Testimonials

Clément Tréhiou, Second Engineer aboard LD Armateurs’ SOVs, shares his experience at the heart of offshore wind.

In this interview with Jeune Marine, he discusses the innovative technologies onboard service operation vessels supporting offshore wind farms, his daily life at sea in the North Sea, the new SOVs currently under construction, and career opportunities for future officers.

Read the full interview in Jeune Marine: Discover the interview

1. Could you briefly summarize your career path and tell us about your current role?

Before joining LDA, I was a business owner for 17 years, running a staffing and services company. I developed internal training programs to build employees’ skills, managed complex schedules, and expanded the workforce internationally. I eventually sold the company. 

Then Covid happened, and I took the opportunity to retrain in a different field. I went to Romania to complete a management training program in the retail sector. More than anything, this experience helped me realize that retail was not for me. I returned to France wanting to move into the services sector, which had always appealed to me. 

I joined INTERPORT, a maritime support company, for a few months. To gain a better understanding of the industry, I started STCW training courses and looked for opportunities to go to sea and build up my sea time. After reconnecting with former clients, Daniel Gorrée offered me the opportunity, in May 2023, to join LD Armateurs as a seafarer. 

I worked on board the Ville de Bordeaux from June to October 2023. This experience gave me an in-depth understanding of life at sea, the challenges of the job and the day-to-day reality of being a seafarer. On December 4, 2023, I joined the headquarters team as Crew Planning and Recruitment Coordinator, responsible for planning crew rotations and recruiting seafarers across several vessels. 

2. What does your role involve and what are your main responsibilities?

There are several aspects to my role. The most important is crew rotation management: I plan and prepare each rotation, including visa applications, flight tickets, travel instructions and joining letters, while checking the class, fare and schedules each time. I also supervise crew changes for foreign seafarers with our manning agencies, and when we have an urgent need, I sometimes recruit freelance seafarers. 

There is also the overall follow-up of our crew. I anticipate staffing needs, monitor seafarers to better plan their assignments, and conduct professional interviews with French seafarers. Then there is the administrative and regulatory side: certificates, licenses, recognition applications, exemptions and files for foreign officers. I keep our seafarer records up to date in OCS-HR and liaise with the Training Department regarding training needs and evaluation follow-up. 

It is a role where everything is interconnected, so you need to be rigorous while maintaining an overall view of the operation. 

3. What do you particularly enjoy about your job?

It is a very operational role, but one with a strong human dimension. Behind every line in a crew schedule, there are people and families. Having worked at sea myself helps me understand this from the inside, and it gives real meaning to what I do. 

I also enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. You have to remain agile, curious and always look for the best possible solution. 

4. What are the main challenges you face in your day-to-day work?

The first challenge is managing the unexpected: cancellations, last-minute changes, visa or transit issues. It requires you to be responsive while keeping calm. 

Then, you have to coordinate with many different people and systems, which means communicating clearly. I also need to make sure that the data remains accurate across all our tools in order to avoid scheduling errors. 

There is also a more strategic challenge: maintaining the right balance of skills on board each vessel. It is not simply about filling a position; it is about building cohesive crews, taking into account each person’s experience and complementarity, to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the vessel. 

5. Can you tell us about a significant challenge you faced during your career and what you learned from it?

I was the business project lead during the deployment of our new crew management and planning software. It was a demanding project: I had to gather feedback and requirements from the field, contribute to structuring processes, and support the teams throughout the transition. 

I felt that I was contributing to something that went beyond my individual responsibilities and had an impact across the entire organization. 

6. What achievement or project are you most proud of at LDA?

Successfully transitioning from being a seafarer to working at headquarters as a Crew Planning Coordinator in such a short period of time is already something I am proud of. 

Having experienced life at sea before planning crew rotations from shore gave me a different perspective, complementary to that of the team. It also allowed me to quickly build trust with my colleagues and contacts, both on board and at headquarters. My managers demonstrated this trust by entrusting me with the OCS project, which meant a great deal to me. 

But what makes me most proud on a daily basis is being part of the Crew Department and contributing to it, whether by solving everyday issues or working on larger projects. 

Above all, it is a team effort: every case handled, every crew change and every unexpected situation resolved is the result of collaboration between colleagues, masters and our partners. We achieve more together. 

