Shipping company director Karin Orsel: nice northerner, two feet on the floor

An image of a tightly plowed field with a dike in the background decorates the office of Karin Orsel (54) in the head office of MF Shipping Group in Delfzijl. There is also more frivolous art, in the form of a cloudy sky above the mudflats and some sturdy wall paintings by Marte Röling. Orsel, she says, has come to appreciate art more.

The question is whether the Groningen resident, who lives in Appingedam, has much time for art. She is director and co-owner of MF Shipping, a large shipping company in the Northern Netherlands with a fleet of 55 ships, 1,250 seafarers and 80 office employees. Moreover, she has many part-time jobs. From January she will be president of the European shipowners’ association ECSA, the first woman ever. Orsel is also on the board of the Dutch shipowners’ association KVNR and is chairman of ISWAN, an organization that is committed to the well-being of seafarers worldwide.

Fair question

How does she keep all those balls in the air? Orsel laughs. “It’s a fair question, I get it often. But what I find special is that I do get that question, while I know a number of colleagues who don’t get it.”

By those colleagues she means her male co-directors in the shipping world. Apparently they are expected to stack functions without any problems. “I always find the male-female discussion annoying, but more because I think: yes, I am the first female president at ECSA and I take that very seriously. I know that I am also seen as a role model there. At the same time I think: that’s not really how I approach life. At least: nice northerner, two feet on the floor.”

She prefers not to talk about things like being a figurehead. “You already know that I’m going diving. I always hate talking about myself. I am who I am. And whether we are talking or I am in another section, I want to stay close to myself. And I’m not going to tell nice stories. But I really try to put it into practice, and that may also be something that is my added value.”

Saying goodbye to functions

“I don’t find it exciting myself,” Orsel continues. “Everything I do here, what we do here, is ultimately in the interest of our own organization and our customers. But you’re right, I have a lot of side jobs. I am also very consciously saying goodbye to a number of those positions. For example, the International Chamber of Shipping (the international shipowners’ association in London – ed.). After all, I am now also working at the European shipowners’ association.”

She will also quit ISWAN at the end of this year. But, smiling: “Knowing myself, that doesn’t mean that other things won’t come my way.”

The fact that she became president of the European Shipowners’ Association also stems from the fact that she had already been vice-president for two years. Moreover, she wants to have a say when it comes to regulations and for that you have to be in Brussels these days. “A lot happens there. The question is what you can do together there. Take the war in Ukraine. All sanctions as a result are mainly initiated by Brussels.”

Don’t let short lines go to waste

She is in Brussels every month for the European shipowners. And she travels more. We speak to her the day before she boards the plane. First to New York, from there to Istanbul and then to the Philippines. To travel back to Brussels after two days.

During the corona pandemic, something has changed in the Netherlands, Orsel sees. At the time, parties were able to find each other quickly and had short lines of communication. That should not be lost. “We have tried very pragmatically to find solutions. Please let us maintain that now, with all the challenges that exist.”

Orsel started Management Facilities thirty years ago, now MF Shipping. At the time, she worked as an accountant for a shipping company that was doing poorly and was on its way to bankruptcy. “I was then asked to step in. We started all over again. The company had a completely different name at the time, but I was already a shareholder.”

Heading a shipping company as a 23-year-old? “It was trial and error. I always say: I jumped into the deep end. Fortunately, I could swim very well,” Orsel reflects.

Price difference with Asia

MF Shipping has the wind in its sails. The company is also having ships built again. Including at Ferus Smit in Westerbroek. These are intended for the Swedish shipowner Erik Thun, a regular customer at the yards on the Winschoterdiep. “It concerns six tankers and four dry cargo ships. In addition, we are in discussions with a German customer about having four or six ships built, in the Netherlands or in Asia,” says Orsel.

In the case of Erik Thun it is not about participations, but with the German customer it is. MF Shipping owns about 10 percent of the ships in the fleet, the rest is managed.

The fact that orders are placed in Asia is not only due to the price difference. “Building in China may sound bizarre now, but we started there because we simply could not build the ships we needed in terms of size here in Groningen. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gone that way. Our largest ships are between 18,000 and 20,000 tons. The five largest were all built in China. The rest comes from European shipyards.”

Many seafarers from Russia and Ukraine

MF says it has little staff turnover, but the company currently has vacancies for officers: captains, mates and engineers in particular. Can they still be found in the Netherlands?

