Genuine Relationships, AI and the Human Side of Maritime Digital Transformation with Giftson Eliyesar

What if the real driver of maritime digital transformation isn’t technology – but relationships?

In this episode of The Wavemakers Podcast, Gordana sits down with Giftson Eliyesar, Director of Commercial Operations at Veson Nautical, to explore the deeply human side of changing one of the world’s most complex and traditional industries.

Giftson shares his journey from computer science and ice cream logistics in Singapore to leading commercial operations and maritime tech. Raised in a family of pastors, he brings values of service, integrity, and humility into a world of data, AI, regulations, cyber security, and decarbonisation pressures.

You’ll hear about:

• How he first “met” shipping through procurement and logistics
• Why change only happens when people are ready, not just when software is ready
• The importance of thinking globally and acting locally across regions and cultures
• Building trust-based client relationships in a 24/7 global industry
• Why he would be a combination carrier and what that says about adaptability
• How AI and advanced analytics can support decarbonisation and smarter decisions
• Advice for students and new joiners entering maritime today
• The role of prayer / positive intention / energy in leadership and negotiations

You’ll also hear Gordana share her own “by accident” entry into shipping and her path into innovation and decarbonisation, and a candid conversation about our love–hate relationship with AI.

Perfect listening if you’re:

• Working in shipping, trading, maritime tech or logistics
• Curious about green and digital transformation in maritime
• Early in your career and looking for practical advice and inspiration
• Interested in how values and relationships can drive change in complex systems

Follow The Wavemakers Podcast for more stories from the people shaping the green and digital future of shipping

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🔗 Related Resources and Links:
• Follow Gordana Ilic on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordanailicphd/
• Follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterSea

📩 Have questions or comments? Feel free to reach out via email at gordana.ilic@bettersea.tech

