Founded in 1993, International Register of Shipping (INTLREG) successfully continues  to grow as an independent International Classification society. It establishes and administers rules and guidelines for the classification of ships, and other floating marine structures covering their design, construction, and operational maintenance for the purpose of determining and maintaining the structural and mechanical fitness for their intended purpose.

INTLREG is always operating based on trust, reliable services and professional knowledge. Through an unbias corporate culture, the company is committed to its clients who are looking for operational compliance in a progressively regulated environment.

The company is known globally and contains a reputation for dependability, transparency and experience in its maritime services. INTLREG has set the standards for achieving goals in the classification world that others desire to achieve. What makes INTLREG different and stand out in the community of classification societies is its detailed attention and an inclusive set of competitively priced maritime services designed and managed to keep vessels in best operational condition. INTLREG mission will always be to continuously ensure safety of life and property at sea, prevention of pollution in the marine environment through development and verification of standards for design, construction and operational Maintenance of marine-related facilities.

The company is constantly moving forward with a professional approach to becoming the partner of choice for its customers.

Here is What INTLREG’s CEO Has to Say

With global recognition and 31 years of experience in the corporate management of the ship classification society, the CEO and one of the founders of the company – Robert Padilla – continues as one of the principles of the overall development of the company. This included his involvement in the initial conception of the society and successful establishment of the various survey stations, overall internal management and global operations of the society.

Throughout his career, he has traveled to more than 80 countries developing strong relationships and network with  flag administrators, ship owners, technical associations and other affiliated companies.

The Chief Executive Officer is an experienced business professional with over 35 years in the Maritime Industry. His exceptional expertise primarily in all fields of business development, operation, finance and marketing established in the organization an unbiased quality culture which underpins INTLREG’s strong customer focus.

We had a great opportunity to chat with Robert online and this is what we found out…

What path did you choose to get to where you are now?

The multi-layered business which we are in is very traditional and requires many degrees of responsibility. The initial concept of the International Register of Shipping (INTLREG) was steady and controlled growth. The starting journey of the INTLREG had a long-term objective to establish a competitive position in the market and apply step by step controlled growth as the company developed further. I believe this has been achieved in the past as we successfully stabilized in local markets and such approaches continues until today.

What were the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?

As a CEO, the biggest challenge is to remain consistant with our goals and be accepted universally by other reputable organizations. As a non-IACs, it is an ongoing effort for market recognition to the traditional aspects of the shipping industry.  We consistently battle with pre-conception views from several sectors in the industry. I am pleased to say that such is improving dramatically especially in the last three years

What do you feel is the biggest strength of INTLREG right now?

80% of our current management team and country managers have been with INTLREG for more than 10 years, and within that, about 20% over 20 years. We have grown up together with our core business platform equally sharing the same vision and mission.  I personally have a close and excellent relationship with all our country managers. Our present network allows us to gather real-time information quickly to help make proper and prompt decisions. We are one team, and more important we are a family. This strength infuses into the relationship building with all our stakeholders around the world.

What Goals Do You Have For The Company?

The long-term objectives and goals for us will always be administered with an eye on controlled growth as mentioned already. We do not want to trip due to “our feet running too fast”. Reachable goals are then set within these parameters in this multi-faceted business.

We still have core goals that include providing professional and quality-oriented, cost-effective and personalized services to our clients.

The diversification of the new business segments are our primary goal set for an the immediate future.

What Type Of Leadership Is Required To Galvanize This Goal?

I have personal goals and a motto to lead by example in regards to work ethic and values. These two are the main points that I feel are required in a leadership role in all business aspects. Appropriate motivation, dedication, and teamwork values should be integrated into the whole leadership process.

In addition to the complexity of the business, it is essential to have basic knowledge of the business. You should surround yourself with trustworthy personnel to fill your gaps. I believe any good leader would say that nothing can be done alone, and requires a reliable and knowledgeable supporting team. The leader should be capable of leading the company in a way that its people enjoy working for the company. It is an art and once you succeed in establishing such principles, mountains can be moved!

What Is The Capability Of Our Leaders And Managers?

As mentioned before, INTLREG enjoys its management team that has been with the company for decades. The core of our management team are a marine engineers, master mariners and commercially minded business management individuals. Such balance is not new and it works perfectly.

We are enjoying  over 100 years of experience in the shipping industry altogether. Let’s also not forget about our country managers who are our face and spark plugs in each market. They are very capable in their positions and most of them come from a marine surveyor management background.

What’s the INTLREG role in move toward decarbonization and EEXI standards?

Our role will be primarily approval, compliance, and certification similar to other societies. From a personalized service standpoint, we do envision providing consultancy/ advisory services to clients especially for smaller end ship owners who have limited technical resources.

Where do you predict the industry will be in a decade’s time?

The industry (as the world) will continue with green initiatives similar to the automotive industry, which is already taking place with new regulations such as EEXI/CII etc. Apart from green initiative and energy efficiency, the shipping companies are exploring various means of automation and innovative technology for design of the vessels as well as vessel operations, voyage planning, logistics operations and so on. This focus on automation and innovation will become the standard within the shipping industry in coming decades.