“We have relatively many Europeans, including Dutch, among our seafarers. But a third of our crew comes from the Philippines and a third from Russia and Ukraine,” says the director. By the way, there is no longer any sailing to Russia due to the sanctions against that country.

So far there have been virtually no incidents between crew members from both countries. “Initially the challenge was big. We have had seafarers who could not leave Ukraine. What matters to us is that we have people who have been working for us for more than twenty years and who collaborate with each other. They happen to live in Russia. Some in Russia and Ukraine also have dual passports. There was tension, especially at the beginning of the war. That tension remains, that’s why we have a helpline. This allows people to talk when they are not feeling well.”

The world tanker fleet comes to a standstill

Quickly replacing Russians with other seafarers is not an option. Orsel points out that between 25 and 30 percent of the crew members of the global tanker fleet are of Russian origin. This usually concerns specialized workers who are scarce on the maritime labor market. “If you put a stop to this now, it would probably mean that a large part of the world fleet would be at an acute standstill.”

The company continues to look for growth from the Netherlands. Employees visit schools, invite interns and briefly introduce interested parties to life on board. But even if young people choose nautical school, it is not certain that they will also go sailing, Orsel sees.

“Because then you will have competition with the industry. Or with hospitals. A number of factories here are looking for the same technical people that we are looking for. And many people eventually drop out. It plays a role that as a seafarer you are away from home for longer. They find that more difficult nowadays.”

Do you want all that paperwork?

The fact that there is internet on board ships is a prerequisite for contact with home during longer periods at sea, but sometimes makes it more difficult. “The passengers also see everything from home, but they are not there. How do you deal with that? The workload on board is also quite high. Not physically, but mentally. You have a lot of paperwork. So if you are young and enthusiastic and you enjoy sailing, you will be confronted with this in the course of your career. Do you want all that paperwork? Is that so much fun?”.

“For me, shipping is one of the most beautiful sectors there is. No day is the same, you have to deal with many different cultures. Not only on our ships, but also at our office. There are eleven nationalities there. Our world is so international,” Orsel argues for the benefits of her sector.

The position of maritime shipping today is complicated by climate change, wars, piracy, trade restrictions and sanctions. Free passage is at stake in some regions, such as the Red Sea. MF Shipping doesn’t go there. “Safety for people must always come first. We had no ships sailing in that area anyway. And if you now make the choice to consciously go through it, I would find that a very special one. That’s an absolute no-brainer.”

Safety

“We are in a very uncertain world geopolitically. Free passage is essential for all of us. That is not always clear. The Ever Given , the container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal, has brought everyone face to face with the facts. Suddenly we didn’t get our things anymore. This is no different. Navigating the Red Sea has direct consequences for the logistics behind all the products we buy.”

Orsel believes that more needs to be done to protect merchant ships and their crews. “It is almost incomprehensible to me that I have to say: the ships can no longer sail safely. Ultimately, it is your colleagues who are on board. There are now all kinds of conversations in Europe about how to do this and what each country can contribute in concrete terms. It is very important to tackle this together. Not as a separate country. An important step in the right direction has been taken this week with the start of the EU Aspides mission in the Red Sea region.”

The number of ships sailing under the Dutch flag is decreasing. In 2015 there were still 1,236, but now there are only about 1,100. This means that the Netherlands is losing market share.

Other flag sometimes cheaper

Orsel says that almost all MF ships sail under the Dutch flag. “I’m all for that too.” Sometimes different choices are made. She gives the example of a ship that contains asbestos. The Netherlands is leading the way in future legislation in this area. “If that means that you suddenly have to remove all kinds of asbestos from somewhere, which will cost you 250,000 euros or more, the question is: what is your future plan with such a ship? Suppose you want to sail with it for another three years, then it is cheaper to say: I will choose another flag that does not look so stringently at future legislation and regulations.”

How does she actually relax, as the director of a company that operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day? She perks up. “You’re always on. It is therefore very important that you take moments to relax. I walk, I didn’t expect to like it. My favorite hobby is diving. That’s very nice, then you’re under water and your phone doesn’t work. And you only have bubbles around you. I really like that.”

Orsel, born and raised in Winschoten, makes no secret of being proud of her roots. “When people ask: where are you from? Then I always say: from the best part of the Netherlands. I mean that. Everything has pluses and minuses. Entire campaigns have been conducted because Groningen people are so modest and that is true. But then I think: guys, just look at what we have achieved together. There are a number of really top companies there.”