In our special column, Cristina Aleixendri, Co-founder of bound4blue, shares her perspective on enjoying life and finding your way: “speak less and listen more, live with purpose, align your actions with your values, and persevere through challenges.”
In her work, she feels fortunate to tackle the challenge of maritime decarbonization and calls on ship operators to consider wind propulsion as an alternative fuel source. By installing suction sails, shipping companies will not only cut costs and enhance environmental sustainability but also ensure compliance with evolving regulations, she suggests.
SAFETY4SEA: How did it come about that you joined shipping industry and your field of expertise specifically?
Cristina Aleixendri: I’m an aeronautical engineer, which means that shipping was not in my plans. However, at heart, I’m an engineer who loves solving problems. I saw a great opportunity in the shipping industry to apply my knowledge of airplane wings to tackle the challenge of decarbonization. Without hesitation, I decided to enter the industry by founding bound4blue with my two counterparts (José Miguel and David), where we are innovatively bringing sails back to ships to reduce their environmental impact.
S4S: What about your current job/ role most excites you and why?
Chr. A.: What excites me most about my current role is the opportunity to provide a solution to one of the shipping industry’s major challenges: achieving decarbonization goals. It’s incredibly fulfilling to contribute to environmental sustainability while also enhancing profitability for the industry. This dual impact makes my work both meaningful and motivating.
S4S: When you think of the word successful who’s the first person who comes to mind and why?
Chr. A.: For me, success is about accomplishing your dreams while staying true to your values. It’s about having the bravery to achieve your purpose while remaining authentic to yourself. That’s why it’s difficult to pinpoint a single name, as success is deeply personal – only the individual who has achieved it can truly know if they’ve fulfilled their own definition of success.
S4S: Who is/was the most influential person/mentor to you & why?
Chr. A.: My high school math teacher was a huge influence on my decision to pursue engineering. She noticed how excited I got about solving math and physics problems and helped me figure out which engineering path to take. I really feel like she’s the reason I ended up where I am today.
S4S: What is the most worthwhile career investment (in energy, time, money) you’ve ever made?
Chr. A.: In 2020 I decided to embark on an Executive MBA while I was working at bound4blue at full time at the same time. At that time, I really didn’t saw the application of my classes, but after some years, I really value what I learnt there and the tools that it provided me to confront the next stage we are going through.
S4S: If you could give a piece of advice to your 18-year-old-self one thing, what would it be and why? What piece of advice should you ignore?
Chr. A.: My advice would be: Speak up to what you believe is correct, stay true to your values, and don’t forget to be yourself. Remember that challenging the status quo is fine. As in all sectors, there will always be people that won’t like what you’re trying to achieve or what you say, just keep going and surround yourself with those professionals that will for sure lift you up.
S4S: In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your business life?
Chr. A.: Learning to speak less and listen more.
S4S: What would you like to change in the current maritime landscape and your area of expertise specifically and why?
Chr. A.: The way ships are powered, from using polluting fuel sources to using wind again. By installing our suction sail, shipping companies not only cut costs and enhance environmental sustainability but also ensure compliance with evolving regulations.
S4S: What is your personal motto?
Chr. A.: Live with purpose, align your actions with your values, and persevere through challenges – you’ll find your way.
The views presented are only those of the author, do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA, and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
