"My job is to support our seafarers"
After 21 years with BOURBON, including 13 years as a seafarer, Samuel Peslier chose to pursue his career ashore. Today, as a Crewing Manager, he supports nearly 960 seafarers and coordinates their operational management, while also contributing to the digital transformation of shipmanagement activities.
Samuel, what does a Crewing Manager do?
Samuel Peslier: I manage a pool of around 960 seafarers, spread across several BOURBON entities and different agencies and international partners. Together with my team, we manage crew mobilization, coordinate with agencies and support seafarers throughout their careers. Our role is to make sure that the right people are in the right place, at the right time, with the skills and documentation they need to join their vessels in the best possible conditions.
You also play an important role in the digital transformation of the profession.
S.P.: For more than three years, I have been involved in the deployment of an integrated shipmanagement solution that is progressively replacing several existing tools. The goal is to manage different activities through a single interface, both on board and ashore. The dedicated seafarer portal is particularly valuable. Seafarers can access their documents, training records, entitlements and other relevant information. For me, the objective is simple: use digital tools to make everyday life easier for seafarers and shore-based teams.
Before becoming a Crewing Manager, you spent 13 years at sea. How does this experience help you in your current role?
S.P.: I was Master on MPSVs and also sailed on AHTSs, PSVs, Surfers and FSIVs as a Senior Captain. This experience gives me a good understanding of life on board, the challenges faced by crews and the operational realities seafarers have to deal with.
What qualities are essential for this job?
S.P.: First and foremost, you need to be a good listener and a good communicator. We work with seafarers of different nationalities, agencies, operational teams and many shore-based colleagues. You therefore need to be organized, responsive and able to handle complex situations. But above all, you have to remember that behind every file, every schedule and every crew change, there is a seafarer. Our work must ultimately be about supporting people.
What experience best illustrates what motivates you in this profession?
S.P.: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many seafarers were stranded in Angola and we needed to find a way to repatriate them. Together with several colleagues, we worked remotely to arrange specially chartered flights. The situation was extremely challenging, but we eventually succeeded. Several seafarers contacted me afterwards, sometimes from the airport, to thank us. It was a very powerful experience. It is probably one of my most memorable experiences at BOURBON because it sums up what motivates me: supporting seafarers, especially when conditions are difficult. And what motivates you today? S.P.: The same thing: supporting seafarers and giving them the right tools. Smartpal is a good example. It is more than just a software solution: it is a new, smoother way of working, better adapted to their needs. After all these years at BOURBON, what I still enjoy is being able to make a difference for our teams and seafarers.
