M   A   U   R   O     R   E   N   A   L   D   I

The mission is to provide quality service to the client according their business needs

Year 1880. In Russia, in Novotserkask just 50 kilometers north of Rostov born from Cossacks villagers Alexander Vlasov. He is the refugee eve of the October Revolution started from Odessa to arrive in Romania and Poland and from there to Italy, Switzerland, New York and Buenos Aires. He is the man who would become the founder of the largest ship management company in the world called V.Ships.Today V.Ships part of V.Group is the leading supplier of independent ship management and related marine services to the global shipping industry. Currently, it supplies services to a fleet of over 1000 vessels and manages a crew roster of 25,000 staff.

The history

SITMAR began when Alexandre Vlasov carried coal in the Mediterranean using two small cargo ships. During the Second World War, these ships were lost to the company. Vlasov restarted SITMAR after the war, and slowly assembled a new fleet of passenger and cargo ships. SITMAR obtained contracts with the International Refugee Organisation (IRO) to take refugees from Europe to Australia and other nations. SITMAR's first vessel to operate from Australia was the Castelbianco. Amongst the many companies contracted to transport displaced people, SITMAR's vessels were noted for providing higher quality accommodation and food.

During the 1950s, SITMAR became a major passenger shipping company. It offered regular journeys between Australia and Europe for migrants and other passengers. For several years, the company operated journeys between Europe, Central America and South America. SITMAR also engaged in the tourist trade between Europe, the United States and Canada.

The Central America and South America services, and the North Atlantic summer services, were abandoned by 1957. Except one, SITMAR sold its cargo vessels and the company concentrated on passenger routes between Europe and Australia until the early 1970s, when it began operating cruises from North America. The company used the name Sitmar Cruises in Australia, and abandoned the liner trade to operate full-time as a cruise liner in 1974.

In July 1988, Sitmar Cruises was purchased by the P&O Group. In Australia, the operation was renamed P&O-Sitmar Cruises, and in 1991 became P&O Holidays. The company's ship MV Fairstar was the most popular cruise ship sailing from Australia until 1997, when Fair Princess replaced it. It was replaced in 2000 by Pacific Sky. The Vlasov Group,owned a fleet of Passenger vessels, Freighters and Bulk Carriers, Tankers, Ore/Oil and Product Tankers. V.Ships formed in 1984 is now part of V.Group, one of the world’s largest providers of shipping services and is the largest global independent ship manager. In addition to ship management services to Group provides manning and crew management, marine technical, marine travel, commercial and procurement services to marine clients all over the world.

Capt. Mauro Renaldi, Managing Director of V.Ships Greece Ltd, who is 24 years in the company explain how became the Managing Director of the world's largest ship management company. Capt. Mauro Renaldi is also Honorary Consul of Italy in Piraeus - Greece.

Capt. Renaldi entered the maritime industry in 1974, when he was 16, joining a T2 tanker (Italy-Lybia). He worked on board various vessels’ types during his career, which peaked in 1986, when he became a captain. He continued his career working at shipowners’ offices in Genoa, where he was born, as crew manager until 1990. The same year he joined V.Ships (Italy) with the same post following tankers and cargo vessel’s. In 1995 he was transferred to V.Ships Leisure dept in Monte Carlo, as passenger vessels’ personel manager.

Having experience from the vessels Sitmar Cruises managed in the past, he started in the Leisure dept with a small Pax vessel in Antarctica, followed by the vessel DAWN PRINCESS which previously belonged to Princess Cruises and was renamed ALBATROS by Phoenix Reisen. In 1997 he went back to Genoa office as V. Ships(Italy) Marketing Manager and member of the B.O.D.for the Italian Shipping market.

In 2000 he was appointed Managing Director of V.Ships (Italy), Napoli branch, and then he undertook the responsibility of the fleet of clients in Central and South Italy. Since then V.Ships is managing the entire Italian fleet of cable layers for Pirelli Cavi & Sistemi and Elettra SpA (Italian Telecom). In 2005 he was transferred to V.Ships Greece Ltd as Managing Director, maintaining his post in V.Ships’ (Italy) board of directors, where he still he is, representing the Greek clients and market, one of the biggest industry worldwide. During all this years he managed to obtain the “port agent” degree in Genoa port he was also in the committee of various associations like Young Port Agent Association (Assagenti) in Genoa and Young Shipowners Association ( Confitarma) in Rome, and in the commission for the human resources and relations with the trade unions . When he was in the Italian Shipowners’ Association (Confitarma) he was a member of the committee that formed the general transport plan of the Italian Ministry of Merchant Marine, between 1996 and 1998. From 2001 to 2003 he was the President of the Italian Shipowners’ Consortium for maritime research and new technology, and up today he is in the Board of Directors. In 2010 he was nominated Honorary Consul of Italy for Piraeus city and ArgoSaronicos islands by the President of the Italian Republic.

Capt. Mauro Renaldi states «V.Group have 70 offices world wide which 20 of this under the Ship Management division are managing around 1,000 vessels, including about 40 types of ships, ranging from bulk carriers, containers, LNG carriers, DP vessels, cargo ships, chemical, tankers, ferries, cruise ships, barges and tugs. We invest a lot in the internal human resources capital, having experts in the offices of the vessels we manage» .

Points out that «the advantage is that we have world wide presents covered all the technical service. What really sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to meet our customers’ needs».

About his activities as Hononary Consul of Italy says that are «to support and promote the cooperation between Greek and Italian company who like to enter the Greek/italian business ’’and act as Maritime Flag administration for Italian flag vessel’s and yacht’s».