7. What are the three qualities needed to do this job well?

Rigour, responsiveness and organizational skills. I would also add good listening skills, which are essential for understanding the constraints faced by seafarers and masters. 

8. What is your motto?

There is always a solution; sometimes you just have to look at things differently. 

Or: There are no problems, only solutions we have not found yet. 

1. Can you tell us about your background and introduce your current role?

I graduated from ICAM, a general engineering school. During my studies, I also completed a semester specializing in naval architecture at the University of Trieste.

After graduating, I spent four years at Airseas, working on projects involving the integration of kite-based wind propulsion systems on merchant vessels. This experience allowed me to contribute to innovative projects aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the maritime industry.

I then joined LD Armateurs as a Project Superintendent. Today, I oversee a wide range of maritime projects, from the mobilization and demobilization of equipment to vessel obsolescence management, as well as the preparation and supervision of dry dockings and technical shutdowns. The diversity of these projects makes my role particularly engaging.

2. What does your role involve, and what are your main responsibilities?

My role is to provide technical leadership for the projects entrusted to me, from the initial planning phase through to operational execution.

In practice, this includes defining project requirements and technical specifications, carrying out preliminary studies, coordinating the various stakeholders and subcontractors, and supervising the execution of the work. I also monitor shipyard activities to ensure compliance with technical requirements, project timelines, and the highest standards of quality and safety.

3. What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most is being able to follow projects from start to finish, from the initial concept through to their successful completion.

I also appreciate the balance between office-based preparation and on-site operations. Seeing a project come to life after months of work is always rewarding and remains a great source of motivation.

4. What are the main challenges you face in your day-to-day work?

The maritime industry is a highly dynamic environment where unexpected situations are part of everyday operations. Operational, technical, and logistical constraints can evolve quickly, requiring a high level of adaptability.

One of the main challenges is finding effective solutions while maintaining the project’s objectives in terms of safety, quality, cost, and schedule.

6. Which achievement or project at LDA are you most proud of?

We recently completed the installation of a new ROV, along with its launch and recovery system, on board the cable-laying vessel TENEO.

This project required several months of preparation, engineering studies, and coordination with numerous stakeholders. Seeing the equipment successfully installed and fully operational on board was extremely rewarding and a great achievement for everyone involved in the project.

7. What are the three key qualities needed to succeed in this role?

The first is attention to detail, which is essential when managing complex technical projects. The second is the ability to understand and analyse a wide range of technical systems. Finally, adaptability is crucial for dealing with unexpected situations and quickly finding effective solutions.

8. What is your motto?

Finish.

A simple motto that reflects my determination to see every project through to completion.

Interview

1. Could you briefly summarize your background and present your current role?

My name is Joséphine de Vaux, and I joined LD Armateurs in January 2025. After high school, I chose to pursue a scientific preparatory program with the goal of entering an engineering school.

After two years of preparatory classes, I was admitted to École Centrale Marseille, now known as Centrale Méditerranée, where I followed a general engineering curriculum during my first two years. In my final year, I specialized in maritime engineering and completed a work-study placement with a major shipping company based in Marseille.

I graduated with my engineering degree last year and currently hold the position of Innovation Coordinator within the EPI (Engineering, Project, Innovation) department.

2. What does your role involve? What are your main missions?

As my title suggests, my role is to coordinate LDA’s various innovation initiatives (studies, pilots, projects, etc.) across different departments, particularly the Business Units, the Technical Department, and EPI. I ensure alignment between all stakeholders, whether internal teams or innovative suppliers we collaborate with.

I am also responsible for structuring and formalizing the technical monitoring carried out within EPI on innovation-related topics aimed at reducing emissions and improving operational performance. These include alternative fuels, positioning and environmental measurement systems, electrification, digitalization, wind-assisted propulsion, energy recovery, and more.

Finally, I monitor emerging funding opportunities and identify those that may align with our ongoing or future projects.

3. What do you particularly enjoy about your job?

There is an incredible amount to learn. Because my role is highly transversal, I have the opportunity to meet and exchange with experts from many different fields within the maritime industry — whether within my department, more broadly at LDA, or in other companies, both in France and internationally.

It is extremely enriching, especially as a young professional just out of engineering school.

