stonefort marine talent

stonefort marine talent was delighted to attend the UK Chamber of Shipping’s, Shipping UK London 2024 conference yesterday. Thank you to all concerned, the Chamber, sponsors, fellow exhibitors, attendees, support staff. The session on "Human Resource at Sea and Ashore" was another powerful reminder of the pivotal crossroads our industry faces. The panel considered the challenges of, interalia, decarbonisation and rapid advancements in technology, in the context of the ongoing battle to attract and retain the right skills. While there are many promising initiatives, a key question remains: do we have the workforce ready to meet these changes? The maritime skills shortage, particularly in technical and leadership roles, was a recurring theme throughout. At stonefort marine talent we hear this from all corners of the sector —addressing these gaps will require a fresh approach to maritime careers. As Donnacha O'Driscoll aptly noted, we need to promote broader careers in maritime rather than merely careers at sea. This distinction is crucial. We must expand our focus to also look beyond traditional seafaring roles to encompass shore-based, technical, and leadership positions that contribute to the industry's future growth. The maritime sector is on the cusp of a digital transformation, but this brings a pressing need for the right expertise. The session highlighted the necessity of also prioritising STEM skills, in fields like data science, AI, and automation, as the future of shipping increasingly depends on these capabilities. Recruiting for these roles requires experienced partners such as stonefort marine talent to cast a wider net, tapping into cross-industry talent and attracting younger generations who naturally embrace technology. The panel’s conclusion, in my opinion, was that the need for adaptive, future-focused talent has never been greater. Looking ahead, it’s clear that as an industry, our approach to maritime careers—and the skills we prioritise—will shape our success. The journey may be challenging, but with the right talent strategies and industry collaboration, it’s one we can navigate. On a lighter note, congratulations to Tobian Forster, who won the Stonefort bottle of Bolly, and Karrie Trauth, who took home the model ship, kindly drawn by fellow exhibitors Blair Moglia and Antonella Barletta. #shippingUK #stonefortmarinetalent #stonefortmarineconsultancy #MNTB #maritimecareers

Pop along and say hello to Mark Fortnum Mark Hanson

https://lnkd.in/e-UMaCT3 #skilledsuperintendents #stonefortmarinetalent #stonefortmarineconsultancy #leadershipdevelopment

CONTINUING OUR SERIES ON GREAT BOOKS FOR LEADERS - No2: THE BIG SHORT Okay, so it's not a business book per se. But it is a powerful morality lesson as well as a great example of the dangers of GROUPTHINK. No. 2 in our series - and a book we reference in our leadership training - is 'The Big Short' by Michael Lewis. Why? Because it's accessible, there's a very good movie that goes with it and it's relevant. But how is it relevant to leadership? To the maritime sector? In lots of ways. This is the story of how the financial world was seduced by a product so invidious, so evil (it relied on the most disadvantaged members of society making terrible decisions) but - in the end - so financially remunerative that nobody but a few outliers saw the crash coming. Let's not pretend those outliers were heroes (they made stacks of cash by betting against the system) but they thought differently and they weren't afraid to challenge. Everybody else? They were asleep at the wheel. Lewis writes with the insider's knowing wink of someone who has been there (his first book, 'Liar's Poker' tells the story of his time on Wall Street). It's a book that you can read again, and again. There's something to learn on every page. THE LESSONS TO TAKE AWAY FOR LEADERS? 1. Beware GROUPTHINK. Just because everyone else says something is true, doesn't mean it is. 2. Build PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY to allow innovation, encourage and INCENTIVISE difference in your teams (incentivise doesn't always mean money). 3. If something's too good to be true, it probably is! Make sure you have people in your team who KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. Too many clever generalists failed to spot the dangers of the financial products they were creating. In summary, not a traditional book on leadership. But it should be a standard leadership text - it's full of insight drawn from a terrible global tragedy. Sadly, as Lewis points out, the world didn't learn from its mistakes! But our leaders can. #maritimeleadership #avoidgroupthink #psychologicalsafety

