Synergy’s Commitment To Diversity Recognised By Maritime SheEO

Speaking at the Maritime SheEO conference, Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary-General, said: “People are at the heart of this industry at every level. We must ensure we manage the sector in such a way that we utilise all talent across the gender divide.”

Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO and Founder of Synergy Group, told delegates that gender equality and diversity were critical considerations in all Synergy recruitment decisions.

“This is something we are committed to and we live by that commitment,” he told delegates. “We have systematically followed the most up-to-date human resource research to ensure all our recruitment and management processes take ethnicity and gender bias out of the equation.

“We see inclusivity as absolutely critical to creating a workplace that people feel comfortable in, one that allows them to flourish and grow as individuals. Of course, this is the right thing to do ethically, but it also helps our retention rates and our ability to recruit. And it makes us a far more a dynamic organisation.”

Captain Unni also laid out Synergy’s forward plans. “We are committed to accelerating our diversity efforts in the next few years,” he said. “We believe that should be the ambition of any modern, progressive shipping company.

“I think the crew change crisis has shown that we need access to a pool of seafarer and shore talent that is as wide as possible both in terms of nationality and gender.

“We know from experience that a progressive diversity policy is the best strategy for ensuring long-term business success.”