The Wavemakers Podcast
Stories of the people shaping the change to green shipping, at the intersection of maritime, tech and decarbonisation.
Maritime industry is undergoing rapid change, new fuels and technologies often take the limelight, but we believe the key to success of every innovation are people. The Wavemakers Podcast aims to shine the light to those at the frontline - the chamions, innovators, 'status quo challengers', innovation and community catalysts, or simply being the first impacted by the change.
How does it feel to drive and pioneer change? What are the puzzle pieces of their story that drive their leadership? These are the questions that the podcast aims to answer as we get to know the maritime leaders over a coffee chat and beyond their professional titles.
Join us on this voyage!
The Podcast is hosted by Gordana Ilic, a co-founder of BetterSea and a former Head of Decarbonisation Portfolio Management at A.P. Moller - Maersk.
The Wavemakers Podcast
Steering Maritime & Corporate Innovation with Amel Rigneau
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of The Wavemakers Podcast, we sit down with Amel Rigneau, innovation leader, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder, to unpack what really makes innovation work in maritime and beyond!
From her early career in consulting and entrepreneurship, to orchestrating open innovation in global shipping, Amel shares why innovation so often fails—not because of technology, but because of people, culture, and misaligned ecosystems.
- Why maritime has zero patience for “innovation theatre”
- How to design pilots that are actually built to scale
- The hidden role of procurement, leadership, and P&L alignment
- Why trust, communication, and quick wins matter more than big visions
- What startups misunderstand about working with large shipping companies
- How geopolitics, energy, and shipping are inseparably linked
This is a candid, experience-driven conversation about making innovation tangible, navigating fear and resistance inside large organizations, and building ecosystems that allow real transformation to happen.
If you care about maritime decarbonisation, digital transformation, or corporate–startup collaboration, this episode is for you.
Subscribe to our channel and be the first to join future coffee conversations with the maritime change makers!
🔗 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
Introduction & welcome to The Wavemakers Podcast
Translating complexity into action:who Amel is Entering shipping without a maritime background Why shipping is operational, pragmatic, and unforgiving
Entrepreneurship vs consulting:shaping her innovation mindset Why startup–corporate collaborations really fail Designing pilots that can actually scale Innovation is about people, not technology Fear, resistance, and organisational inertia Trust, quick wins, and execution in maritime What startups should demand from corporates Amel’s definition of innovation There is no universal innovation framework How maritime changed her perspective Crews, culture, and solving real problems Final reflections & closing
