Ship Management is:

A dynamic business: ship management has always been subject to change not least regulatory developments covering safety and environmental protection. Arguably, ship management companies are facing more change today than hitherto due to the pressures to adopt digitilisation and to deal with decarbonization.

A multi-disciplined business: ship management requires people who offer different skills, experience and expertise in different technical, operational, legal, regulatory, engineering, design, commercial, human resources and financial fields.

A challenging business: ship management can be described as a problem-intensive business and it is important to remember that anything you can think of which might go wrong, can go wrong.

Aim of this course: To gain a full understanding of the challenges facing the people responsible for managing ships ashore and afloat together with the systems, processes and best practices deployed to meet these in a safe, environmentally friendly and cost effective way.

Who Should Attend?

The course appeals across the broad spectrum of shipping interests. In particular, individuals charged with management of the ship / shore interface for both owners and time charter operators would benefit from the course's insight into the environmental, legislative and stakeholder pressures confronting the ship manager. Others who would benefit include financiers seeking to better understand what makes the ship commercially attractive while at the same time being operationally risky. Finally, anyone considering a career in ship management would receive in several weeks critical insight into this challenging of professions.

Benefits of the Course

The curriculum of the course will provide an informed insight into the principles and practical realities of ship management from a business perspective. Working through a series of taught sessions and workshop exercises with the course Tutor, participants will gain a wider and deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Programme Highlights

Focussing on the core competencies needed in ship management, the course will deal with:

  • MONEY: the financial dimension of ship management with a focus on ship operating expenses
  • RELATIONSHIPS: identifying the win-win relationships with other key stakeholders
  • INFORMATION: capturing & using information as the basis for informed decision-making
  • TECHNOLOGY: how to make best use of existing and new technological solutions
  • PEOPLE: the human dimension of ship management encompassing sea and office staff
  • RISK & REPUTATION: ship management is about detecting and mitigating risks including the impact of incidents & accidents.


LNG Carrier

Online Course information

17—20 May 2021
Tutorials will consist of 8 sessions of 75 minutes with two sessions on each day from Monday 17th May to Thursday 20th May. Daily sessions will begin at 09:00 GMT (09:00 UTC) with a 15 minute break in between.

To download a programme giving fuller details of the course,  click here.

For a Booking Form,  click here.

Course Fee

The cost of the course is £1,500 per person, which includes course tutorials and the accompanying text containing the course material. Participants will receive a Course Certificate upon satisfactory completion of the programme.

About the Tutor

Dr Malcolm Willingale has worked in the shipping industry for over 40 years. Between 1990 and 2008 he held a number of senior management positions in the leading ship management and shipping services company V.Ships, part of V.Group. He was responsible for setting up the group's safety and quality management system and for introducing a group strategy function to guide organic and inorganic growth. During his employment with V.Ships he was also involved in the development of the ship managers' trade association, InterManager, including regular attendances at IMO committee meetings.

Prior to joining V.Ships, Malcolm was editor of the leading shipping journal, Lloyd's Shipping Economist, worked for Lambert Brothers shipbrokers, worked in the bulk liquid storage and logistics industry with FTD/Tankfreight and as a freight forwarder with Thomas Meadows.

Over the past 10 years, Dr Willingale has focused on designing and delivering training solutions to corporate clients including Lloyd's Register and Clarksons Platou, and is a regular lecturer/visiting professor with the World Maritime University and the Shanghai Maritime University.

Malcolm attended his first Cambridge Academy of Transport course in 1991 and has been a regular lecturer ever since. He is the Co-author with John Spruyt of the textbook Ship Management published by LLP.