Transcript

0:08

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Wave Makers podcast, where we focus on the stories of those who are on the frontline of the green maritime transition, as well as digital transition of shipping. My guest today has been driving digital transformation of shipping for the past 15 years, and today he's a director of commercial operations at Western Nautical. But we will reflect on his personal journey of how it felt to be that front runner, and also to see if there is anything that we can learn from as maritime is going into another transition. Help me welcome Gibson. Elliott. Thank you. Thank you, Gordana, for the kind invitation. It's really great to be here at the BMX podcast. It's phenomenal. Thank you. So in your own words, how would you describe yourself? I mean, for those who do not know me, I'm Gibson, a laser, uh, a commercially driven leader. Um, build foundation on values. Um, not many people know this, but I originally come from a family of pastors, uh, deeply rooted and Bible gospel music ministry. Uh, while that was their calling, I kind of find my calling in the marketplace early in my my journey. Um, uh, that's when I realized that I need to be back in the marketplace, but bringing the same principles that are probably my ancestors and my forefathers. I've carried it in terms of integrity, uh, also being, uh, you know, more serving and, uh, and being humble into the shipping space and also into the maritime space and also into the leadership side of things. How did that journey come about. You know, just you deciding that you have a slightly different calling and then going into shipping, which is not always the first thing that comes to people's minds when they're charting their way into professional world. So originally I'm trained in computer science. Um, that's how I started with. But I moved to Singapore in 2010 from India, uh, where I pursued my career in the procurement and logistics space for ice cream production facility. Uh, so that's where I first got exposed to shipping because I was handling inventory, scheduling shipments, uh, basically for the pre raw ingredients for ice cream production, like, for example, skim milk powders. And this company that I worked for also had outfit of coffee. I mean across the Singapore island. So I used to import coffee etc.. So I was talking to the counterparts like WCL musk. That's when my real exposure began into shipping. Not through theory, but to real practical movements of goods around moving the supply chain processes. Uh, that sparked a curiosity in terms of knowing what shipping is all about. And from there on, I joined IT solutions company around the world into, for example, one of the company that I worked with for providing loading computers and storage, planning for container shipping, and that kind of really sparked a lot of curiosity, knowing more about this industry in terms of what they do in terms of automation, in terms of efficiency, in terms of connecting people around the globe. Uh, then from there, I pursue my studies in naval architecture and as well as in ship design. And but today I'm a commercial director of an article driving digital transformation across the client portfolio across different stages and segment, for example, owner operator sort of things, trading companies and as well as the material producers. How do you see the industry changing for the past ten years? When you went back in those days trying to vouch for a softer solution versus now? So my, my given my field being in the maritime technology space and as well as explicitly on the change management, it's not really, really easy for, for people to change. So I come to learn that especially in the maritime industry, the change doesn't happen just because the tech is ready. Change only happens when people are ready. So it's really about the mindset of how people can leverage on solutions or incorporate technologies into the day to day sort of things. So I kind of sense that, you know, people need to be trusted. People need to see you value in terms of what they do, and you've got to really help them during the transition and also help them guide them step by step in order to adapt to the change. So shipping is global, right? And is at 24 over seven. It's non stopping. As for the decisions are made around it I believe so. I kind of sense that you know because of the fast moving and very dynamic in nature. And it's also very deeply human. So relationship is really really key here. I kind of see that you can't drive transformation without a connection. So you need to understand, for example, you know, from my experience in the last 15 years, I kind of understand that you got to think globally but act locally. That's primarily because every region is different. Every company is different. Every vessel has its own rhythm. So understanding that intricacies within the region of the company, and I think focusing on what the biggest pain point the company or the client is going through, and trying to solve that by handholding them and providing that confidence. And the other part is that really building trust across the diverse team and cultures that really go beyond software or tech. So the real element is relationship. And having building that real genuine connection is very, very important. Does it take a long time to build that relationship with the client before they decide to commit to you? Um, well, I mean, it's a good question, right? So it depends. So I mean, of course, as I said, we've got to think globally, but of course, act locally, uh, in terms of wearing the same hats as your clients are and understanding them a little bit more than going that extra mile and knowing them what the real challenges that they're going through. Uh, to answer the question, yes, it takes a little bit of time because relationships are built and trust or gained over a period of time. So it really makes, you know, be more persistent and be more adventurous and be more curious about knowing a lot more about the customers. So and I think problem solving only happens when you know more about the supply chain aspect of things, but in terms of building the relationship. So I think I've been gifted forming a genuine