Diversity Hires in the Maritime Shore Industry: A Leadership Perspective Reflecting on our recent work at stonefort marine talent , it's clear that the maritime industry continues to face a challenge — one that leaders like us have grappled with for years. Diversity hires are not a checkbox exercise but a crucial component of building resilient, innovative teams. But (from a small pool - that's another conversation for another day) finding diverse talent for the shoreside roles we've been working on, folk who can truly succeed in these big shore jobs, requires more than just scanning CVs; it takes deep industry knowledge and a hands-on approach. At Stonefort, we’re not recruiters in the traditional sense. Our team of three managing partners brings decades of experience leading global maritime teams (including hiring for), working abroad with diverse teams, and navigating complex shipping leadership roles. This positions us uniquely to understand both the challenges our clients face and the calibre of professionals required to meet those challenges. When we present a candidate slate, it’s not just diverse for the sake of optics—each person we recommend has been personally vetted by us through multiple interviews, not by a recruiter handing over a stack of CV's after a cursory role requirement check. What sets us apart is that we’re able to assess candidates in a way that even our clients often cannot. As seasoned marine professionals, we know what it takes to succeed in these roles. We consider diversity, yes, but we go beyond that to determine whether the candidate can truly do the job—and if there are any risks, we offer actionable strategies to mitigate them. Perhaps the candidate isn’t exactly what the client initially envisioned, but with a period of support, they could far exceed expectations. Our goal is simple: to provide our clients with the talent they need, free of bias but rich in professional insight. The industry’s evolving needs demand leaders who can adapt, and we take pride in helping shape that future. If you’re facing challenges with talent diversity in your industry, let’s start a conversation. Please comment below or message me directly! #DiversityInMaritime #MaritimeIndustry #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveSearch #TalentManagement

Servant leadership - great insight from Gemma below. Take the blame and give credit - shorthand to a team that excels and innovates.

BOOKS FOR LEADERS (THAT WE'VE WELL & TRULY ROAD-TESTED) Books on leadership & business tend to be reviewed when they're published rather than after they've been used. A bit like reviewing a car without actually driving it. We thought we'd re-visit a few of the best titles that we've really put through their paces. We've spilled coffee & blood on the covers, used and abused several editions and - most importantly - put the ideas into action. But do those ideas work? GOOD STRATEGY, BAD STRATEGY. THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY IT MATTERS First on the list is Rumelt's 'Good Strategy, Bad Strategy'. First published in 2011 and we've been using for about decade now. Declared interest: we love it! It cuts through the corporate noise. It gets people to focus on the few MOST IMPORTANT THINGS that need to get done. Favourite sound bite: 'A long list of things to do...often mislabelled as objectives, is not a strategy. It is just a list of things to do.' And the central premise is a simple one: the 'kernel' (as Rumelt calls it) that contains: - A diagnosis (the challenge that is faced) - A guiding policy for dealing with the challenge (this is the 'big idea') - A set of coherent actions It is SUPER SIMPLE. And the bit we love is the need for a diagnosis that removes the fluff (as Rumelt also coins all the ridiculous long words that people wrap around strategy). The downside? Two things. I'd like to see more on resources, and there's also a lot of book to read! I'm not saying it's War and Peace (and there's some strong examples liberally littered throughout) but I think the best stuff is in the first half. IN PRACTICE? It's a great book to help challenge unachievable strategy & buzzword leadership. Ask people what their new strategy is meant to solve. What's their diagnosis? If they haven't got one then you know it's not going to work. In a nutshell: simple, practical, useful. Just a bit long. What do you think? Have you used Rumelt? #maritimeleaders #maritimestrategy #leadership #effectivestrategy