4. Three qualities necessary to perform this role well?

Curiosity is absolutely essential. I would also highlight adaptability and perseverance.

5. What does “We sail for the next generation,” LDA Group’s tagline, inspire in you?

To me, it reflects the Group’s commitment to innovation and its willingness to highlight forward-looking initiatives. It also expresses the trust placed in younger generations — both shore-based staff and seafarers — to address the challenges facing the maritime industry.

6. Which Group value resonates with you the most and why?

In my case, I would say the value that resonates most is “pioneering spirit.” In innovation, it is not only about testing ideas; it also involves risk-taking and exploration — dimensions that are inherent to novelty and perfectly captured by the notion of a pioneering mindset.

I also appreciate the idea that some of the solutions we are experimenting with today may become industry standards tomorrow. In that sense, we are contributing, at our level, to shaping the future of maritime.

7. What advice would you give to those — especially women — who would like to pursue a career in the maritime sector?

The maritime industry is a fascinating field that remains relatively unknown and niche, which is also what makes it so rich. Its diversity of professions, expertise, and operations creates an environment where you are constantly learning and never bored. For anyone wishing to enter this sector, staying curious, open-minded, and willing to learn from the people you meet along the way — whether colleagues with diverse backgrounds or experienced seafarers — is essential.

This advice applies to everyone, and especially to women, who are still underrepresented in the maritime industry. They absolutely belong in this field and have a great deal to contribute. Despite possible doubts or moments of discouragement, it is important to persevere, believe in your legitimacy, and help shift perceptions — until seeing women at every level of leadership in this industry becomes completely natural.

8. What is your motto?

I’m not sure I have a motto in the strict sense, but there is one that I really like because it’s slightly unexpected, yet very true. It’s a good one to keep in mind when you feel stuck or hesitant to take the leap, and it feels even more relevant in the field of innovation: 100% of winners took their chance.

“The sea is a natural choice — and so is innovation.”

Anaïs Ménard, Project Engineer at LD Armateurs, shares her career path and her commitment to decarbonizing and modernizing vessels. She talks about her passion for the maritime sector and encourages young women to take the bold step of joining an industry full of opportunities.

Watch her video testimonial:

Clément Tréhiou, Second Engineer aboard LD Armateurs’ SOVs, shares his experience at the heart of offshore wind.

In this interview with Jeune Marine, he discusses the innovative technologies onboard service operation vessels supporting offshore wind farms, his daily life at sea in the North Sea, the new SOVs currently under construction, and career opportunities for future officers.

Read the full interview in Jeune Marine: Discover the interview

1. Could you briefly summarize your career path and tell us about your current role?

Before joining LDA, I was a business owner for 17 years, running a staffing and services company. I developed internal training programs to build employees’ skills, managed complex schedules, and expanded the workforce internationally. I eventually sold the company. 

Then Covid happened, and I took the opportunity to retrain in a different field. I went to Romania to complete a management training program in the retail sector. More than anything, this experience helped me realize that retail was not for me. I returned to France wanting to move into the services sector, which had always appealed to me. 

I joined INTERPORT, a maritime support company, for a few months. To gain a better understanding of the industry, I started STCW training courses and looked for opportunities to go to sea and build up my sea time. After reconnecting with former clients, Daniel Gorrée offered me the opportunity, in May 2023, to join LD Armateurs as a seafarer. 

I worked on board the Ville de Bordeaux from June to October 2023. This experience gave me an in-depth understanding of life at sea, the challenges of the job and the day-to-day reality of being a seafarer. On December 4, 2023, I joined the headquarters team as Crew Planning and Recruitment Coordinator, responsible for planning crew rotations and recruiting seafarers across several vessels. 

2. What does your role involve and what are your main responsibilities?

There are several aspects to my role. The most important is crew rotation management: I plan and prepare each rotation, including visa applications, flight tickets, travel instructions and joining letters, while checking the class, fare and schedules each time. I also supervise crew changes for foreign seafarers with our manning agencies, and when we have an urgent need, I sometimes recruit freelance seafarers. 

There is also the overall follow-up of our crew. I anticipate staffing needs, monitor seafarers to better plan their assignments, and conduct professional interviews with French seafarers. Then there is the administrative and regulatory side: certificates, licenses, recognition applications, exemptions and files for foreign officers. I keep our seafarer records up to date in OCS-HR and liaise with the Training Department regarding training needs and evaluation follow-up. 

