Last week we opened Clarksons London headquarters for Tanker Training Week, our annual five-day training course, providing employees and clients with strong foundations for working in the global tanker industry.
The course offers participants an in-depth look at critical topics, including commercial, financial, analytical, and regulatory aspects of the sector. This year, 18 early-career professionals participated, with 11 joining from Clarksons’ London and Singapore offices and seven clients traveling from Croatia, Hong Kong, Norway, Oman and The United States.
Throughout the week, sessions were led by Clarksons Directors, in-house specialists, and external industry experts who covered a range of relevant subjects. Topics included the impact of economic and political events on the tanker market, compliance requirements, sanctions and regulatory frameworks, negotiation and chartering processes, demurrage and claims management, and the green transition.
Day three focused on a hands-on chartering exercise centred on voyage calculation, evaluation, and chartering strategies where four teams competed with each other to cover two cargoes of West Africa crude oil exports whilst securing employment for an owned vessel and four time-chartered vessels. The teams were required to negotiate with four ‘seasoned’ brokers determined to make life difficult! All four teams prepared well and only one fell into the re-let trap.
This year saw the return of the long-awaited ‘Dragons Den’ competition, held for the first time in four years. The four teams presented innovative business pitches to the dragons: Course Director, Robert Knight; Deputy Course Director, John Edmondson and Crude Directors, Colin Murray and Lewis Cowley. With each team having just 10 minutes to persuade the panel to invest in their newco concept. The competing teams focused on various service and product offerings designed to improve the efficiency of onboard carbon capture, the management of freight documentation and virtual ship arrival.
The competition was tight but “Charterers’ Swimming Society” impressed with a vessel pool pitch to reduce freight costs for the smaller Chinese Teapot refineries. They showed an attractive proposal with analytical support and strong presentation and teamwork skills, securing their victory. The ‘Jim Gretton memorial trophy’ award for best engagement throughout the week was presented to Lovre Herenda, Tankerska Plovidba.
The annual Tanker Training Week is another key example of Clarksons dedication to professional growth, both for our employees and across the industry. We are proud to support the next generation of industry professionals as they build a strong foundation in industry knowledge, networking skills, and essential relationships.
This year’s Dry Cargo Shipping Diploma, held at Commodity Quay now in its 12th year, was attended by 30 participants - our largest group to date. The one-week programme is available to Clarksons employees and clients who are in the early stages of their careers.
Clarksons annual Tanker Week training course returned this November after a three-year break. Run over four days, the course provided insights on a broad range of commercial, legal, financial, regulatory and technical aspects of the global tanker industry.
Industry experts convene at London HQ to address challenges and explore opportunities amid turbulent times. Amidst a summer characterized by uncertainty for renewable energy investors, this seminar served as a beacon of hope by offering a comprehensive analysis and discussing strategies to navigate the challenges.