restrictions, as well as optimizing vessel tank cleaning and port turnaround. Additionally, the role involves occasional assistance to the Master during tank inspections and Wall Wash Tests, coordination of potential Ship to Ship and ship to barge operations, and management of local Agency, Surveyors, Suppliers, and Terminal relations.

View Job – Port Captain, Houston, USA

Financial Analyst – Athens, Greece

We are currently partnered with a large international ship owner/ operator with several offices globally. Our client is very much in growth mode and are currently seeking a Financial Analyst to join their team in London. This hire would report into the Head of Analytics based in London but the role will be situated in Athens. This would be a great opportunity to join a company with a lot of ambition and would be a very fast paced work environment. Responsibilities include preparing financial models to support investment decisions including vessel purchases and sales, evaluating vessel financing and refinancing proposals and preparing analysis for sale and leaseback proposals.

View Job – Financial Analyst, Greece

Purchasing Manager – Aberdeen, Scotland

We are working with a growing offshore company who would like to hire an experienced Purchasing Manager to lead the team from their office in Aberdeen, Scotland. In this role, you will develop purchasing and logistics strategies to support our global fleet of vessels and offshore operations. Responsibilities include developing and executing purchasing strategies to source equipment, parts, and materials from international suppliers, analysing global market price trends to get optimal pricing on parts and materials and preparing reports on purchasing metrics like spend under management, savings achieved, etc.

View Job – Purchasing Manager, Aberdeen

For more information on any of the jobs above, please call the office on +44 (0)1702 480142 or email.

View these jobs, and more on our website.

Do they trust you as a Leader? – A Guide for Executives in 2024

In this latest Executive Bulletin, we put the spotlight on the critical issue of trust within the workplace, particularly between employees and their leaders. Shockingly, a recent HR Magazine report revealed that a quarter of employees do not trust their CEO. Additionally, almost one-third of employees lack the opportunity to share feedback with top-level executives, while over half feel their concerns fall on deaf ears.

As someone who engages with CEOs, CFOs, and COOs daily, these findings not only surprised me but prompted me to consider how the C-suite can better connect with and understand their workforce. While some CEOs boast an ‘open-door’ policy, it’s evident that more proactive measures are needed to truly engage employees and address their concerns.

One effective solution is to implement channels for feedback, such as suggestion boxes or employee engagement surveys. Conducted by HR departments, these surveys can provide valuable insights which can then be shared with senior management during board meetings. It’s crucial to emphasise that surveys such as these should not take place only annually, or merely as checkbox exercises, rather, they should be an ongoing, integral part of an organisations HR strategy.

I feel it’s important to recognise that perspectives differ across various career stages and collecting regular feedback will help organisations in understanding the evolving perceptions of the company’s culture. Key survey questions could revolve around employee value, understanding of the organisational mission, and identification of skill development needs.

As well as creating a forum for collecting feedback, this is pointless if the company fails to give employees feedback on their suggestions, whether positive or negative. Some companies I speak to opt for quarterly town hall sessions, where employees gain deeper insights into company goals and culture, and having a sense of purpose – this is more important now than ever before, so how are your employee’s adding value to the world? These sessions also provide an opportunity for employees to voice opinions on company operations, what changes can and should be made to how things are done and how things are run.

If led by the CEO, these town hall sessions should prioritise employee interaction, allowing ample time for questions and honest answers and not just an opportunity for the CEO to hold court. Ultimately, the key is for employees to feel heard, valued, and fulfilled, creating a workplace where trust is built and sustained.

There are several companies out there that offer survey platforms and services which can help provide support for organisations keen on fostering a feedback-driven culture – you’re not in this alone!

Article written by Teresa Peacock, Managing Director of Spinnaker’s Executive Search division.