It is a role where everything is interconnected, so you need to be rigorous while maintaining an overall view of the operation. 

3. What do you particularly enjoy about your job?

It is a very operational role, but one with a strong human dimension. Behind every line in a crew schedule, there are people and families. Having worked at sea myself helps me understand this from the inside, and it gives real meaning to what I do. 

I also enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. You have to remain agile, curious and always look for the best possible solution. 

4. What are the main challenges you face in your day-to-day work?

The first challenge is managing the unexpected: cancellations, last-minute changes, visa or transit issues. It requires you to be responsive while keeping calm. 

Then, you have to coordinate with many different people and systems, which means communicating clearly. I also need to make sure that the data remains accurate across all our tools in order to avoid scheduling errors. 

There is also a more strategic challenge: maintaining the right balance of skills on board each vessel. It is not simply about filling a position; it is about building cohesive crews, taking into account each person’s experience and complementarity, to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the vessel. 

5. Can you tell us about a significant challenge you faced during your career and what you learned from it?

I was the business project lead during the deployment of our new crew management and planning software. It was a demanding project: I had to gather feedback and requirements from the field, contribute to structuring processes, and support the teams throughout the transition. 

I felt that I was contributing to something that went beyond my individual responsibilities and had an impact across the entire organization. 

6. What achievement or project are you most proud of at LDA?

Successfully transitioning from being a seafarer to working at headquarters as a Crew Planning Coordinator in such a short period of time is already something I am proud of. 

Having experienced life at sea before planning crew rotations from shore gave me a different perspective, complementary to that of the team. It also allowed me to quickly build trust with my colleagues and contacts, both on board and at headquarters. My managers demonstrated this trust by entrusting me with the OCS project, which meant a great deal to me. 

But what makes me most proud on a daily basis is being part of the Crew Department and contributing to it, whether by solving everyday issues or working on larger projects. 

Above all, it is a team effort: every case handled, every crew change and every unexpected situation resolved is the result of collaboration between colleagues, masters and our partners. We achieve more together. 

7. What are the three qualities needed to do this job well?

Rigour, responsiveness and organizational skills. I would also add good listening skills, which are essential for understanding the constraints faced by seafarers and masters. 

8. What is your motto?

There is always a solution; sometimes you just have to look at things differently. 

Or: There are no problems, only solutions we have not found yet. 

1. Can you tell us about your background and introduce your current role?

I graduated from ICAM, a general engineering school. During my studies, I also completed a semester specializing in naval architecture at the University of Trieste.

After graduating, I spent four years at Airseas, working on projects involving the integration of kite-based wind propulsion systems on merchant vessels. This experience allowed me to contribute to innovative projects aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the maritime industry.

I then joined LD Armateurs as a Project Superintendent. Today, I oversee a wide range of maritime projects, from the mobilization and demobilization of equipment to vessel obsolescence management, as well as the preparation and supervision of dry dockings and technical shutdowns. The diversity of these projects makes my role particularly engaging.

2. What does your role involve, and what are your main responsibilities?

My role is to provide technical leadership for the projects entrusted to me, from the initial planning phase through to operational execution.

In practice, this includes defining project requirements and technical specifications, carrying out preliminary studies, coordinating the various stakeholders and subcontractors, and supervising the execution of the work. I also monitor shipyard activities to ensure compliance with technical requirements, project timelines, and the highest standards of quality and safety.

3. What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I enjoy most is being able to follow projects from start to finish, from the initial concept through to their successful completion.

I also appreciate the balance between office-based preparation and on-site operations. Seeing a project come to life after months of work is always rewarding and remains a great source of motivation.

4. What are the main challenges you face in your day-to-day work?

The maritime industry is a highly dynamic environment where unexpected situations are part of everyday operations. Operational, technical, and logistical constraints can evolve quickly, requiring a high level of adaptability.

One of the main challenges is finding effective solutions while maintaining the project’s objectives in terms of safety, quality, cost, and schedule.

6. Which achievement or project at LDA are you most proud of?

We recently completed the installation of a new ROV, along with its launch and recovery system, on board the cable-laying vessel TENEO.

