Marshall Tory: Welcome to Eat Takeaway, Dickson. Pleasure to have you on. To start, Wallem Ship Agency has been part of global trade for over 120 years. What does that kind of legacy mean to you personally – and professionally?

Dickson Chin: I am extremely proud to work for Wallem. It is a company that is highly reputable across global shipping, and as you said, has a long history. Initially, I was solely responsible for the cruise sector in Wallem, which has expanded significantly. More recently, I have also established a new breakbulk segment – handling oversized or non-containerised cargo like machinery, steel, or project equipment – which is now gaining traction. Without Wallem’s legacy, I know it would have been much harder!

MT: You’ve spent your career inside this legacy. What’s changed most since you joined – and what’s stayed surprisingly consistent?

DC: At least in port agency, the work we do is still very hands-on and manual. Perhaps the biggest change we have seen in shipping over recent times has been the shift to digitalisation. But as of today, there are still some ship agency processes that require pen-and-paper, and in some locations, we still use a fax machine!

MT: What does trust look like in practice when your team is managing ship calls in 30+ countries and dozens of languages?

DC: It is very important. Wallem’s 122-year history of profitable operation for our clients illustrates our commitment to safety and excellence in partnership with ship owners. We have shown throughout that we understand their issues and can ensure strategies deliver on their plans.

Wallem’s reputation for putting an absolute priority on safety at sea with a commitment to zero incidents also helps us to attract and keep the best talent. We are proud that this translates into a 90% staff retention rate, with some people working in our fleet for over 40 years. In Ship Agency, reputation and financial stability are equally important for the principals, as well as vendor partners that range from ports to private/individual suppliers. Managing the ships’ disbursements of some USD200K per port call is quite common, and this requires a lot of trust from all parties!

Trust comes down to open discussions with clients about the outcomes they are looking for and then ensuring we deliver on them. Using our experience and retaining well-trained staff who know their markets and understand Wallem’s commitment to safety and operational excellence are key to ensuring our clients’ businesses can succeed.

MT: Wallem is often referred to as reliable and steady – but how do you prevent legacy from becoming complacency?

DC: Wallem is continually adding services through group companies that add value for clients, through our Ship Management, Agency, Commercial Services and Vessel IT Security and Management divisions. This means we can tailor services and act as a complete global maritime partner, delivering services to support the full shipping lifecycle from vessel construction, operations at sea and in port, through to end-of-life recycling.

MT: Maritime is under pressure to modernise – whether through digital tools, ESG goals, or client expectations. How is Wallem adapting?

DC: Digitalisation is essential for maritime industry efficiency, but also to safely and economically achieve the sector’s decarbonisation goals. Wallem has developed state-of-the-art digital systems that connect seamlessly with vessels’ existing solutions and owners’ IT systems to ensure regulatory compliance.

Wallem has also introduced cleaner dual fuel vessels into our fleet, and we are training staff to work with newer alternative fuels, such as LNG, as well as methanol and ammonia, in place of the heavy fuel oil that powers most ships today and which are likely to be used in the near future. We also recently released a second Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report that highlights how we are expanding our mission to provide sustainable and responsible practices.

Innovation is only possible if all three elements come together as a combination of technology, mindset and structures. But at Wallem we believe that the future is still human, so we always aim to enhance seafarers’ performance with the best digital tools.

For innovation to work, clear thinking ahead is needed, and Wallem also needs to understand our clients’ systems and operational methods to implement plans in a structured way. Wallem’s response to environmental regulations set by the IMO (the UN’s International Maritime Organization) and EU is a good example; this has been so successful that we have offered compliance services to owners for their inhouse vessels and to ships run by other managers.

MT: Can legacy businesses like Wallem move fast enough? What needs to change to stay relevant?

DC: Adaptability and flexibility to serve our clients and stakeholders’ needs and interests are key to Wallem staying relevant, alongside employing, training and retaining the best staff in new technologies. Diversity in thinking is also important, and to this end, Wallem has sought to widen the pool of talent coming into the group, resulting in our shore-based workforce being 45% female, and increasing our female seafarer headcount by more than 20% over the last two years, ahead of industry levels.

As a 122-year old organisation, Wallem’s DNA includes the ability to understand the past, think forward and act today in the best interest of the maritime industry, our clients and the society we all serve. The maritime industry is never idle, and shipping has always adapted. Wallem has proven its ability to change course as necessary several times over recent history, through pandemics, wars, attacks on ships and sanctions affecting trades. 

MT: Shipping isn’t a consumer-facing industry – but it moves everything we consume. What’s the role of brand in a business like Wallem? And how does brand and customer experience matter for Wallem?

DC: Wallem’s role is largely behind the scenes, to keep the world moving. We work closely with the ships in preparation for their arrivals (Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine – CIQ), cargo operations and husbandry services (everything from crew changes and supplies to vessel repairs and port arrangements). All of these things contribute to the importance of brand recognition in local and overseas markets, and for our key stakeholders.

Inevitably, as an industry, we do need to move with the changes that are driving us toward innovation and sustainability, as well as compliance and governance.

We may not be ‘consumer facing’, but we have our customers, nonetheless. We also have more than one customer side to deal with: operations involve ships and seafarers while our contact with principals is office-based, and there are other key stakeholders in cargo movements, including terminals, stevedores, shippers and receivers. All our ship and cargo operations need to be smooth, and they also involve dealing with authorities. Seafarers may need assistance with medical issues or crew changes. Being responsive is crucial, as is providing our principals with expert advice based on our eyes and ears on the ground.

MT: What does success look like for Wallem Ship Agency in the next 5 years?

DC: Our continuing success in the cruise agency will involve Wallem in a thought-leadership role across Asia, while our Breakbulk segment is maturing and driving sales for the principals that Wallem represents. It ranges from small parcels to ship charters for EPC tenders – large Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects such as power plants or infrastructure builds – and stabilised income from involvement with multiple regional and diversified container services.

MT: What keeps you optimistic about the maritime world – and your role in it?

DC: Agents like Wallem will always oil the gears of transport for as long as goods need to be moved in all types of vessels, be they tankers, roll-on roll-off or multi-purpose vessels. The same is true of people’s curiosity to travel and explore on cruise ships – in short, there will always be ships at sea!

MT: What’s something about your industry you wish more people understood?

DC: To recognise that the world would stand still without shipping. Over 80% of world trade by volume is carried by sea, and no matter whether it is a working day or a public holiday, come rain or shine, day and night, shipping keeps the world moving. It may be a cliché, but it is true!