Testimonials

Job testimonial

Fulvio Astengo, Operation & Performance Manager at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I have recently reached 15 years of experience in the maritime and logistics industries, operating in different sectors and playing different roles.
I started with container liner shipping, moved to maritime logistics for mining and commodities, dealing from operations, which is my current area of work, to pure commercial and business development roles. I was involved for some time also on QHSE matters and up to a more general and overall country company representation.
So far I have lived and worked in four different countries: Italy, Spain, Indonesia and the UAE.
I can say that this path helped me have a 360-degree view of the business – at least I do hope so.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

I started in LDPL a year and a half ago with a new project in Vietnam. I am now focused on current LDPL projects, i.e Hassyan, UAE, and Kamsar, Guinea, where I am in charge of operations and commercial operations management.

3/ What do you like the most in this job?

Well, what I like has both pros and cons. Dynamicity and constant evolutions of these projects make myself always challenged and continuously looking for new and best solutions to meet the clients’ requirements.
This is of course stressful sometimes but I personally find it stimulating and it finally can give appreciated rewards.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Passion. Proactivity. Customer orientation and awareness.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

I like to recall that in several cases during my career I have been physically present when a project has actually started, meaning when the first ton of cargo was shipped, which is kind a of milestone in our business.
This happened also about a year ago when I was onsite at the transshipment area in Kamsar, Guinea, when LDPL handled the first cargo in GAC project with EGA.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

Definitely a sea person – I was born, I grew up and spent my entire life in seaside places.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

I am a football “fanatic”, I used to play at some decent level and also support my local football team wherever it was playing around the country.
I also play tennis.
In general, beside sports, I like travelling and meeting new people from different countries and cultures.

8/ What is your motto?

I do not really have my own motto and this one probably does not have much to do with work but I would like to quote one which is in French and expresses what my ideals in daily and private life are: “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”.

Interview

Orazio La Pira, Master / Offshore Installation Manager at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I graduated from a nautical school, got my Nautical Competency certificates and started my career in the maritime industry as a Deck Cadet on a transhipment vessel. I continued working with this kind of ships but the need to step up to a Chief Officer role made me decide to go to an ocean-going-vessel (bulk carrier) to learn more about the job.

I continued for about 2 years and got my Master License. I try to keep my knowledge up to date during my sea service (how to manage ship including crews, cargo, documents, loading/unloading, mooring/unmooring, liaising with authorities, agent, clients, etc).

I eventually got the opportunity to work with LDPL ME as an Offshore Installation Manager (OIM), who is the person in charge of all offshore transhipment operations in Kamsar.

It is a new role for me as I act as the middleman between onshore and offshore operations. It is exciting to me as it is a totally new challenge. I had a steep learning curve, but I am blessed to get connected with many people who are highly experienced in transhipment vessels.

I have been working with LDPL ME for almost 2 years now, and I appreciate the opportunity I was given as we continue together to achieve the company’s goals.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

As the OIM, I am entrusted with the duties of how to speed up the loading rate and make sure loading operations go smoothly. Of course, I need to work and liaise with other departments (Technical, Crew, Logistics, QHSE, etc.) and to align with the company management system as well.

I assist with manoeuvres as the Mooring Master with STS (Ship-to-Ship) operations.

3/ What do you like the most in this job?

Organising, planning and monitoring the main stages of our operations (loading/unloading, mooring/unmooring, crew management, etc). Planning daily operations for our fleet, facing all the challenges brought by bad weather season. Changing the set up and looking for new ideas on how to improve.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Passion, experience in transhipment and good attitude.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

We have 2 seasons in our Kamsar transhipment area, the tropical season and the rainy season. Our main challenges are during rainy season. The bad weather comes with strong current and wind, and we need to protect our assets in Kamsar and avoid any damage to our fleet, cargo and especially our crew.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

I am a sea person.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

Travel and jogging. I love traveling with my Vespa.

8/ What is your motto?

Nothing is impossible if we can work together as a team to achieve our goal.

Interview

Marc Geffroy, Project Manager – Louis Dreyfus TravOcean

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I always have been attracted to the sea, so it was natural for me to get specialized in Ocean Engineering during my studies at Centrale Marseille Engineering School.
I wanted to start my career with an operational experience. I had the opportunity to do my end-of-studies internship at the Toulon naval base. The company was in charge of the maintenance of the French navy ships. As an assistant project manager, I was lucky to be involved in the disarming of the Dupleix Anti Submarine Frigate. During the second part of my internship I was in charge of the technical stop of the Gapaud landing barge, which was connecting the Levant Island and Hyeres.
In addition to this “field” approach, I wanted to travel. This is why I applied for a project engineer position at Louis Dreyfus Travocean, which seemed to tick all the boxes.