relationship, I believe. So, I mean, given my name is Gibson, and people around me also describe me as a networker and a people's person. So people feel that I kind of form a genuine relationship. But in shipping that is also really, really key. The relationship is very important because shipping is, you know, in a word, is a bond. That's what I say that I mean, that's how Greeks have done shipping before. So building that trust is important. It takes a bit of time, but once you hit there, people know you. People trust you. They know that, you know, if you work with Gibson or the company that they represent it, it's going to happen. They will help along the way. There might be some failures, but you will overcome it together. Do you think that's your superpower? I would like to believe that. So I like to believe my superpower is like leveraging on on the relationship that I'm trying to build around the industry. So I would say that, yes, genuinely forming genuine relationships, just not just not faking it out, but real, genuine interest in people. Because I kind of believe in three things. It comes with people. Um, then you're talking about the value and it's about the connection. So these three three things go hand in hand. Um, to testify to that, we had a brief connect and I mentioned how much I love bubble tea. And I was so surprised that you brought bubble tea and that you paid attention. And this is something probably that I just slipped through the conversation. Uh, but yeah, you think very deeply and catch these moments. And I think that's super power. No, I think it's very natural for me. Um, I don't probably think a lot about it. Uh, you know, as I meet persons every single day. Because in my role, I meet new people almost every single day in my career. So it's all about that personal connection and the and the first, you know, connection that you make with people. I think it's very genuine. Um, it has to be genuine. So I don't put a lot of effort to it. It's I think it's me. So it just comes naturally for me to do that. That's something that it comes from internal values, I believe. You can't fake it. That's very, very true. I think it really, uh, to to answer to that, I think there's a couple of things. Right. My mom, I mean, and my dad, they are highly valued these principles because serving in the community, they meet different class of people. Uh, so it's really going and being in their shoes and understanding what they're going through, especially serving in remote areas, serving in the community. It's not simple as that. So so you got to be in a heart like, you know, whatever situation they are, and you need to be adaptable to that to become so that they accept you. Um, you know, so that they're willing to listen to you, uh, willing to, you know, share their problems with you. Then you can be a counselor. You can be a problem solver. You know, a couple of things that I've seen in action, they do is that, uh, you know, being in their own shoes, like, you know, going to a remote villages, trying to be their own people, speaking the same language, trying the same terminology and feel accepted. And they open up and we try to see what our best we can do for the community. I think the same principle also applies in the, you know, maritime as well as in the leadership skills we're trying to acquire. New market or new regions? Um, adaptability is really the key part. I would say that. So knowing what they like and knowing what their pain points are and speaking their own language is a key factor for any change. And how did the industry shape your change view? Was there anything that you initially thought about it? And once you're deep in it, you saw that there was an element of you going through a transition as well. Very good question. So honestly, um, I think it's shaped me in ways that I, um, that I think right, in a lot of ways, in good ways, of course. So coming from a tech background. So I'm entering the maritime space thinking systems in my mind. Uh, but basically talking about automation, talking about efficiency, talking about data. But shipping is is a different beast. It's global. It's fast moving. And I say again, I'll come back to this element of human. So I kind of soon realized that the human element is very, very vital in this industry. And that's where you can drive the change. Um, and probably I'm going back to what I said earlier, it shaped me in a person where that it's just not about systems and solutions. It's really about the people behind that. So it's not about replacing them. It's about adding value to them, showing them real value in terms of how they can transform their day to day life and be more efficient, probably using solutions and how they can solve big problems and probably rest back their weekends, or go back to their family and spend some good time over there. It shaped me, a person, to really appreciate cultures, diverse cultures that I work with. So, for example, at Wesleyan I managed regional markets in APAC region. So even in Southeast Asia, every countries are different and and really appreciating that culture and appreciating their regional values. Uh, I think that's a very fourth thing. So again, coming back to being that more flexible and adaptable to that. So I think I kind of learn to be more build resilience. Number one, and I would say that I've built um navigate complexity and also build that resistance power to, to see, you know, what can't be changed and how it can be changed over a period of time. Um, uh, and also having the mentality of serving and it goes a long way. So it's just not about rolling out systems. It is more about helping them to see that value, which they can't see in the initial stage and also guiding them through the transition. So it just really goes a long way. Do you have any interesting story or fun story that happened over the times? Um, probably one of the stories that would probably stick into me is that, um, I had an opportunity to go on a boat on board a vessel. So that's in the Singapore Anchorage. So I was able to see the coordination between the bridge and as well as the control room where they were bunkering. At the same time, they were taking in supplies. There's a lot of operations