This time of the year is always a good opportunity to consider lessons learned and set new year’s resolutions for a new start. Our special column Industry Voices : ‘Goodbye 2020, hello 2021’ aims to provide an overview of this challenging year and set new targets for 2021 to move forward.
In this context, we have asked Mr. Brian Weaver, Vice President of Global Marine and Offshore at ABS Group to make an assessment of 2020 from his perspective and share his message for the new year across the global community. Among others, Mr Weaver highlights how important is to have a complete understanding of operational risk and the evolving nature of the existing threats; this will require a more holistic approach to operational risk management in 2021.
Having a complete understanding of operational risk and the evolving nature of these kinds of threats will require a more holistic approach to operational risk management in 2021.
SAFETY4SEA: Focusing on your area of expertise, what were the most important industry development(s) within 2020?
Brian Weaver: In the risk analytics and consulting world, a movement to a more virtual service delivery model has been the biggest development. Whether conducting a safety case workshop for a newbuild project, performing a condition survey or conducting a cybersecurity assessment, we found new and innovative ways to conduct business remotely during the pandemic. Just as we have pivoted how we deliver our services, our customers have also adapted and we anticipate continued improvement of this virtual model.
S4S: Focusing on your area of expertise, what do you think that will be the biggest challenge(s) for the industry in 2021?
BW: Managing operational risk during these disruptive and uncertain times continues to challenge our clients. Regulatory bodies and investors are requiring lower emissions. We are still dealing with a pandemic. OT (operational technology) cyber attacks are on the rise. Maintenance programs are driving up costs. And our clients still need to be profitable. Having a complete understanding of operational risk and the evolving nature of these kinds of threats will require a more holistic approach to operational risk management in 2021.
S4S: What would be the 2021 resolutions for your company/organisation?
BW: At ABS Group, our major focus is to stay ahead of the industry’s risks and understand what keeps our clients and partners up at night. We can only do that by actively engaging all the stakeholders, listening to their messages and investing in our business to ensure we are equipped to meet the future challenges of the industry.
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and do not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