I started to work at the La Ciotat office in 2015. Since then, I have gained experience in submarine cables installation, repair or burial in Telecom, oil and gas and even offshore windfarm markets.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

I am mainly in charge of managing different service agreement contracts: supply of ROVs and personnel to assist one of our clients during offshore windfarm inter-array cables installation and burial.
In addition to this long-term mission, I am involved in different submarine cable installation or burial projects.
My job starts, as soon as the contract is awarded, by a preparation phase: project documentation, definition of the technical solutions to be implemented, follow-up of equipment preparation on our different sites, purchasing, logistics…
This initial stage is followed by an operation phase on the project location, starting by organising the mobilisation of the equipment on the chosen vessel. Then, depending on the project, I am either involved in the operation on land or at sea.

3/ How did your position evolve in the LDA Group?

I was hired as a project engineer in 2015 and gained a strong experience thanks to the variety of projects I was involved in and the trust I was given by the company. About a year ago, I became a project manager, working on various projects at the same time.

4/ What do you like the most in this job?

The great diversity of projects: in the space of a few months I can go from working on the burial of a seismic cable in an oil field in Norway, to the laying of shore ends in the United Kingdom or Argentina, and finish by the mobilisation of various ROVs in Poland on a vessel dedicated to the laying and burial of offshore windfarm inter-array cables. All of this during a global pandemic !

5/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

I think you must be very curious, be self-sufficient and able to adapt to different situations: operational and weather conditions on site can change very quickly. Also you need to have good interpersonal and communication skills. This job involves working with a lot of different people and cultures.

6/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

In 2016, following a storm in the English Channel, 4 network cables between the United Kingdom and France were damaged close to Dover. Louis Dreyfus Travocean had to perform a repair very quickly. Almost 12 months later, we got a call informing us that the network was damaged again, but on the French side this time. It is a rare event in the life cycle of this kind of cable, and I was lucky to be involved in both projects with very different technical solutions, within a year.

To bounce back on funnier statistics: before I started to work for Louis Dreyfus Travocean, I had only been on a plane twice… Since then, I have stopped counting !

7/ Are you a land or sea person?

I would say a mix of both: I am a littoral person.

8/ What are your hobbies and interests?

I really like outdoor activities whether at sea (sailing, diving…) or in the mountains (skiing, hiking…).

9/ What is your motto?

I don’t really have a motto but I always try to learn something from every situation, whether difficult or not.

Podcast ????️ ????

Do you wish to learn more about newbuilding at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group?

So, take a time to listen to the podcast by Pierre-Arthur Fortin, our Newbuilding engineer at EPI  Engineering, Projects, Innovation department!

Click here!

Podcast made by Cluster Maritime Français.

Interview

Nagasubramani Balakrishnan, Procurement Officer at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

After completion of my bachelor’s in Mechanical engineering, I started my career in Logistics and Supply Chain. My passion for Maritime kept growing, for which I moved to Dubai, to start a career in the Maritime Industry. Before starting my career in LDPL, the experience I gained in the other companies helped increase my quality of work in LDPL. My journey in LDPL MIDDLE EAST started in December 2018 as a Procurement Officer. The amount of knowledge I gained in these past 2 years, will help me carve my path towards a better future in LDPL.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

It began with managing the procurement & logistics of spares for the Dubai and Guinea fleet. As a procurement officer, my major tasks revolve around sourcing of spare parts for the vessel. My main mission would be to abide by the delivering of the right parts, at the right place, and at a right quantity.

3/ What do you like the most about the job?

LDPL has one of the finest working environments I have ever experienced. Coming to work has been a delight, because of the working environment LDPL offers. My colleagues here are a treat to talk and mingle with. The everyday experience is what keeps me attracted to this job.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

The 2 years I have spent here have turned me into a better person. The qualities that I feel one must certainly have as a Procurement Officer is the ability to work hard, be focused and have great communication skills.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

Responsiveness. During the pandemic time, planning & shipment of spares was a difficult and challenging task. With the support of my Manager & my team, we were successful in shipping out the items to Dubai & Conakry without any delay.

