Bjoern Sprotte is BSM’s new Chief People and Sustainability Officer. He oversees all HR activities for both shore-based and marine operations. In this newly created role, he also leads the sustainability strategy including environmental, social and governance matters for BSM and the broader Schulte Group. In this interview, he shares his insights on the ongoing transformation of the maritime industry, the crucial role of talent in driving decarbonisation efforts and how BSM attracts and nurtures this talent.
Published on 12 Nov 2024
How have your first few months at BSM been?
Bjoern Sprotte: My first months went really well. We have highly committed people, a diverse business and a very good customer base. It is great to work with fantastic colleagues around the globe.
What do you see as the biggest challenges our industry faces today?
BS: There are two topics, and they are closely linked: decarbonisation and talent.
If we consider the IMO’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets - 20% (striving for 30%) by 2030, 70% (striving for 80%) by 2040 and 100% by around 2050 compared to 2008 levels – there is not a lot of time to achieve these goals, especially considering voices for even more ambitious goals.
They require significant commitments, new technical solutions and different skills. At the same time, they provide new opportunities for our business. In addition, the current fast-evolving geopolitical environment challenges us in our regular operations.
As a result, our business has become more complex, requiring the consideration of more factors in less time to strike the right measured approach to success whilst keeping operational safety and environmental protection as our prime concern.
This makes smart but accelerated decision-making essential. To achieve this, highly skilled talent is crucial to ensure your company not only stays sustainable but thrives in the long term.
How can you address these challenges in your new role?
BS: When this role was created, sustainability and people were identified as core priorities - two interdependent areas essential for the future. It specifically focuses on addressing these critical needs for our clients.
When I say that sustainability and people go hand in hand, I truly mean it: without the right talent driving innovation and implementation, decarbonisation efforts won’t succeed – and as an industry, we are poised to already lagging behind, especially due to uncertainties around which fuels will be predominant over the lifecycle of ships which are ordered today.
People are a key pillar of our sustainability strategy, not only within BSM but across the entire Schulte Group. As I mentioned earlier, our industry is at a crucial point where rapid, well-informed decision-making is essential. In my new role, I am committed to helping our customers make evidence-based decisions that will shape their future aspirations and investments.
We reduce uncertainty for our customers through our unique global network and collective expertise within BSM and the Schulte Group. Specialised teams like our Fleet Performance Centre or our Maritime Energy Centre focussing on energy transition and alternative fuels offer in-depth insights to support informed decision-making and regulatory compliance.
Additionally, we ensure the ongoing development of expertise by attracting and nurturing talent for both onboard and shore-based roles. This supports our customers as they navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing landscape.
What kind of people are we looking for? How have the essential skills and qualities needed in the industry changed over the years?
BS: First, I would like to say that I believe there has never been a more exciting time in our industry. With so many moving parts, this is a time of immense opportunity for young talent and newcomers to the maritime world‚ both on board and in roles ashore.
What has evolved is the growing demand for new skills in emerging technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence, as well as in areas like alternative fuels, fleet performance and regulatory governance. The goal is not only to make shipping more efficient and profitable but, above all, safer and more sustainable. These are times of significant transformation, and we have yet to fully tap into the potential of the incredible tools available today to meaningfully support the work we do on shore and at sea.
At the same time, what hasn’t changed are the fundamental qualities we continue to seek. We will always need individuals who are curious, collaborative and committed to lifelong learning. We look for people who are pragmatic, capable of building strong partnerships and who are ready to take ownership. In short, we seek team players with a growth mindset.
So, a key focus of my role will be on achieving human sustainability by recruiting and developing the future colleagues who will drive the transformation forward as part of our team.
How do you attract that talent?
It's not only about attracting talent, it's also about developing talent. We have excellent programmes in place to achieve both.
We are expanding into new source markets, such as the African continent, to broaden our reach and attract new seafarers. Our renowned Cadet Programme continues to thrive and we have recently launched the BSM Smart Academy – an educational initiative in partnership with international maritime universities. This programme ensures that future nautical, technical and electrical undergraduates gain practical, industry-relevant knowledge at an early stage, complementing their academic education. We also offer a robust and innovative Group Management Trainee Programme to develop talent across the organisation.
We take our people’s wellbeing seriously and have different programmes in place to enhance physical and mental health. Some of them have been created in cooperation with specialised partners such as ISWAN for our seafarers and we will work on more.
At the same time, we are focussing on strengthening talent development initiatives. We plan to enhance our DEI efforts to attract and develop talent with diverse backgrounds, experience and expertise. One of my favourite projects is our participation in the Diversity@Sea pilot by the All Aboard Alliance, a Global Maritime Forum initiative.
We are also improving our learning methods to help expand our people’s competencies. For seafarers, we are advancing our smart competence management and development approach which assesses each individual’s past onboard activities, competence and experience to provide targeted training opportunities.
To motivate our people to keep learning and growing we plan to foster knowledge sharing through learning communities that encourage collaboration between colleagues at sea and onshore. Also, we aim to create an environment that nurtures curiosity and innovation. In a highly process- and compliance-driven industry like shipping, we must encourage our teams to experiment and explore to prevent stagnation – of course never at the expense of safety. Our six Maritime Training Centres provide the perfect space to safely test new ideas, such as sustainable solutions. Once again, this is where people and sustainability go hand in hand.
How do you plan to elevate sustainability efforts at BSM?
BS: The creation of my new role shows BSM's commitment to doing its part in advancing our industry towards a zero-carbon future. And, of course, there is a lot that we already do. In particular through our Fleet Performance Centre that supports our customer’s fleets to be compliant, efficient and sustainable.
My aim is to integrate sustainability in everything we do at BSM and the Schulte Group. Sustainability is not something that “sits on the side”. Sustainable practices must be embedded in everything we do and become part of our normal business conduct. As a family-owned business with over 140 years of heritage, we are well positioned for our journey ahead.
When we will develop new ideas and opportunities, we will need to take a measured and balanced approach. What does measured and balanced mean?
First, it means to be selective and to balance the needs of our people and customers and the planet.
It also means to find the best possible partners inside and outside the Schulte Group. Working closely together with our clients will be key to ensure the best possible solution for a particular challenge as well as with partners such as the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, the Global Maritime Forum, Intertanko and SIGTTO.
And third, it is all about getting the foundation for sustainable operations right. Our uncompromised foundation is safe and compliant operations. Without safety and compliance, our business cannot be sustainable. It's the fundamental prerequisite to operate environmentally friendly.
What does it mean for you to work for a family-owned company?
BS: Family-owned businesses combine two things I’m passionate about: sustainability and people. They think long-term, which aligns with a sustainable mindset, and they care about their people treating them with dignity and respect. They care very much about what I mentioned earlier: human sustainability.
Being part of a family business also means that there is a heritage. I see here a wealth of competence that has been built up over years and generations. It’s rewarding to be part of this, because ultimately, what we sell as a company is expertise.
It’s the people who make the difference. I believe that family-owned businesses like BSM and the wider Schulte Group attract like-minded individuals who share these values and want to contribute. I am one of them.
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