Svitzer in Asia: Employees must be super fit

With the mantra “a healthy mind leads to a productive mind,” Alan Bradley has taken the reins of Svitzer’s new Asia office. The first of a series of physical challenges has been launched to ensure that the employees get fit for the major and ambitious task ahead.

BY TENNA SCHOER

Published: 08.01.16 at 15:11

On his left wrist is a black sports watch, on his right a pedometer, which looks discrete under the white shirt, representing a concrete task while also serving as a symbol of what lies ahead for Svitzer’s new Asia office.

"We gave these pedometers to everyone in the office as a Christmas present, and they should be wearing them now – because the challenge this January is the daily step count," explains Alan Bradley, who since October last year has served as Managing Director, Asia, for the Maersk-owned towage unit.

"There will be various physical challenges as the year progresses – because we need to be fit in 2016 as we face a major task ahead," he says, his glance switching from the pedometer to the colleagues on the other side of the glass wall, before adding:

"I believe that a healthy mind leads to a productive mind."

Riding 5,000 kilometers and negotiating a contract

He personally does not doubt that his attitude toward health and business go not only hand in hand, but that these two elements combined have in fact contributed to the results that a few months ago landed him the job in Singapore after serving as CCO of Svitzer in Australia.

His biggest physical victory was when he last year, as part of a four man team, cycled across the United States in a 5,000 kilometer bike race, incidentally sponsored in part by Svitzer.

"I wanted to prove that it’s possible to have a very challenging and demanding job while also maintaining a healthy lifestyle – and thus achieving results both in and out of the job," he explains of the project:

"In the months in which I was training for the bike race, riding 11,000 kilometers, we made significant progress in the negotiations concerning Inpex Ichthys (LNG project in Darwin, Australia). And we signed the contract a few months after I had completed the race."

It’s all about being passionate

His bag under the desk contains his lunch box, which today consists of a salad prepared by Alan Bradley’s wife. His healthy lifestyle is backed by his better half, who worked for years as a personal trainer – a business his daughter has now taken over after the Bradleys moved from Sydney to Singapore.

"I've become a kind of health and wellbeing ambassador for the company – because I can do it, everyone can," says 52-year-old Bradley with a smile:

"It’s a matter of dedicating yourself to a task and being passionate about it – then the results will follow."

He considers it one of the key aspects in his capacity as head of the Asia office to pass this attitude on to his employees:

"I’m passionate about health and passionate about business – and I actually think that’s one of the reasons I’m sitting in this office today – I have to ensure that some of that passion transcends into the success of this new region."

EU countries ready for CO2 quota negotiations – but without a shipping fund

After marathon negotiations, EU member countries passed a mandate late Tuesday for inclusion of shipping into the union’s emissions trading system. A proposed special fund for the industry’s transformation does, however, not appear to be on the table.