6/ Are you a land or a sea person?

As much as I enjoy being in office, the sea offers thrills of its own. The small opportunities we get to be on board with other crew members is what I call a total joy ride.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

Watching football is one of my favourite ways to pass my leisure time. Apart from that, music and movies keep me entertained.

8/ What is your motto?

The only way to do great work is love what you do.

Interview

Tanvi Desai, Admin and HR Supervisor

1 / Could you tell us more about your career path and your current position?

I started working with LDPL MIDDLE EAST in November 2018 as Polyvalent Executive Assistance. As a newcomer in the Marine and Transshipment industry, I got an opportunity to explore different departments such as Technical, Operations, Purchasing, QHSE, Crewing to understand each department’s job role and importance related to the activities. With learning and experiencing on day to day basis, I strengthen my knowledge, skills, and abilities which were required to move on to my next step and position as Admin and HR Supervisor in July 2020.

2 / What has your career path been like at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group / LDPL?

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group / LDPL has strong leadership approach. Leaders and managers create strong relationship with employees and always encourage for feedback. This attitude from my leaders always gives me positive energy and to be challenged, constant learning and grow.

3 / What do you like most about your job?

As a part of Human Resource, I enjoy helping Employees and Managers improve the effectiveness of an organization.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Integrity, Good listener and Navigate the Organization.

5/ What are your hobbies and interests?

My hobbies are listening to music, drawing animation and I am interested in Sports such as fitness training and traveling.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

Land while working and sea while on holidays! ????

7/ What is your motto?

If you can dream it, you can make it.

8/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share?

Reactivity! During operation we encountered that one of the employees got COVID-19. As work must continue, I had to look for an alternate option as a group of employees had to quarantine till they get their negative PCR test. Immediately I found an alternate option for drivers through our agent to drive bus and car to drop other employees at the site area. Everything was arranged and there was no distraction during the operation. Also, follow-up was done with quarantine employees to ensure that they are well looked after.

******

Thank you very much Tanvi !

Job testimonial

Fulvio Astengo, Operation & Performance Manager at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I have recently reached 15 years of experience in the maritime and logistics industries, operating in different sectors and playing different roles.
I started with container liner shipping, moved to maritime logistics for mining and commodities, dealing from operations, which is my current area of work, to pure commercial and business development roles. I was involved for some time also on QHSE matters and up to a more general and overall country company representation.
So far I have lived and worked in four different countries: Italy, Spain, Indonesia and the UAE.
I can say that this path helped me have a 360-degree view of the business – at least I do hope so.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

I started in LDPL a year and a half ago with a new project in Vietnam. I am now focused on current LDPL projects, i.e Hassyan, UAE, and Kamsar, Guinea, where I am in charge of operations and commercial operations management.

3/ What do you like the most in this job?

Well, what I like has both pros and cons. Dynamicity and constant evolutions of these projects make myself always challenged and continuously looking for new and best solutions to meet the clients’ requirements.
This is of course stressful sometimes but I personally find it stimulating and it finally can give appreciated rewards.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Passion. Proactivity. Customer orientation and awareness.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

I like to recall that in several cases during my career I have been physically present when a project has actually started, meaning when the first ton of cargo was shipped, which is kind a of milestone in our business.
This happened also about a year ago when I was onsite at the transshipment area in Kamsar, Guinea, when LDPL handled the first cargo in GAC project with EGA.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

Definitely a sea person – I was born, I grew up and spent my entire life in seaside places.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

I am a football “fanatic”, I used to play at some decent level and also support my local football team wherever it was playing around the country.
I also play tennis.
In general, beside sports, I like travelling and meeting new people from different countries and cultures.

8/ What is your motto?

I do not really have my own motto and this one probably does not have much to do with work but I would like to quote one which is in French and expresses what my ideals in daily and private life are: “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”.

Interview

Orazio La Pira, Master / Offshore Installation Manager at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I graduated from a nautical school, got my Nautical Competency certificates and started my career in the maritime industry as a Deck Cadet on a transhipment vessel. I continued working with this kind of ships but the need to step up to a Chief Officer role made me decide to go to an ocean-going-vessel (bulk carrier) to learn more about the job.

I continued for about 2 years and got my Master License. I try to keep my knowledge up to date during my sea service (how to manage ship including crews, cargo, documents, loading/unloading, mooring/unmooring, liaising with authorities, agent, clients, etc).