going on. And me being a, you know, visitor and somebody bringing me on a tour around a ship. There's a lot of coordination goes on and a lot of human elements. So that's a big steel floating in the water, carrying tons of cargo. But there's a real human behind it. It's walking towards. So that kind of brought a spark, a big, big moon in my heart saying that, hey, wow, this is amazing. Like, this is not simple because they're far away from the home. They are on the sea. Working as one team to drive this big change. Uh, you know, like your title. Wave makers. Right. So they're making big waves and bringing in goods from A to B, and I think that's something that I. That is what I, I really admire. I find it fascinating how you bring in 20 people from different areas who have not worked together before, maybe. And then you put them in this confined environment, very challenging environment. That's that's their limits in every way physically, mentally. Um, and then somehow they just synchronize and make it work. Yeah. Unbelievable. Right. And try to organize a group of 20 people just in a room to start an event. You see how chaotic it can get. It's just unbelievable. I think that's really shipping because they know that it is never about one person. It's really about a team that can make a change. Um, so coming back to change again, uh, I would say that the transformation can only begin when people are united and people are calm as a one team and are willing to see the change for better. Uh, so coming back to your point, they're saying that different cultures, different communities, different religion, but coming as one team and having that core values of whatever that they want to contribute to the industry. So yeah, this is a phenomenal space. I'm talking about ships. Which ship would you be and why? I mean, that's that's a great, great question. So, uh, if I was a ship, I would be a combination carrier. Um. It's not I'm not saying that because it sounds cool, but I've been on one. Um, so the ability of being future ready or whatever the next is. I mean, they are very unique ships. They can carry both dry and wet cargo. Uh, and I kind of see that being ready for the transition being adaptability. I can now see that word adaptability is really is a key, especially in the industry, because there are so many things happening in the industry. For example, uh, regulations that's coming out. Cybersecurity data being more available. There's a lot of compounding complexity around the around the industry, like geopolitics, uh, a lot of things going on. So. Be caught to be that person that that embrace change, uh, and be future ready. So I would be a combination carrier if I would be a ship. I don't think I had this one before. Okay. I sometimes, uh, make my assumptions about the guest. And also when I'm editing, if someone is around, they're like, okay, which was the what are they? And then it's like okay the true time play. I love this game. It's a pretty interesting question I think. I've never probably heard anybody asking this. If you were a sheep. What would you be? Yeah I brought that from innovation. So when we do different workshops, we tried different exercises to just let people go outside of their normal desk job. And this is something that I came up with, but it was often an icebreaker, uh, to just say, okay, this is different than your typical day to day job. Open your mind to different types of thinking. And it's so it's interesting how a simple question is that just changes everything and opens perspectives. Maybe that's a hard question. In your in your podcast, I believe you, you you will be hearing a different perspective of people's thoughts and ideas. And how are they personally making the change in the industry? It gives us a glimpse of you, but it also shares a bit more about the industry. And I think it by explaining why you break it down in simple ways that are suitable for the new joiners to learn about. So I try to cover different audiences. So if there are some new people, because I know from myself and I was wondering, I didn't even know where to start. And I was not aware of all these different vessels. And I hope that this is that bridge that I can build also inspired them and sparked the curiosity. That's awesome. Yeah, I think you're talking about bridge. Um, it's a very vital thing as well as, uh, apart from the human element that we have in the industry. So this industry, you would see that it's big, but actually it's very small in nature because people knows people, but they're very well connected in a way, across across the world. That's the beauty of it. Every place you go, it feels like home. Yeah, indeed. At least for me, places are not so much associated with buildings, but people. And then I feel that sense of home when I'm traveling, when I keep seeing familiar faces and friends and we're tripping. Luckily, people just keep going. Like from one maritime hub to another, even if they cherish companies and roles, that common thread remains. Yeah. Yeah. I think this also gives you an opportunity to meet people from different walks of life. Um, I mean, it's epically going on, you know, you never know who's sitting beside you on low and below is a person that comes from Azerbaijan, um, working for a state oil company. And the conversation that you have on the table is like very unique conversations about his country, about his culture, about what is next and how is he navigating through the complexity, you know, and it's more of like sharing that notes and ideas and thoughts. So it's really great. That opens up a lot of opportunity to meet new kind of people in from a different way. Do you have any advice for new joiners trying to craft their way through where to start, how to go about even approaching someone to ask for advice? Um, I would say be brave, um, be more curious, uh, and be teachable and willing to learn and embrace a change. So if you look into it right now, we are on the world of AI. So everybody is talking about AI. Uh, how can I incorporate AI? So even students are using AI every single day and leaders are using AI Every single day. So use AI in the right way. And also somebody who is growing up in the career. Uh, I would say that, you know, be more curious and willing to learn and also be more adaptable. And what was some memorable advice that was given to you that you recall? Wow. Um, that's actually a very good question. So the one thing that I will always remember, um. Bringing the right value. Um, genuine connections. I would believe something early in my career. I was, uh, I had a, had a, had a phenomenal leader who taught me through about building genuine connections. Uh, so I would take that with me. Um, you know, throughout my journey in my career. Um, and building the trust among the people. Um, that goes a long way. It is never about selling solutions. It's never about that. It is about the real person behind it. And having that personal touches always would make a lot of difference. And the other one that I would probably do is that I would take the one from my dad and mum about pray before you do anything. So that always stuck with me. I pray for my clients, I pray for my colleagues. I pray for my company, I pray for I you know, it depends on you know, which religion, whether you believe in God or not. But that's a different story. But that, well, wish changes a lot of things. It creates a positive atmosphere, um, that people would be well, and, uh, things would move in a, in a good way for, for both. I mean, for all sides. The power of energy. The power of energy, yes. No matter what the language is and the the verses, I mean, sometimes it matters, but I also believe that what you give out? You get back. Indeed. And and it changes your own chemistry. And this has been proven. So when you also say a prayer or wish someone well, it changes your chemistry. You enter into the room with that different self that you leave the stress, whatever trigger, um, was following you around behind. And then you enter this new moment, a new situation, and that it's really powerful. I believe that's very true. I think, first of all, it changes you before you change the other people. Yeah, yeah. That's true. And you said that you were curious about podcasts because also you come from a family that does preaching and using language in order to convey deeper purpose. So I always like to switch the mic and let you be the interviewer. That's very interesting. I always want to do video podcasts and audio podcasts and definitely admired people who are. Who does that? Because I believe it is. It is not easy. So it goes an extra mile. It takes a strength a lot to do it. Um, how did he get into the industry, if you think? Yeah. By accident. It, uh, it was coming in as teasers, as I realized with many other things. Somehow the universe conspires and sends you messages stronger and stronger until you realize that maybe I should pay attention to this. But it started with a friend who started doing his company, and then he would be like, do you want to join us? I was like, no. And then do you want to join us? I was like, no. And then another friend was working in shipping as well, and he was like, I'm hiring for my team. You want to join us? I was like, no, I'm focused at sustainability. But I sent the energy out. So when the when Maersk put their decarbonization strategy together, there was an opportunity. And at that same friend I said no to was like, well, do you want now and look at the impact you can have. Look at the CO2 emissions that you can contribute to saving. And that spoke to my deeper self. And that finally convinced me to take a leap and join, uh, to drive innovation strategy for decarbonizing Maersk and then run the portfolio. And that was the beginning. And all I knew then is I needed to save CO2. That was my KPI and my motivation. But then how was a totally different game, and I didn't even know where to start with finding the how, because it was just suddenly so complex. The big portfolio of many different projects, various themes, not understanding pretty much anything. And I come from a scientific background, so I always start like, okay, it's quite easy for me to understand all these technical concepts, but suddenly there was just so many moving parts and so many intercontinental, interconnected parts. So that led me to kind of turning to people as my resource and a source of knowledge and guidance, because somehow what spoke to me was like, okay, there's no way you can learn all this in such a short amount of time. So let's try to find some common, common threads to to try to find different ways of connecting information and making decisions. And that led me to talking to people. And then that opened Pandora's box. That led even to this podcast on how to drive change management and through that, how to drive innovation. And I'm somewhat replicating that process, I believe, but in a broader context, uh, from one person to another. But the idea is that I allow that knowledge sharing, experience sharing to take down the boundaries of roles and hierarchies, to convey the messages and thread common values among people as a means to hopefully contribute to innovation and transformation. So yeah, that's that's awesome. I mean, you mentioned about driving innovation and driving change. Um, you know, I mean, right now the company that I represent, we kind of use AI and advanced analytics, um, throughout the lifecycle, uh, from planning to execution sort of things. So from your standpoint. Uh, where do you see the, you know, digital tools like AI, you know, being used for transforming and also decarbonizing the industry. I have a love and hate relationship to AI in general. I still don't know where I sit on which side of the table, but I do recognize that this AI boom came at the right time. I think we really needed it, considering the the leap of faith and all the different levels of transition, like with technologies and fuels and infrastructure, and that asking for transparency and real time data like it would be just too much to pursue in 20 years altogether. So it was definitely the right timing for AI to step into the game and help out. And I think that that will lead us to being able to really quickly make decisions, informed decisions. At the same time, I really love human element of it, and I want to be hopeful that people find ways to reskill themselves, right? There was industrial transformation and