The three-day event commenced with the SM Summit on the afternoon of September 13, where VP Maritime Personnel Svend Foyn-Bruun shared recent developments in the company's organization, our overall safety and quality performance, and our financial and operational status. The session also covered updates from HSSEQ (Health, Safety, Security, Environment, Quality), a primer on sustainable shipping, and a review of action items from the last Management Review.
The first day of Fleet Week in Manila was capped off with socials, where shore colleagues had the opportunity to catch up face-to-face after more than two years of virtual meetings, and for some, meet in person for the first time.
VP Fleet Management Knut Erik Fredriksen opened OpTech Day with gratitude for seafarer colleagues for their hard work, especially during the peak of the pandemic. He also shared recent developments from the fleet, and what participants can expect from the session.
Updates from Technical Management covered drydockings, vessel recycling, maintenance and main deliveries, while the Marine Group's included vettings and information about SIRE 2.0.
The workshops that followed the presentations led to fruitful discussions and formulation of action items on key issues, particularly on navigation incidents and loss of propulsion. The action items were afterwards presented to the participants.
Two more presentations followed: Ateneo de Manila University's Dr. Jon Bulaong shared how to lead in times of crisis through character building and systems thinking, while Robert Øksnes, Manager Asset Maintenance Group (AMG), presented the SM Portal and the AMG team in Manila.
The day was capped with the dinner and awarding ceremony honoring 18 loyal Odfjell'ers.
The final day of the Fleet Week opened with interactive discussions on demurrage by Manager Demurrage Ingelin Jacobsen and Senior Demurrage Analyst Marte Kristin Jørgensen, and operator communication systems by Thor Erik Haugland and Senior Ship Operator Arvid Moltubakk.
Kristoffer Ramstad, Manager Fleet Performance, afterwards took centerstage to discuss how Odfjell Tankers' data collection system and data verification process support our compliance to regulations aiming to reduce global emissions in international shipping.
Three more talks followed: Thor Erik Haugland, Project Manager Port Performance, discussed the various focus areas of Port Performance for 2022; Nils Tofterå, Teamleader MSG and Odd Arne Hansen, Port Captain, shared updates on tank cleaning requirements and information about Odfjell's standard cleaning chemicals and cleaning cost; and Arnel Pinedo, Quality Lead Fleet Performance, conducted an ORCA Web quality session.
The day was concluded with a 30-item Kahoot! quiz summing up key information discussed during all the sessions. Captain Enil Marvin Reyes topped the quiz, followed by Odd Arne Hansen and Gunnar Moen.
The first in-person gathering of sea and shore employees in Manila since the pandemic was met with positive response. Both the speakers and the participants appreciated the resumption of face-to-face events that brought colleagues together to discuss issues, share ideas, or simply, catch up.
"The two-day conference covered topics that really applicable on our day-to-day operations on board. We were able to bring up various issues that we deal with on board, and we got answers to our queries. I appreciated the workshop and the case study discussions, as they allowed us to share ideas and learn from one another."
Oliver Tongol, Captain
"Because I am from Ship Management, I appreciate the presentations during Tankers Day because I learned a lot about how Odfjell Tankers operate. Another thing I appreciate is meeting, in the flesh, colleagues I constantly talk to whether it's over the phone, via email, or on Teams. I am positive that after this, communication between colleagues will be a lot smoother than it used to be. So I think events like this are important because we get to celebrate how we are as an organization, and we get to see everyone's involvement towards the company's success."
Yasmin Vieira Goncalves, Head of Crewing - Ship Management São Paulo
"It was good to see colleagues I have not seen for a very long time. Meeting them again rekindled old ties, which made the exchange of ideas a lot easier."
Jose Vicente Jardiniano, Captain
"The event turned out well and both the speakers and the organizers did a good job. The seafarers actively participated, especially during the workshop. The best takeaway for me is meeting the seafarers and seeing their smiles again, after such a long time."
Captain Jan Ove Ødegård, Marine Manager
"It is good that we have this kind of event. It is nice to just chat with Captains and fellow Chief Engineers - I think this forges a stronger bond among us. While the program is already good as it is, I hope more time will be allotted for workshops, and the discussions will even be more interactive."
Roel Piodena, Chief Engineer
"Having Tankers attend the Ship Management conference allowed the seafarers to gain a bigger understanding of the various requirements that we ask of them, from the demurrage paperwork to all the data and reports needed for regulatory compliance. I think the presentations gave them a glimpse of how diverse and complex our operations are. And by understanding each other's struggles and by understanding each other further, we allow us to succeed more, together. The event has been a fruitful one with good presentation, good engagement, and a positive turnout."
Kristoffer Ramstad, Manager Fleet Performance
This year’s Fleet Week is concluded with the final fleet week of 2022 currently being held in Bergen.