I eventually got the opportunity to work with LDPL ME as an Offshore Installation Manager (OIM), who is the person in charge of all offshore transhipment operations in Kamsar.

It is a new role for me as I act as the middleman between onshore and offshore operations. It is exciting to me as it is a totally new challenge. I had a steep learning curve, but I am blessed to get connected with many people who are highly experienced in transhipment vessels.

I have been working with LDPL ME for almost 2 years now, and I appreciate the opportunity I was given as we continue together to achieve the company’s goals.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

As the OIM, I am entrusted with the duties of how to speed up the loading rate and make sure loading operations go smoothly. Of course, I need to work and liaise with other departments (Technical, Crew, Logistics, QHSE, etc.) and to align with the company management system as well.

I assist with manoeuvres as the Mooring Master with STS (Ship-to-Ship) operations.

3/ What do you like the most in this job?

Organising, planning and monitoring the main stages of our operations (loading/unloading, mooring/unmooring, crew management, etc). Planning daily operations for our fleet, facing all the challenges brought by bad weather season. Changing the set up and looking for new ideas on how to improve.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Passion, experience in transhipment and good attitude.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

We have 2 seasons in our Kamsar transhipment area, the tropical season and the rainy season. Our main challenges are during rainy season. The bad weather comes with strong current and wind, and we need to protect our assets in Kamsar and avoid any damage to our fleet, cargo and especially our crew.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

I am a sea person.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

Travel and jogging. I love traveling with my Vespa.

8/ What is your motto?

Nothing is impossible if we can work together as a team to achieve our goal.

Interview

Marc Geffroy, Project Manager – Louis Dreyfus TravOcean

1/ What has been your career path so far?

I always have been attracted to the sea, so it was natural for me to get specialized in Ocean Engineering during my studies at Centrale Marseille Engineering School.
I wanted to start my career with an operational experience. I had the opportunity to do my end-of-studies internship at the Toulon naval base. The company was in charge of the maintenance of the French navy ships. As an assistant project manager, I was lucky to be involved in the disarming of the Dupleix Anti Submarine Frigate. During the second part of my internship I was in charge of the technical stop of the Gapaud landing barge, which was connecting the Levant Island and Hyeres.
In addition to this “field” approach, I wanted to travel. This is why I applied for a project engineer position at Louis Dreyfus Travocean, which seemed to tick all the boxes.

I started to work at the La Ciotat office in 2015. Since then, I have gained experience in submarine cables installation, repair or burial in Telecom, oil and gas and even offshore windfarm markets.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

I am mainly in charge of managing different service agreement contracts: supply of ROVs and personnel to assist one of our clients during offshore windfarm inter-array cables installation and burial.
In addition to this long-term mission, I am involved in different submarine cable installation or burial projects.
My job starts, as soon as the contract is awarded, by a preparation phase: project documentation, definition of the technical solutions to be implemented, follow-up of equipment preparation on our different sites, purchasing, logistics…
This initial stage is followed by an operation phase on the project location, starting by organising the mobilisation of the equipment on the chosen vessel. Then, depending on the project, I am either involved in the operation on land or at sea.

3/ How did your position evolve in the LDA Group?

I was hired as a project engineer in 2015 and gained a strong experience thanks to the variety of projects I was involved in and the trust I was given by the company. About a year ago, I became a project manager, working on various projects at the same time.

4/ What do you like the most in this job?

The great diversity of projects: in the space of a few months I can go from working on the burial of a seismic cable in an oil field in Norway, to the laying of shore ends in the United Kingdom or Argentina, and finish by the mobilisation of various ROVs in Poland on a vessel dedicated to the laying and burial of offshore windfarm inter-array cables. All of this during a global pandemic !

5/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

I think you must be very curious, be self-sufficient and able to adapt to different situations: operational and weather conditions on site can change very quickly. Also you need to have good interpersonal and communication skills. This job involves working with a lot of different people and cultures.

6/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

In 2016, following a storm in the English Channel, 4 network cables between the United Kingdom and France were damaged close to Dover. Louis Dreyfus Travocean had to perform a repair very quickly. Almost 12 months later, we got a call informing us that the network was damaged again, but on the French side this time. It is a rare event in the life cycle of this kind of cable, and I was lucky to be involved in both projects with very different technical solutions, within a year.