This project required several months of preparation, engineering studies, and coordination with numerous stakeholders. Seeing the equipment successfully installed and fully operational on board was extremely rewarding and a great achievement for everyone involved in the project.

7. What are the three key qualities needed to succeed in this role?

The first is attention to detail, which is essential when managing complex technical projects. The second is the ability to understand and analyse a wide range of technical systems. Finally, adaptability is crucial for dealing with unexpected situations and quickly finding effective solutions.

8. What is your motto?

Finish.

A simple motto that reflects my determination to see every project through to completion.

Interview

1. Could you briefly summarize your background and present your current role?

My name is Joséphine de Vaux, and I joined LD Armateurs in January 2025. After high school, I chose to pursue a scientific preparatory program with the goal of entering an engineering school.

After two years of preparatory classes, I was admitted to École Centrale Marseille, now known as Centrale Méditerranée, where I followed a general engineering curriculum during my first two years. In my final year, I specialized in maritime engineering and completed a work-study placement with a major shipping company based in Marseille.

I graduated with my engineering degree last year and currently hold the position of Innovation Coordinator within the EPI (Engineering, Project, Innovation) department.

2. What does your role involve? What are your main missions?

As my title suggests, my role is to coordinate LDA’s various innovation initiatives (studies, pilots, projects, etc.) across different departments, particularly the Business Units, the Technical Department, and EPI. I ensure alignment between all stakeholders, whether internal teams or innovative suppliers we collaborate with.

I am also responsible for structuring and formalizing the technical monitoring carried out within EPI on innovation-related topics aimed at reducing emissions and improving operational performance. These include alternative fuels, positioning and environmental measurement systems, electrification, digitalization, wind-assisted propulsion, energy recovery, and more.

Finally, I monitor emerging funding opportunities and identify those that may align with our ongoing or future projects.

3. What do you particularly enjoy about your job?

There is an incredible amount to learn. Because my role is highly transversal, I have the opportunity to meet and exchange with experts from many different fields within the maritime industry — whether within my department, more broadly at LDA, or in other companies, both in France and internationally.

It is extremely enriching, especially as a young professional just out of engineering school.

4. Three qualities necessary to perform this role well?

Curiosity is absolutely essential. I would also highlight adaptability and perseverance.

5. What does “We sail for the next generation,” LDA Group’s tagline, inspire in you?

To me, it reflects the Group’s commitment to innovation and its willingness to highlight forward-looking initiatives. It also expresses the trust placed in younger generations — both shore-based staff and seafarers — to address the challenges facing the maritime industry.

6. Which Group value resonates with you the most and why?

In my case, I would say the value that resonates most is “pioneering spirit.” In innovation, it is not only about testing ideas; it also involves risk-taking and exploration — dimensions that are inherent to novelty and perfectly captured by the notion of a pioneering mindset.

I also appreciate the idea that some of the solutions we are experimenting with today may become industry standards tomorrow. In that sense, we are contributing, at our level, to shaping the future of maritime.

7. What advice would you give to those — especially women — who would like to pursue a career in the maritime sector?

The maritime industry is a fascinating field that remains relatively unknown and niche, which is also what makes it so rich. Its diversity of professions, expertise, and operations creates an environment where you are constantly learning and never bored. For anyone wishing to enter this sector, staying curious, open-minded, and willing to learn from the people you meet along the way — whether colleagues with diverse backgrounds or experienced seafarers — is essential.

This advice applies to everyone, and especially to women, who are still underrepresented in the maritime industry. They absolutely belong in this field and have a great deal to contribute. Despite possible doubts or moments of discouragement, it is important to persevere, believe in your legitimacy, and help shift perceptions — until seeing women at every level of leadership in this industry becomes completely natural.

8. What is your motto?

I’m not sure I have a motto in the strict sense, but there is one that I really like because it’s slightly unexpected, yet very true. It’s a good one to keep in mind when you feel stuck or hesitant to take the leap, and it feels even more relevant in the field of innovation: 100% of winners took their chance.

“The sea is a natural choice — and so is innovation.”

Anaïs Ménard, Project Engineer at LD Armateurs, shares her career path and her commitment to decarbonizing and modernizing vessels. She talks about her passion for the maritime sector and encourages young women to take the bold step of joining an industry full of opportunities.

Watch her video testimonial: