Synergy Group’s innovative deployment of technology and strong commitment to seafarer welfare were honoured last week when Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO and Founder, was named ‘CEO of the Year’ at the 11th annual ShipTek International Awards.

Captain Unni thanked the judges and said the award was recognition of the huge efforts made by all Synergy staff to deliver world class shipmanagement services to the company’s shipowner clients.

“Synergy is all about team effort and I am very grateful to our thousands of seafarers and global shore-based staff for making these achievements possible,” he added. “We try to constantly innovate - whether through the embrace of technology to facilitate shipmanagement service excellence or through safety at sea initiatives. We are very grateful our efforts have been acknowledged.”

Rajesh Unni,
Rajesh Unni,
Synergy Group currently manages a fleet of over 265 vessels and employs almost 10,000 seafarers. Shiptek judges praised the shipmanager’s commitment to business excellence, Corporate Social Responsibility and female empowerment in the maritime workforce.

The Singapore-based shipmanager has made strenuous efforts to increase the number of female seafarers across its fleet including appointing its first female cadet to a gas carrier earlier this year.

In late 2018 Synergy also established iCALL, a nine-language service designed to reduce seafarer suicides and enhance the general mental health and wellness of all maritime personnel. The service is available 24/7, free of charge via phone, email and the chat-based nULTA App.

Synergy’s success has been facilitated by its commitment to putting cutting edge technology at the heart of shipmanagement solutions. “Shipboard and shoreside operations can be made more efficient and cost-effective by bringing in customized technology to cater to the specific needs of our industry,” said Captain Unni.

“But digitalisation is a constantly changing landscape. To be effective and future-proofed, shipping companies need to understand the demands of the modern, digital world and the absolutely transformative nature of technology. This is the core focus of the Synergy team as we look forward.”

Accepting the award on Captain Unni’s behalf, Captain Rohit Banta, Director, said Synergy’s ‘people first’ approach explained its success over the last decade.

“It is a tremendous honour to receive this award on behalf of the 10,000+ ‘Synergian’ seafarers,” he said. “It has been a great journey so far and it’s not over yet. We will continue to offer clients best-of-class shipmanagement services empowered by the latest technological innovations.”