1. page 15PEOPLE
Questions for
Chris
Steibelt
What’s your New Year’s
Resolution for 2008?
I don’t use the New Year as a point for
making resolutions. I tend to do them as
I go along. Strangely, these frequently
occur in the shower.
However, I do feel that 2008 is going
to be GML’s year. I sense that the customer
base is about to take a major leap as
people both inside and outside GAC
recognise the value of our service.
What do you consider to be the
secret of a successful business
venture?
A sound business plan, a clear set of goals,
and a motivated and focused team.
If you had to put a slogan on
a T shirt and wear it everyday,
what would it be?
Make My Day.
At the MIM 2006, you were
presented with the challenge
of turning GAC Marine Logistics
into the world’s top ship spares
logistics provider by 2010. Does
this spur or daunt you?
It whispers at the back of my mind every
day. I’m spurred!
Born:
South London, UK.
Family:
Wife, Wendy, 24-year-old son, Tom, and
daughter Katie, 22.
Before GAC:
Joined Overseas Containers Ltd. (later P&O) in
1974 and worked in London, Rotterdam and
Dubai for 13 years in the operations, sales and
commercial divisions. It was with OCL that he
first encountered GAC.
Joined GAC:
In May 1987, the GAC Group offered him an
Assistant General Manager position. He became
a General Manager in 1992. In January 2003,
seeing a gap in the market for reliable and
integrated ships’ spares logistics services, GAC
Marine Logistics (GML) was established, with
Chris as Managing Director. Today, GML has 50
staff with offices and representation in Dubai,
Singapore, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Mumbai
and Piraeus.
For the past five years Chris
Steibelt has headed the Group’s
Ship Spares Logistics services,
as Managing Director of GAC
Marine Logistics. GAC Chat
thought it was time to put him
in the ‘hot seat’.
How do you measure personal
success?
I’m still working on that.
Describe your most frustrating
moment.
My inability to convince the board of
directors of my previous company to
adopt proposals I had put forward
If you had your schooldays over
again, what would you do
differently?
Be less of a cool cat and more of a swot.
Many of your staff view you as
a caring, fatherly figure. Do
you think this facilitates or
impedes your role as a leader?
Managing by fear has been the norm in
the Middle East for many years. I’ve
witnessed the impact this has on staff -
their morale and the way they do their
jobs. It’s not my style and there’s
absolutely no need for it. Having a
relationship with your colleagues based
on mutual respect creates an atmosphere
where people are more at ease, work
more diligently and are more likely to
present their own ideas and suggestions
for improvements or new opportunities.
Given the choice of listening to
Elvis singing Heartbreak Hotel
or to a string quartet playing
Hayden, which would you
choose?
It depends on whether my wife Wendy
is in or out and whether I have access to
the volume control.
Shipping or logistics – which is
more challenging?
While shipping agency business has its
many challenges, there are more twists
and turns in logistics. Ships spares logistics
in particular is extremely unpredictable.
Just when you think you have successfully
loaded a consignment for dispatch from
Japan to Nigeria by airfreight, you
shouldn’t be entirely surprised if the client
asks you to cancel everything and instead
arrange to hand carry the piece to Long
Beach – on a public holiday too.
Editorial
GAC Chat is a bi-monthly publication
intended solely for employees of the
GAC Group.
Editor:
Lars Säfverström
Editorial team:
Greg Newbold and Amanda Millen
Production:
BANG Public Relations Singapore
Contributions should be directed to:
Amanda Millen at gacchat@gacworld.com
GAC Chat is printed on unbleached paper.