It was 30 years ago this summer that Nick Brown walked into the Fenchurch Street offices of Lloyd’s Register as a graduate trainee in a career that has seen him work across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, before getting the corner office in early 2021.
As CEO, Brown has set out to make his mark by having a greater focus on the core strengths of the British classification society.
“Do fewer things, but do them really, really well,” he stresses. Under his watch, Lloyd’s Register is balancing cutting-edge innovation with scalable service delivery.
In conversation with Maritime CEO, Brown reflects on how leadership, regulation, and the shipping industry itself are evolving. “Being close to the team, relating to them, and having empathy—those things matter,” he says.
Brown sees growth in China, India, and in places across Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines, places that still have plenty of talent still interested in maritime.
Too few countries now have a talent pipeline excited about a maritime career
However, he warns of declining interest elsewhere: “Too few countries now have a talent pipeline excited about a maritime career,” Brown says.
Brown is adapting graduate training to a more flexible, modern structure. “The old model of sending someone wherever the company needs them doesn’t work anymore,” he says. Mobility has declined post-pandemic, and cultural awareness is key to managing global teams, he maintains.
Discussing the International Maritime Organisation’s newly unveiled Net Zero Framework, one of this year’s biggest shipping news items, Brown tells Maritime CEO: “It’s much more aggressive than most anticipated,” he says. Comparing it to the European Union’s own emissions schemes, he adds, “This is arguably the most expensive price on CO2 equivalents we’ve seen.” The plan could double or even triple the cost of today’s fuels. Yet, Brown sees it as an opportunity: “It creates the business case to generate tomorrow’s fuels—whatever they may be.”
Despite the ambition, Brown is cautious. He highlights the geopolitical uncertainty, making large capital investment decisions risky. Still, there’s optimism for retrofitting. “If you’re heading towards drydock, the return on investment for upgrades is now obvious,” he notes. But the looming question remains: Where will tomorrow’s fuels come from, and will they be accessible in time?
Brown is pragmatic when asked to predict the leading fuel of 2035. “It depends on where you are in the world,” he says, pointing out that the availability of bio-feedstock varies greatly by region. For regional trades—like European ferries or Caribbean cruiseships—biogas or biofuel might dominate. But deep-sea shipping will demand more scalable solutions.
He’s intrigued by the role nuclear could play, not for direct propulsion but as a power source for generating clean fuels like hydrogen or e-fuels. Ammonia, too, holds promise—if it can be safely deployed. “Safety and training standards must be the top priority,” he insists.
The recent acquisition of Ocean Technologies Group marked a strategic pivot for Lloyd’s Register. “Our clients weren’t just asking us to keep their ships compliant anymore,” Brown explains. “They were asking when to upgrade, which fuel to choose, and how to ensure ROI.” Traditional classification was no longer sufficient, Brown argues.
By integrating OTG, and its training platforms like Videotel and Seagull, Lloyd’s Register aims to marry compliance with competency. “We’re shifting from 45-minute training videos to microlearning, delivered exactly when needed,” he says. Coupled with OneOcean’s navigational compliance tools, this fusion forms a powerful offering across safety, operations, and sustainability, something he’s keen to tell clients he’s meeting across Asia this week.