To bounce back on funnier statistics: before I started to work for Louis Dreyfus Travocean, I had only been on a plane twice… Since then, I have stopped counting !

7/ Are you a land or sea person?

I would say a mix of both: I am a littoral person.

8/ What are your hobbies and interests?

I really like outdoor activities whether at sea (sailing, diving…) or in the mountains (skiing, hiking…).

9/ What is your motto?

I don’t really have a motto but I always try to learn something from every situation, whether difficult or not.

Podcast ????️ ????

Do you wish to learn more about newbuilding at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group?

So, take a time to listen to the podcast by Pierre-Arthur Fortin, our Newbuilding engineer at EPI  Engineering, Projects, Innovation department!

Click here!

Podcast made by Cluster Maritime Français.

Interview

Nagasubramani Balakrishnan, Procurement Officer at LDPL Middle East

1/ What has been your career path so far?

After completion of my bachelor’s in Mechanical engineering, I started my career in Logistics and Supply Chain. My passion for Maritime kept growing, for which I moved to Dubai, to start a career in the Maritime Industry. Before starting my career in LDPL, the experience I gained in the other companies helped increase my quality of work in LDPL. My journey in LDPL MIDDLE EAST started in December 2018 as a Procurement Officer. The amount of knowledge I gained in these past 2 years, will help me carve my path towards a better future in LDPL.

2/ Could you tell us more about your current role / your missions?

It began with managing the procurement & logistics of spares for the Dubai and Guinea fleet. As a procurement officer, my major tasks revolve around sourcing of spare parts for the vessel. My main mission would be to abide by the delivering of the right parts, at the right place, and at a right quantity.

3/ What do you like the most about the job?

LDPL has one of the finest working environments I have ever experienced. Coming to work has been a delight, because of the working environment LDPL offers. My colleagues here are a treat to talk and mingle with. The everyday experience is what keeps me attracted to this job.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

The 2 years I have spent here have turned me into a better person. The qualities that I feel one must certainly have as a Procurement Officer is the ability to work hard, be focused and have great communication skills.

5/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share about your job?

Responsiveness. During the pandemic time, planning & shipment of spares was a difficult and challenging task. With the support of my Manager & my team, we were successful in shipping out the items to Dubai & Conakry without any delay.

6/ Are you a land or a sea person?

As much as I enjoy being in office, the sea offers thrills of its own. The small opportunities we get to be on board with other crew members is what I call a total joy ride.

7/ What are your hobbies and interests?

Watching football is one of my favourite ways to pass my leisure time. Apart from that, music and movies keep me entertained.

8/ What is your motto?

The only way to do great work is love what you do.

Interview

Tanvi Desai, Admin and HR Supervisor

1 / Could you tell us more about your career path and your current position?

I started working with LDPL MIDDLE EAST in November 2018 as Polyvalent Executive Assistance. As a newcomer in the Marine and Transshipment industry, I got an opportunity to explore different departments such as Technical, Operations, Purchasing, QHSE, Crewing to understand each department’s job role and importance related to the activities. With learning and experiencing on day to day basis, I strengthen my knowledge, skills, and abilities which were required to move on to my next step and position as Admin and HR Supervisor in July 2020.

2 / What has your career path been like at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group / LDPL?

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group / LDPL has strong leadership approach. Leaders and managers create strong relationship with employees and always encourage for feedback. This attitude from my leaders always gives me positive energy and to be challenged, constant learning and grow.

3 / What do you like most about your job?

As a part of Human Resource, I enjoy helping Employees and Managers improve the effectiveness of an organization.

4/ Could you name 3 must-have qualities for this job?

Integrity, Good listener and Navigate the Organization.

5/ What are your hobbies and interests?

My hobbies are listening to music, drawing animation and I am interested in Sports such as fitness training and traveling.

6/ Are you a land or sea person?

Land while working and sea while on holidays! ????

7/ What is your motto?

If you can dream it, you can make it.

8/ Any anecdote or major fact you would like to share?

Reactivity! During operation we encountered that one of the employees got COVID-19. As work must continue, I had to look for an alternate option as a group of employees had to quarantine till they get their negative PCR test. Immediately I found an alternate option for drivers through our agent to drive bus and car to drop other employees at the site area. Everything was arranged and there was no distraction during the operation. Also, follow-up was done with quarantine employees to ensure that they are well looked after.

******

Thank you very much Tanvi !