Please find attached the latest 35th edition of Leadership Insights from the ICS.

This month’s main interview is with Alfonso Castillero, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the world’s largest ship registry. Alfonso explores the developing role of flag state registries and how this is being influenced by everything from geopolitical shifts to decarbonisation. Alfonso also talks about the importance of broadening the industry’s talent pool and how best to achieve this.

The focus of this month’s news is ‘antifragile’ supply chains and if they are the future of resilience. Global supply chains face a huge number of challenges from natural disasters and geopolitical tensions to pandemics and economic volatility. The article delves into whether a resilience-based approach still offers supply chain strategists the tools they need.

Also the ICS is delighted to announce the new Secretary General, Thomas A Kazakos who was unanimously appointed yesterday following a special online meeting of the board. Thomas has a wealth of experience and has been the Director General of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, the representative national Member Association of Cyprus at ICS, since 1995. Thomas will be taking over the reins in June 2025 after Guy Platten steps down following the June ICS AGM and Conference in Athens.

This month’s ICS in Action page highlights the recent ICS Hong Kong Global Trade Summit that was co-organised in collaboration with the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong, SAR, the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. Nearly 300 delegates from 28 countries convened, including ministers and senior policymakers from 12 nations, the European Commission and international organisations, with CEOs of companies from the maritime value chain The high-profile event addressed the challenges facing maritime trade including growing political tensions, the proliferation of protectionism and the increasingly unpredictable and disruptive global landscape.

Significantly, the one-year anniversary of the seizure of the crew of the Galaxy Leader has just passed and the crew of the Galaxy Leader are still being held hostage. Innocent seafarers and families who have had their lives irrevocably changed by geopolitical forces wholly out of their control. The seafarers, some of whom have been at sea for nearly two years, have been held against their will only limited contact with their families, friends, and loved ones. This is unconscionable and must not be allowed to endure. We are thinking of the seafarers and all of those affected at this time, and we continue to call for humanity to prevail and their immediate release.

Finally, on the ICS in Action page, it highlights the recent release of the Underwater Radiated Noise Guide developed with BIMCO. This new guide aims to help the shipping industry understand and reduce underwater radiated noise from ships, and help the industry implement the underwater noise guidelines from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The practical guide explores the sources of underwater noise and its far-reaching impact on marine life. It also explains the content of the IMO guidelines and how to set up a noise management plan and looks at the scope of regional regulations and voluntary measures.

ICS-Leadership-Insights-35-full-proof-v11