Capt. Mauro Renaldi mentioned that «the goal is to grow our business, giving quality and safe management performances for all types of vessels, operating costs savings, environmental care and marine services worldwide».

According to Mr Renaldi «the strategy is always to give high quality service».

Interview to : Georgia Ermidi

-Capt. Renaldi, Managing Director of V.Ships Greece Ltd and Honorary Consul of Italy for Piraeus city and Argosaronicos islands first of all could you give us a profile of V.Ships Greece? Describe the main activities and the global network.

V.Ships Greece is part of V.Group, formed by Acomarit Hellas on 1997 became V.Ships Greece Ltd on 2001 after V.Ships take over Acomarit in 2000. The Greek office has managed vessels technically from his formation to 2002 were the fleet of tankers were transfer to V.Ships Limassol office.

V.Ships Greece has continue the greek business providing crewing activities until april 2013 when office start the technical management of the fleet of CIEL Shipmanagement inc/Costamare with 20 containers vessel in technical management.

Today V.Group have 70 offices world wide which 20 of this under the ShipManagement division are managing around 1,000 vessels, including about 40 types of ships, ranging from bulk carriers,containers, LNG carriers, DP vessels, cargo ships, chemical, tankers, ferries, cruise ships, barges and tugs. We invest a lot in the internal human resources capital, having experts in the offices of the vessels we manage.

-Tell us which are the competitive advantages of V.Ships in comparison with other management companies regarding technical, crew management & other related services?

The advantage is that we have world wide presents covered all the technical service. What really sets us apart from our competitors is our ability to meet our customers’ needs in areas such as marine technical management, crew management, engineering services, travelling, catering and procurement services we are what some would call an “one stop shop”. In addition, our proactive approach to safety makes as are particularly proud we always strive to improve the way we do things for our seafarers’ wellbeing, and that is firmly in the forefront of our goals. Our customers that can be banks, shipowners who wish to enter another sector, investors, traditional family shipowners, etc., can choose from the range of services we have developed in many years of activities in the industry. Particular attention is given to the safety operations and environmental care a special programme of ballast water treatment, for example, is available to our clients.

Another advantage given to our clients is the Marcas company, a part of the Marine Services division, which contracts the procurements not only for the vessels managed by V.Ships but also for other shipowning companies. Due to the big number of vessels managed by Marcas, the company is able to do a worldwide market research for what is needed for the vessels’ maintenance and obtain very attractive scale prices. The goal is to grow our business, giving quality and safe management performances for all types of vessels, operating costs savings, environmental care and marine services worldwide.

-Can you refer to VShips’ Greece main priorities and core business? Have you achieved to create a one-stop-shop in Piraeus for the third party management?

The possibility given to us having vessel with full management in Greece is to grow the core business that is historically the main business activities since V.Ships Greece start. The prospects is to enlarge the number of vessel in technical management providing technical management for all vessel’s type, in this respect some B/C’s and Tanker vessels are expected to come during this year. Having vessel’s in management with the support of the group and all the activities related to our services any client can have what we say “one stop-shop “ in Piraeus.

-What are the main objectives of the recent co-operation agreement between V.Ships and Costamare?

The Costamare partnership is a definite win-win solution. This model of cooperation is something new in the industry having created a cell into our organization. The new cell has commenced servicing vessels operating under the head management of Costamare, while at the same time it is open to third party clients. The cell is staffed by experienced ex Costamare Shipping / Ciel Shipmanagement personnel and managed by V.Ships (Greece). This partnership allows both organisations to utilise each other’s extensive network of suppliers and affiliated companies and further improve the quality of technical management and operational performance.  Our vision is to provide consistently superior services to our clients by offering bespoke tailored solutions to each one, at the most competitive rates achievable.

-Please describe your activities & duties as a Honorary Consul of Italy for Piraeus city and Argosaronicos islands?

The activities as Honorary Consul of Italy are to support and promote all Italian company who like to enter the Greek business and Greek company who like to enter the Italian business special in the shipping.To do as Maritime Flag authority for Italian flag vessel’s and yacht’s calling Piraeus port and ArgoSaronicos Islands, like Costa Crociere vessel’s and or cargo and wet, tugs etc. all Italian flag vessel’s under Italian flag and to do all Government and administration formalities required by Italian citizen resident in Piraeus and Argosaronicos island’s and for those who come in Greece for touristic or business reasons.

-How easy is to perform the service to your client’s in a high level prospect ?

Perform the service to our clients in a high level prospert is our mission and we put all energy and resource to achive the goal. My opinion we accomplish the mission but we still need to work very hard in order to maintain the level of management achive.

-What is your market share and the number of ships under crew & full management?

In this moment the share is 50%( fifty percent ) crew, 50% (fifty percent)full management. The mission is to provide quality service to the client according their business needs.

-What strategy did your company follow, in order to cope with these adverse market conditions?

The strategy is always to give high quality service and be next to the client to help them also when the market is not in a good health.

-One of the major concerns of the global shipping industry has also been piracy in various areas around the world. How do you protect your vessels? Which is the best solution in your opinion?

The company has select the major security provided worldwide of armed guard on board in accordance with the flag state low requirement. The best solution is to have on board the vessel the citadel system together with armed guard on board to contrast piracy. Has been demonstrated that vessel with this protection has never been successful attack and took over by the pirates.

-Do you think that after your last deals V.Ships is better positioned in the market?

Yes, because we demonstrate to act in the proper way to manage the vessel for worldwide big player company like Costamare quality providing service and in accordance also with the charter requirement. These allow V.Ships Greece to establish a strong position as in the market as a third party management company.