The managing partner of stonefort marine talent shares a personal reflection…

The Importance of Expertise in Maritime Recruitment: A Personal Anecdote Recently, I was contacted by a recruitment company (which shall remain unnamed) wanting: 'to headhunt you for a brand new maritime role'. A quick glance at my CV should have revealed that I was entirely unsuitable for the position for two primary reasons: 1. I was significantly overqualified for the role (last in a similar place 20+ years ago) 2. I was at the same time significantly underqualified for the role! (The position required recent and relevant shipboard experience; whereas I'd left the sea for shoreside in the late 90's!) This encounter highlighted a critical gap in the recruitment process – the lack of nuanced understanding of the maritime industry by general recruitment firms. It was a reminder of why we formed our talent business and is where Stonefort stands out. Why Stonefort Marine Talent? We pride ourselves on being deeply experienced maritime leaders. Our niche team is made up of experts that have led global operational teams (Technical, Commercial Ops, Vetting, Crewing, Safety etc), as well as holding senior leadership team and industry board roles. We have hired for the same, and personally performed many of the roles we now recruit for. We understand the intricacies and demands of maritime positions, which enables us to offer a differentiated recruitment service. Our Process in brief 1. Role profiles/Company requirements: We are able to respectfully challenge, even write role profiles for our clients, sometimes even moving them away from what they originally thought they wanted! 2. Thorough CV Screening: Unlike some general recruiters, we don’t just match keywords on a CV, and then forward for the client's second deeper review. We understand the context and relevance of experience, ensuring that we only 'medium list' candidates who genuinely meet the criteria.   3. First Interviews: We conduct initial interviews on that medium list to assess not technical qualifications, cultural fit and readiness. This step ensures that only the most suitable candidates proceed to final selection. 4. Credible Shortlists: Our clients receive a shortlist of candidates who, in our professional opinion, are all capable of excelling in the role. This includes a mix of seasoned professionals ready to step in immediately, promising candidates who may require minimal support to reach their full potential, and of course candidates to challenge traditional thinking. Conclusion This recent experience of being so mismatched for a role served as a stark reminder of the value of industry-specific expertise in recruitment. At Stonefort Marine Talent, we leverage our deep maritime knowledge to provide a service that truly meets the needs of our clients. The benefits: significant work taken out of the system by a streamlined process, credible candidates, and ultimately, successful hires. #futuremaritimeleaders #maritimeleadership #maritimehr #maritimeleadership

The Importance of Expertise in Maritime Recruitment: A Personal Anecdote Recently, I was contacted by a recruitment company (which shall remain unnamed) wanting: 'to headhunt you for a brand new maritime role'. A quick glance at my CV should have revealed that I was entirely unsuitable for the position for two primary reasons: 1. I was significantly overqualified for the role (last in a similar place 20+ years ago) 2. I was at the same time significantly underqualified for the role! (The position required recent and relevant shipboard experience; whereas I'd left the sea for shoreside in the late 90's!) This encounter highlighted a critical gap in the recruitment process – the lack of nuanced understanding of the maritime industry by general recruitment firms. It was a reminder of why we formed our talent business and is where Stonefort stands out. Why Stonefort Marine Talent? We pride ourselves on being deeply experienced maritime leaders. Our niche team is made up of experts that have led global operational teams (Technical, Commercial Ops, Vetting, Crewing, Safety etc), as well as holding senior leadership team and industry board roles. We have hired for the same, and personally performed many of the roles we now recruit for. We understand the intricacies and demands of maritime positions, which enables us to offer a differentiated recruitment service. Our Process in brief 1. Role profiles/Company requirements: We are able to respectfully challenge, even write role profiles for our clients, sometimes even moving them away from what they originally thought they wanted! 2. Thorough CV Screening: Unlike some general recruiters, we don’t just match keywords on a CV, and then forward for the client's second deeper review. We understand the context and relevance of experience, ensuring that we only 'medium list' candidates who genuinely meet the criteria.   3. First Interviews: We conduct initial interviews on that medium list to assess not technical qualifications, cultural fit and readiness. This step ensures that only the most suitable candidates proceed to final selection. 4. Credible Shortlists: Our clients receive a shortlist of candidates who, in our professional opinion, are all capable of excelling in the role. This includes a mix of seasoned professionals ready to step in immediately, promising candidates who may require minimal support to reach their full potential, and of course candidates to challenge traditional thinking. Conclusion This recent experience of being so mismatched for a role served as a stark reminder of the value of industry-specific expertise in recruitment. At Stonefort Marine Talent, we leverage our deep maritime knowledge to provide a service that truly meets the needs of our clients. The benefits: significant work taken out of the system by a streamlined process, credible candidates, and ultimately, successful hires. #futuremaritimeleaders #maritimeleadership #maritimehr #maritimeleadership