Over 50 years ago, two leaders took different paths, steered by the compass of their dreams. Sunil Kapoor, with fervour for marine engineering, swam against the current of family tradition. He embarked on a long career in ship management after leaving a Calcutta institution. At the same time, Capt. Eberhard Koch’s family anchored him to the shipyards of Bremen, Germany, inciting visions of commanding and owning a ship. Their destinies combined on the peaceful waters of Cyprus where they moored their joint dream against a background of multiculturalism. Together, they established a heritage of transparency, ethics, and environmental responsibility, steering the business waters with simplicity, participative leadership, and a family-like approach.
Capt. Eberhard Koch, the CEO of Oesterreichischer Lloyd Shipping Group, and his Partner and COO Sunil Kapoor have been following methods that emphasize corporate governance, ethics, and environmental compliance, and encouraging transparency. They strive to comply with the strict environmental regulations, achieve operational excellence and surpass client expectations. With an empowering work environment and participative decision-making, the employees are motivated and therefore, the retention rate is high. Utilizing new technologies and asset management minimize environmental risks, thus maintaining sustainability. With over a century of maritime heritage, OL Shipping stands as a symbol of reliability and trust in the industry. Its rich history is a testament to its commitment to delivering superior ship owning and management services.
“Driven by a concept of continuous growth, we strive to grow our fleet in a boutique manner, using our shipping legacy to deliver first class services and nurture positive stakeholder relations,” says Capt. Eberhard Koch, Chairman, CEO, & Partner.
Strategic Leadership in Ship Management
Sunil Kapoor and Capt. Eberhard Koch possess excellent ship management problem-solving skills due to their vast educational qualifications and career paths. Sunil’s marine engineering background and over 40 years of experience in various shipping companies are a testimony of his technical expertise and operational skills. His transition from a seafarer to administrative roles and later establishing and running a worldwide fleet, is a proof of his strategic approach and leadership skills.
Simultaneously, Eberhard’s diploma and different work positions in the German and Austrian shipping industry created a platform for his quick ascendancy. The leadership positions he held from early age reflect his management ability and business sense. Both are experienced leaders with a collective experience of more than 70 years in ship management, and are adept at navigating the complexities of maritime industry. They have dedication to sound corporate governance and ethical practices that shows their readiness to face the modern challenges and to lead sustainable development in ship management.
“While we may not boast the scale of industry giants in shipping, our confidence lies in our ability to deliver exceptional service tailored precisely to meet the principles and requirements that customers value most,” says Sunil Kapoor, COO and Partner.
Corporate Governance & Ethical Standards
Reflecting a dedication to strong corporate governance practices that are in line with the highest standards of ethics, the core of their philosophy is transparency, ethics, and environmental compliance in the ship management and ownership area. They focus on crew welfare and compliance with maritime regulations. Focusing on the simplicity of decision-making, they avoid unnecessary complexity. Understanding market needs, they play a crucial part in achieving the best results for stakeholders. Their constant availability round the clock emphasizes their commitment to the personnel on board and the clients, which is considered of primary importance.
Openness to critique promotes continuous improvement with concern for environmental, pollution, and health aspects. In case of a setback, corrective actions are taken to ensure that the expenditure is aligned with organizational objectives. In addition, their dedication goes as far as providing the best service for both owners and stakeholders.
“I have been fortunate to interact with a variety of people during my time sailing on ships or working in different countries. For the last twenty years I have had only one boss and have learnt a lot from him,” adds Sunil Kapoor.
Operational Efficiency & Optimization
Digitalization and deglobalization are at the core of their operations, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. These are the new industry trends, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic and the companies’ goals are also aligned with the shipping industry. Their attention to offering premium service provides productive and steady ship management that is based on their economic excellence with minimum environmental impact. Hands-on management, which includes frequent visits by the top managers to their vessels and to those of the clients, highlights their commitment to quality and responsibility. They value open communication, always ready to provide their crew with guidance and support as required.
Leveraging Government Support
Capt. Eberhard Koch and Sunil Kapoor are supported by the Cyprus government in shipping activities, with Limassol being the largest shipping hub in Europe. The location is advantageous in that it gives them access to the Deputy Minister of Shipping and on occasions, the President, a privilege that can hardly be achieved elsewhere.
The people are highly educated, and educational institutions are good, so Cyprus is family friendly. The weather also contributes to its attraction. With time, they saw significant developments in the area which not only was beneficial to the shipping industry but also provided growth opportunities for entrepreneurs and service providers. Having spent 20 and 17 years in Cypriote business, they are content that they have built the company from scratch. Moreover, they are deeply committed to enhancing the local community through their active involvement in a range of active participation in activities and initiatives on the island.
Environmental Stewardship and Risk Management
Ship o perations i nclude s trict a dherence t o w orldwide environmental standards. Capt. Eberhard Koch and Sunil Kapoor are actively involved in minimizing the carbon footprint. Their assets are well looked after to ensure proper functioning. Environmental issues are integral to their decision-making processes with all stakeholders, with a commitment to adopting proven sustainability technologies. They prioritize risk reduction through comprehensive due diligence on environmental, pollution, and health aspects. Investments align with their principles, ensuring prudent allocation of funds. Aiming at becoming a boutique ship owning and management firm, they seek to offer outstanding service to all the stakeholders. Their closely connected community encourages mutual support and cooperation.
Strategic Growth & Future Vision
Giving importance to simplicity, they make sure that their goals and strategies are transparent and understandable by all. The achievement of industry standards is delivering high quality services that ensures effectiveness and optimization. In general, their main aim is to offer high-quality service in the field of ship operations, while meeting the requirements of the owners and stakeholders as well. They are approachable and supportive, always willing to help with advice and support to captains and chief engineers when necessary.
Looking back at their combined experience of 70 years, Capt. Eberhard Koch and Sunil Kapoor are proud of building a growing company and seeing it flourish. Their future road map is to grow steadily aiming at 15 to 20 ships fleet through a combination of full ownership, partial ownership, and third-party management. Taking a boutique approach—where tradition meets innovation— OL Shipping Group amis to become one of the most recognizable names in ship ownership and management, renowned for their personal service and meticulous attention to detail.
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