Five questions for Henk Smith, Marine Masters
Who are you and what is your job?
My name is Henk Smith and I am Co-owner and Director of Global Operations at Marine Masters B.V. I currently oversee and provide technical expertise to salvage, wreck removal, emergency towage and decommissioning projects at Marine Masters. We also offer our clients Transport & Installation services (T&I) services as well as Ship Operations & Technical Superintendency services.
With over 25 years of experience in the salvage and offshore industry under my belt, I have considerable experience with chemical tankers, offshore heavy lifts, towage and transportations, with specific vessel experience in anchor handling, ocean going (salvage) tugs and supply vessels. This knowledge allows me to ensure that our operations are cost and time effective, protecting client assets and the marine environment.
What does a typical day for you look like?
Ours is a responsive business so a key priority for my workday is ensuring quick and effective communication between stakeholders. This often means that I need to connect online, in person, or via the phone with our clients, my colleagues, our network of suppliers and agents, and more. The nature of these conversations can vary — it might be assessing the viability of bidding on a project, overseeing or planning for an incident already underway, clarifying client needs, updating our team on the ground, and/ or commissioning vessels and personnel.
I often move between multiple projects and discussions in a single workday. And of course, while much of this is outward facing communication for marine Masters, a great deal of my time and effort is also spent working closely with the team — learning from each other, streamlining our processes, and problem-solving.
What was the best advice (workwise) someone gave you?
The best advice I’ve ever received was to understand that actions should be driven not by what you want to gain, but rather what you feel there is to lose. It’s a reminder to assess my key priorities and know that my actions don’t need to be driven by a constant urge for bigger and more — that simply having gained more is not a goal in and of itself unless it helps support and strengthen what is vital and important to me.
How could you be of help to others in the industry or the RMSC?
I am always happy to share my experience, knowledge and my network with anyone who gets in touch. I hope people, particularly newcomers to our industry, feel they can reach out to me as a point of contact.
And lastly: what’s in the news which relates directly to your profession?
The stark rise in geopolitical unrest over the last few years — with incidents in the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Red Sea — as well as the increase of piracy all affect our industry.
