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Navigating the way since 1997.

Spinnaker's journey has been marked by steady growth, innovation, and a commitment to excellence in Maritime HR and Recruitment. Since its founding, the company has expanded its services across the globe, built a network of loyal clients, and continuously adapted to the ever-evolving shipping industry.

With a focus on creating long-lasting relationships and delivering top-tier talent, Spinnaker has earned a reputation for success, achieving major milestones, and shaping the future of recruitment within maritime and shipping.

Meet the Team

Explore our team to find the best person to guide you, whether it’s recruitment, executive search, industry advice, benchmarking, or leadership development.
1997
Spinnaker Consulting was Founded
Spinnaker was founded by Phil Parry and Steve Cox. Both with backgrounds in law, they decided to put their heads together in 1997 and create something from scratch. At the time, there were no maritime recruitment companies, and having worked in shipping, Phil saw the gap and they seized the opportunity. The company has gone from strength to strength and is proud of its reputation in the market.
1998
Moved into the First Spinnaker Company Office
In 1998, the fledgling Spinnaker team moved from Phil's spare bedroom into the company's first office where the company began to grow.
2000
First Executive Search
Greek shipowner, The Eletson Corporation engaged Spinnaker to find their new COO.
2003
Spinnaker make its 200th placement
In only 6 years as a company—and with the early years being driven solely by Phil and Steve—Spinnaker reached an impressive milestone of 200 placements across nearly 50 countries. The 200th placement was for a Safety, Quality, and Training Manager in Piraeus, Greece, marking another key moment in our growing success.
2005
Launch of Tanker HR Forum
In 2005, Spinnaker CEO Phil Parry was approached by a group of leading shipowners and operators seeking a reliable way to benchmark the salaries of their shore-based employees. They needed access to real, current data directly from employees, rather than relying solely on recruitment figures. This led to the creation of the Tanker HR Forum, initially comprising nine founding members: AET, BW, Cargill, Eletson, Euronav, Maersk, Teekay, V Ships, and Vela—many of whom remain members to this day. What began as a solution to an industry challenge has since become the Maritime HR Association, now the largest salary benchmarking initiative in the sector.
2005
50th Country Placement
In just 8 years, Spinnaker achieved placements in 50 countries, spanning some truly incredible locations including Kazakhstan. Vietnam, Nigeria, Malaysia and Qatar. Closer to home, we’ve covered most of Europe and delivered placements all over the UK, showcasing our extensive reach and commitment to connecting talent worldwide.
2006
Moved into larger office in Leigh-on-Sea
Nearly a decade after its founding, Spinnaker moved into purpose-built offices in Leigh-on-Sea, where we remained until, at 30 people, we outgrew the building.
2006
First Maritime HR Conference
The Spinnaker Maritime People and Culture Conference was born out of the success of the Tanker HR Forum. Recognising the need for HR and crewing professionals to get together and share knowledge and best practice, Spinnaker created a platform to discuss the issues shaping the maritime industry. The first conference had just 16 attendees at the Four Seasons Hotel and functioned more as an AGM. Since then, it has evolved into a must-attend event for maritime HR and crewing professionals, attracting around 200 attendees annually and becoming a recognised event within the industry.
2006
Spinnaker make its 500th placement
"The next major milestone for Spinnaker was reaching our 500th placement—a significant achievement for the team as the business continued to grow. This milestone placement was for a Safety & Security Manager in the UK. The 500th placement marked not just a number, but a testament to the hard work, dedication, and expertise of the growing Spinnaker team."
2007
First Tanker HR Forum Salary Survey
After two years of collaboration and planning, the first Tanker HR Forum Salary Survey Report was released. This landmark report brought together data from the first 16 members, creating a comprehensive percentile-based benchmarking tool. The report became an invaluable resource, enabling members to make informed decisions on salary reviews, recruitment, retention strategies, and more - a foundation that continues to shape the maritime industry's approach to people management today.
2009
Tanker HR Forum rebranded to Maritime HR Assocation
It became evident that the need for salary benchmarking extended well beyond tanker companies. Recognising the broader value across the entire maritime industry, we rebranded the Tanker HR Forum to become what it is today: The Maritime HR Association. This rebrand allowed us to open membership to a wider range of sectors, including bulkers, containers, cruise lines, and more, further enhancing the diversity and relevance of the forum.
2009
Launched the bi-annual P&I Salary Survey
In 2009, Spinnaker developed the bi-annual P&I Salary Survey, with participation from all International Group (IG) P&I Clubs. This became Spinnaker’s second salary benchmarking service, further solidifying our position as HR experts and cementing our reputation for delivering industry-leading salary reports.
2010
Spinnaker make its 1000th placement
In just 13 years, Spinnaker achieved a significant milestone, making over 1,000 placements across approximately 60 countries. The 1,000th placement was for a Ship Operator in Singapore.
2011
OSCAR Campaign began
The OSCAR Campaign was founded by Spinnaker CEO Phil Parry and named after his son, Oscar, who overcame a life-threatening battle with leukaemia, enduring three transplants and benefiting from pioneering research at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). This vital campaign supports groundbreaking research into childhood cancers and immune diseases at both GOSH and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, making a profound impact on the lives of countless children and families.
2011
The Maritime HR Forum reached over 50 Members
After six years of steady growth and navigating challenges caused by a global recession, the Maritime HR Forum reached the milestone of 50 members.
2013
Moved into larger current office
