CEO / Managing Director – Education & Training

CEO / Managing Director – Education & Training

Location: London, with regular travel to Nigeria and international maritime hubs

Build the Future of Maritime Training

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an entrepreneurial and commercially minded executive to lead an ambitious maritime training venture from its early stages through to international growth.

We are seeking a hands-on leader with the vision and drive to build a market-leading maritime education business, developing the next generation of seafarers and creating long-term partnerships across the global shipping industry.

Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will have full ownership of strategy, operations, commercial performance and growth, with the autonomy to shape the business while benefiting from the backing of an established shipping organisation.

The Role

• Defining and executing the long-term growth strategy with full P&L responsibility.
• Building commercial partnerships with shipowners, ship managers, operators and industry stakeholders.
• Developing cadet recruitment pipelines and ensuring successful training and placement outcomes.
• Overseeing the design and delivery of internationally recognised maritime training programmes aligned with STCW standards.
• Leading the establishment and expansion of training facilities, initially in Nigeria with future international growth.
• Recruiting, developing and inspiring a high-performing team across operations, instruction and commercial functions.
• Representing the organisation with regulators, flag administrations, industry bodies and key maritime partners worldwide.
• Identifying new business opportunities, markets and programmes to support long-term expansion.

About You

We are interested in speaking with senior leaders who combine commercial acumen with deep maritime expertise.

• Executive or senior leadership experience within maritime training, ship management or the wider shipping industry.
• Demonstrable experience managing budgets, commercial strategy and business growth with P&L accountability.
• Strong knowledge of STCW requirements, IMO regulations and international maritime standards.
• Established relationships across the maritime sector, including shipowners, operators, managers or training providers.
• Experience operating in international or emerging markets, with exposure to Africa or other developing regions considered advantageous.
• A proven ability to build organisations, launch new ventures or lead significant transformation initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with credibility at board and industry level.

Desirable Experience

• Launching or scaling a maritime academy or vocational training organisation.
• Existing networks across tanker, dry bulk or container shipping markets.
• Experience bridging commercial shipping operations with maritime education or workforce development.