The Role of Cross-Industry Collaboration in a Tech-Driven Era

Christopher Aversano, Principal Product Manager at Veson Nautical, was the VP of the CMA Shipping for 4 years and then transitioned to President taking the helm of the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses the value of building maritime knowledge through community and connection.

Q) Hi Chris, thank you for meeting today. Tell us more about you, your career and what do you do at Veson?

I’m a Principal Product Manager at Veson Nautical looking after our Position List solution, in its essence a product that helps our clients understand the supply of tonnage and keep track of the markets they are watching.

It was in high school when I first realized I wanted to get into shipping. A lot of people come to this industry because of their familial connections, but that was not the case for me. I spoke with the representative from SUNY Maritime at a careers fair. I did not know anything about the industry, and I thought to myself, this is what I want to do, I want to go on ships, I want to do international trade, I want to travel, and I realized the world was a bigger place. This was of course pre-internet! ?

Once I graduated from SUNY Maritime, I sailed first as a deckhand then worked my way up to 2nd mate, came ashore, enjoyed a stint in a marketing group, got an MBA, and that led me on a path where I spent 18 years in various chartering functions. While I spent most of my time as a broker, I worked for charterers and ship owners too, giving me an appreciation of all trade viewpoints.

About five years ago I started my journey on the digital side of the business as a product manager. As a Product Manager, I am accountable for everything in the product from ensuring the strategy of the company is being executed to being the voice of the client. It is through this journey that I have taken the knowledge and equally important the contacts gained in previous roles to leverage for the success of our clients and in turn the organization.

Understanding how the clients do their job allows me to do my job as Product Manager better. It also allows me to share my experiences with others in the group which helps with all products.?

Q) What are the big changes that are developing across the maritime industry compared to when you started your career?

The biggest change is the adoption of new technology in a space that has been resistant to change. As we bring in more modern technologies, companies will hire a more diverse workforce with backgrounds and experiences outside of maritime. For me, that is great for our industry as we can share learnings and knowledge for the benefit to the company and industry as a whole.?

On a personal level, I enjoy sharing my learnings with my teams and clients. It’s amazing to watch how the industry is developing in real time. I always look at what other companies are doing. Are they hiring only people with skills gathered outside of our industry or are they hiring maritime people? While each company and its path are unique, I think it is key to have a good mix of people with industry knowledge and those without. It's a constant challenge that maritime shipping will need to address over time.

Q) You’re heading to CMA Shipping next week, why is CMA Shipping a must attend event for you?

One of the things we learned at my Maritime College from Admiral Floyd ‘Hoss’ Miller, was that no matter where you are in this world, you will run into someone from your alma mater. At the core, he was talking about the importance of networking and how these relationships can carry you throughout your career. I took that advice and used that philosophy to build my professional network.

I am always fascinated by the discussions around return on investment (ROI) for companies when attending events. For some people it is a direct ROI, and for others it is an indirect base building of networks that you can convert overtime into friends, vendors, clients, even a future employer or employee. The CMA event has a real community that comes together every year and can help that ROI.

No matter if you are new to the industry, an experienced Captain ashore for the first time or have been going to the CMA for years, there is a sense of comradery that allows you to build out a network that works for you.

The conference itself also helps bring industry connections together. There are some of the world’s top maritime thought leaders in the room, and all of them are generally accessible. It is common to bump into a speaker a few minutes after their session getting coffee and strike up a discussion.

The organizers have done an excellent job keeping the event contained over a few days. Unlike maritime events in big cities, where it is easy to break away into smaller networking events or dinners and lose that sense of community. The few days around CMA take on their own vibe as we all go to the same post conference venues and dinners. It keeps everyone together and ensures relationships and connections are built over the week.

Q) What topic are you speaking about during CMA?

I’m moderating a panel discussion titled: “Status Check: One year on from CII regulation enforcement, how has the industry fared?”

The CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) is a measure for a ship’s energy efficiency and is given in grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. Starting in 2024, the CII must be calculated and reported to the Data Collection System (DCS) verifier together with the aggregated DCS data for the previous year, including any correction factors and voyage adjustments. Deadline for DCS and CII submission remains unchanged - no later than 31 March each year with the environmental rating (A to E) to be noted on the DCS Statement of Compliance (SoC), which will be required to be kept on board for five years.

The panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, 13 March 2024 09:50 - 10:30 (ET) in the Ballroom. I will be joined by the following experts:

·???????? Bud Darr , Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company

·???????? Helen Barden , Senior Solicitor – External Affairs, NorthStandard

·???????? Thomas Keenan , Technical Committee Chairman, INTERCARGO

·???????? James Frew , Business Advisory Director, 劳氏船级社 ?

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It’ll be a great panel that will be able to look at where we are one year on and, more importantly, where we are going.

Q) How can people reach out to you and the Veson team during CMA Shipping?

Come and meet us at our Veson Nautical stand, where you can speak to one of the team. Additionally, myself and my fellow Veson speaker Joshua Luby, Group Product Manager, will be available. If you want to set up any meetings directly with us, download the CMA Shipping app. There you will be able to schedule discussions and meetings directly with Josh and me. Or, come up to the stage after our presentations for a chat.

Looking forward to seeing all the attendees soon!?

Interested in learning more about Veson Nautical and our suite of solutions? Come and visit us at our stand at CMA Shipping.