In 2013, the Spinnaker team settled into their current office in Leigh-on-Sea, a location perfectly situated with stunning views of the estuary. From this vantage point, ships sailing to and from Tilbury Docks are a daily sight - often container ships - but the team’s excitement at spotting them never fades.
2014
First OSCAR Dragon Boat Race
To support fundraising for the OSCAR Campaign, Spinnaker CEO Phil Parry launched the OSCAR Dragon Boat Race in collaboration with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. This annual event has become a highlight in the shipping industry calendar, bringing together 30 teams from across the sector. Year after year, the race surpasses its own records, raising vital funds to support pioneering research into childhood cancers and immune diseases. The Dragon Boat Race continues to unite the maritime community in making a lasting impact.
2014
Spinnaker Consulting rebranded to Spinnaker Global
2014
Spinnaker opened in Singapore
2015
Digital Award for Best Website
Spinnaker won the Gold Award for 'Best Responsive Website', celebrating our efforts to modernise our digital presence and deliver a platform that truly meets the needs of our clients and candidates.
2016
Maritime Leadership Development Programme Launched
Spinnaker developed the Maritime Leadership Development Programme specifically for the maritime sector. The programme focuses on building and enhancing leadership and management capabilities, developing talent for future leadership roles, and helping to bridge the sea-to-shore gap. The programme now runs twice a year online and can also be tailored for in-house delivery to meet specific organisational needs.
2016
British Psychology Society Accreditations
Several members of the Spinnaker team obtained accreditation from the British Psychology Society, enabling them to deliver psychometric profiling services to our clients and candidates.
2016
Best Shipping Recruitment Agency Award
In 2016, Spinnaker was honoured with the 'Best Shipping Recruitment Agency' award at the Trade Finance Global Shipping Awards.
2016
80th country placement
Just 115 to go!
2017
Launch of the Seafarer Employers' Association
Spinnaker expanded its salary benchmarking services to include seafarers. The Seafarer Employers' Association publishes Daily Wage Cost Reports for shipowner and shipmanagers covering 50 different seafaring ranks, 110+ nationalities, and 13 vessel types, providing a comprehensive overview of global wage costs.
2018
Spinnaker makes its 2000th placement
After 7,609 days since its creation, Spinnaker proudly made its 2,000th placement. Over the course of 19 years, this averages out to approximately 1 placement every 3.5 days. The 2,000th placement was for a Technical Superintendent for Life Boats in the UAE.
2019
Rebranded from Spinnaker Global to Spinnaker
It was time to simplify and have confidence in our name. Spinnaker are “Your maritime people experts.” The go-to partner for all things people-related in maritime.
2019
Diversity in Maritime Award
In 2019, Spinnaker was honoured with Maritime UK’s Diversity Award, recognising our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within the maritime industry.
2021
Awarded 'Best Executive Search Partner of the Year'
Spinnaker has recruited some of the biggest names in shipping for some of the biggest employers in shipping. Our Executive Search success was recognised in 2021 when we were honoured with the 'Best Executive Search Partner of the Year' award by Trade Finance Global Shipping Awards
2022
25th Anniversary
In 2022, Spinnaker celebrated its 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter-century, we had navigated through two global recessions, a pandemic, eight UK Prime Ministers, five US Presidents, and the UK’s exit from the EU. When Spinnaker began, Google didn’t even exist, but today, we’re one of the UK’s leading maritime recruitment companies. From a small team of two, we’ve grown into a recognised authority in maritime HR, now hosting one of the largest HR and crewing conferences for global maritime professionals.
2023
15th Maritime HR Conference
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, the Spinnaker Maritime People and Culture Conference returned in style for its 15th edition. Held at the prestigious Grand Connaught Rooms in London, it was one of the largest and most impactful conferences to date.
2023
The Maritime HR Association reached over 100 members
In 2023, 104 members participated, representing over 50,000 shore-based employees. The data collected produced 24 individual country reports, alongside 13 regional reports, covering 21 job families.
2024
Launch of Cruise Hotel Salary Benchmarking
The Seafarer Employers' Association introduced Cruise+, a salary benchmarking service specifically for hotel staff onboard cruise ships. In its first year, the report covered over 60,000 staff, 100 ranks, and more than 100 nationalities. Within just one year, Cruise+ attracted 10 members and continues to grow, providing invaluable insights to the cruise industry.
2024
Launch of the 'Best HR Initiative Award'
HR is shipping has transformed since Spinnaker was founded. To recognise some of the excellent work taking place in the industry, Spinnaker introduced the ‘Best HR Initiative Award’, recognising innovation and excellence in HR. In its inaugural year, the award received 16 impressive entries, showcasing initiatives such as mentorship programmes, coffee roulette schemes, enhanced maternity pay, and wellness centres. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement took home the award for their Female Mentoring Programme, with three additional initiatives receiving high commendations.
2024
Launch of the 'Fundraiser Award' at the OSCAR Dragon Boat Race
Over the past few years, participants in the OSCAR Dragon Boat Race have taken their fundraising efforts to new heights. Union Maritime's dragon boat team, in particular, has gone above and beyond, raising an incredible record-breaking £480,000 this year alone. In recognition of their outstanding commitment, OSCAR Chairman Phil Parry, alongside the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, decided it was time to honor the Union Maritime team for their remarkable dedication and generosity.
2024
The OSCAR Campaign surpassed £3m
The 2024 OSCAR Dragon Boat Race attracted 30 teams and raised £740,000 taking the OSCAR Campaign total to £3.45m, all of that donated by the wonderful people in the shipping industry.
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