that just opened new types of roles for people. So I have that hope for this AI age as well. But I don't like the disconnect that it creates. So that would be my desire that somehow we implement it and make it a part of our lives. But to still keep genuine moments, interactions and reliability on humans at its core. Yeah. I think you mentioned about like a really few points here are the connections, efficiency you mentioned and automation. If I'm not wrong, you mentioned about like smarter informed decision. I mean, I think it's all about the surfacing the right data at the right place and where and when you need it. I think it's a very vital thing. Um, there's a that's enormous data. Um, across the industry, across every other industry. But, um, as a user, if I get the right data at a particular lifecycle, for example, in shipping, if we take a lifecycle of cargo during the prefixes side of things, if you get the right data that you need for your prefigure negotiation, that's what you need to make a decision there. So, you know, probably surfacing the right data, the right place would what make more sense? I think I would do that a little bit more powerfully by gathering the information. Because if you have the right foundational data and having AI on top of that would what make the change in the space? Um, I think it will be for better. Um, I do understand the nervousness about whether it will replace people, but I think it will just change the way that we are. Um, I always have a picture of Wall-E. Uh, animated movie in my head. You know, and how people they are have the AI assistants and have the access to knowledge, but somehow they get lazy. Um, about being critical thinkers. And that is if we can keep that part. Let's be critical thinkers and use all the technology to empower ourselves. Perfect. But I don't want to just, you know, take anything as it comes and not dig deeper and find the source of it or the meaning or. Um, what led to that decision? So that is more to humans, uh, message. Right. Because it's how we approach it and how we train our brain and whether we train that muscle or not. Exactly. I think that's very, very true. I think you got to be. I think having the right balance, I think is very, very key here. What is your view onto that? How do you imagine the future? I think it's going to be very interesting. Um, so me being in the maritime technology space, I mean, that's what I can speak of. Um, I see that the industry will be more connected, um, basically more transparent. Um, as you said, um, I think the data will be more available for people to make faster and smart decisions. Um, and it's all about, you know, if you look into the, for example, at best and we look into the clients organization, we're talking about breaking silos, uh, between two departments here. And sometimes the operators would like to have visibility into a prefecture, uh, negotiated terms. It could be counterparty terms. It could be communications around that. And if you don't have that one unified, centralized platform that flows from planning to execution, one integrated solution and having that visibility is very critical. Yeah. Um, I think for us, we believe that visibility creates opportunity. So if you have that visibility through a one solution, that's going to be very, very powerful, uh, commercially viable and also best for your, your customers and best for sustainability angle as well. Um, and also using AI, surfacing the data where you need it and giving that human a edge to make better decision. Of course, critical thinking is absolutely important and vital here, but it's more towards helping or doing the mundane task. For example, I would probably use my time to do more strategic work rather than collecting documents. If you take, for example, into the claim sort of thing on the post fixture. So I'm if I have like, you know, 2015 claims analysts who are gathering documents to identify the largest claim, the time bar, etc., I'd probably apply AI and top of it to do that mundane task for me so that I can focus on strategic things. So that's where I would see this industry is is moving towards, uh, in terms of adaptability and embracing technology for better. Hmm. Well, we keep this in a time capsule. So in 20 years, you know, I will send it back to you and we will watch a movie or compare. It's happening now. Yes, it's happening now as we speak. And how do you decompress? Uh, so. So it means, like. I mean, I have a three year old daughter, so I try to spend as much as time that I can. Uh, but of course, given my role, I do travel quite a bit, but coming back home, try as as possible to spend some time with her. Read storybooks. I mean in the season of life, that's what I'm currently doing. But before I got married, I was into cycling, I was into golfing, and of course, I run almost every other day to decompress and settle down. To think I'll always lean back to sports, always lean back to, you know, being in a community of like minded people who can help you better to be a better person every single day. Uh, so that's how I would do it. But otherwise, being with my family is what makes me more comfortable. And seeing my daughter growing up and how she how curious she is and asking. I mean, she thinks I'm the Superman, you know, anything that she needs, she can ask for. Papa, help me with that. Plug the power. Plug the flower above the tree. It's really super high. Papa can do it because he can do anything for him or for her. So yeah. Different perspective of KPIs. Some are very easily achievable. Some are easily okay. But to them like that, that can do everything. Yes. I would like to thank you for being my guest today, and I'm very curious to unpack our vision of the future in some time. So I hope that we get to have another conversation closer to that to reflect and see what changed. Absolutely. It's been a pleasure. Thank you for having me here. Um, it's a great opportunity to talk about, you know, industry and as well as knowing you as a person, definitely seen some of your, you know, episodes with different people in the industry. But what you're doing is great. Keep doing it. And I believe that the best is yet to come for you. Then stay tuned until the next time.