Singapore shipping veteran Punit Oza has been appointed as the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers’ (ICS) new international president.
Oza has been an ICS member for 32 years, and claims to have “grown and developed his craft in the industry” within the institute.
He told TradeWinds: “A journey that started 32 years ago with acquiring ICS qualifications has entered an exciting phase.
“I truly look forward to contribute, learn, grow and serve the institute, its members and the wider industry.”
In 2016, Oza became a tutor at ICS Singapore for dry cargo chartering before stepping up as international vice president last year.
His new role includes being an ambassador for the organisation and increasing its awareness and visibility among its members and the public by building initiatives to add value to the institute and its members through networking.
Oza has three main aims: to make the institute’s internal structure more robust and return to a more member-oriented approach; to eventually build on the membership’s sense of pride and inclusiveness as a part of the institute; and to build on collaborations with other organisations.
Oza is only the second president of the institute from Asia and the first Singaporean.
He said being in Asia allows him to give a different perspective and more global exposure in a time when “the industry is calling the shots”.
“I believe that for the first time in the history of our industry, the pace of change is outstripping the pace of regulations,” he added.
“Usually it is regulations that push changes in technology and industry practices, but today it is the other way round. In the areas such as decarbonisation and digitalisation, the technology and industry practices are way ahead [of] the current regulations.
“This raises the responsibility quotient for industry bodies such as ICS to update their knowledge levels and upgrade their skills through sharing and networking. This is an exciting phase that we are entering into, as an organisation and as an industry.”
Oza is the founder and director of Maritime NXT, a consultancy set up in 2023 that also offers training and invests in maritime start-ups.
He told TradeWinds that his new role is simply a “complementary responsibility” to what he already does and believes in, providing him with a bigger platform.
He will continue his activities at Maritime NXT, mentoring students and businesses, and as a part-time lecturer at Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University.
Oza said he does everything wholeheartedly.
“I do what I enjoy and therefore I enjoy what I do.”
