OSM Thome merger approved - CEO Norbye focuses on building a single organisation

Branded as OSM Thome the merged group will be headquartered in Arendal, Norway with Norbye as CEO. Speaking to Seatrade Maritime News he says that both organisations are “keen, motivated, and engaged” as they prepare to move forward as a single entity.

Announced in January this year competition authority approvals for the merger took longer than expected giving the two companies more time to work on the shape of the future organisation.

Norbye explains the intention is OSM Thome will operate a combined group, “We will transform this into one organisation, it will not be as like two companies living side by side.” In Singapore, Mumbai, and Manila where both companies have substantial presence the offices will be brought together under one roof. “So, we have teams dealing with a combined group of customers under a common management.”

OSM Thome’s technical shipmanagement will be run from Singapore with current Thome CEO Olav Nortun at the helm as Chief Operating Officer of the Ship management business division.

The combined group will handle full technical management for around 450 ships with sizeable ship management offices in Croatia and Norway as well as Singapore.

In addition to technical management OSM Thome will have around 550 vessels under crew management and the combined crewing business will be headed by Julia Anastasiou as Chief Crew Management Officer.

Related:‘Scale is important’ - Thome and OSM to merge

While Norbye talks about the combined group there is perception among some in the market that rather than merger the combination is a takeover by OSM. Responding to this he says: “In everything we do in internally we emphasise that this is a merger between two equals.”

From the outset of the announcement of the merger scale and the benefits that brings in terms financial muscle and resorts was stressed. One of those areas will be in systems and digitsalisation with the creation of a new post Chief Digital Officer which will be taken up by Jamir Morgan Ramsamy.

“That’s to make sure we really put that at the top of our agenda and we push ourselves to the see the benefits of digitalisation in the way we work internally and vis-à-vis customers, and also in the services that we offer,” he says.

The combined group is also seen as having greater scale to address environmental issues which are at the forefront of ship operations. “I think, what's very important for us is really to embrace what's happening within green shipping and to take an active part.  There are significant changes in the in the market and we need to be there and to address those issues for the benefit of the shipowners.”

Related:OSM Thome interview – Growth, size, and crew pool

Looking ahead as to where Norbye would like to see OSM Thome in a year’s time he states, “I would really like to see a one team working well together and where we are really moving in one direction as a company.”