Helen Trundle, Key Accounts Manager at DA-Desk, has recently been invited to join the Baltic Exchange Membership Council.

We chatted with Helen to find out more about it.

Can you tell us a bit about the Baltic Exchange?

The Baltic Exchange has been in existence since 1744. Based in London and with regional offices in Greece, the Far East and the US.

Its name is prominent within the global shipping community and many are familiar with its long-standing role in the shipping industry together with their motto, ‘Our Word, Our Bond’. Members include shipowners, shipbrokers and charterers as well as maritime lawyers, arbitrators, P&I Clubs and other shipping associations across the dry bulk, tanker, gas and container shipping sectors.

The Baltic Exchange provides the basis for ethical conduct and integrity, whereby members commit to a high standard of business practice known as ‘The Baltic Code’.

Additionally, the Baltic Exchange provides supporting services such as dispute resolution, networking opportunities and education.

The Baltic Exchange is also the world’s leading source of independent maritime market data, with their indices and assessments used as a general performance indicator of the freight market, for
www.balticexchange.com

Congratulations on becoming a member of the Baltic Membership Council (BMC). What role does the committee play?

The Baltic Membership Council (BMC) is made up of a diverse group of member representatives.

We meet on a monthly basis to consider new membership applications, oversee the sports associations and social activities and manage the important dispute resolution activity of the Baltic Exchange.

We provide a free dispute resolution and debt recovery service to its members, helping to recover millions of dollars in late commissions, unpaid freight, demurrage and arbitration awards.

We are responsible for maintaining proper, ethical standards in trading and assist to resolve disputes amicably and ensure commercial relationships are maintained.

We have disciplinary powers of censure, suspension and expulsion over members.

We work closely with all parties involved to reach a solution and for the most part, issues are resolved quickly once the Baltic Exchange is involved.

However, should the defaulting party fail to provide a satisfactory resolution, where the dispute is between members, the member not complying risks their membership.

When the non-complying party is not a member, there is a system of ‘posting’ where the entire membership is informed and warned of the risks of doing business with the counterparty concerned.

How do you feel about becoming a member of the Council?

I have been a member of the Baltic Exchange for quite a number of years and I’m very aware of the important role of the Baltic Exchange within the shipping industry. I feel very honoured to have been invited to join the BMC and to be able to contribute to the work of the Baltic Exchange.

I also feel privileged to represent Marcura. Digital shipping platforms/applications are extensively used within the membership community and I think it’s great to see this side of the industry represented at Council level. I’m very much looking forward to the role and working with the other members of the Council who bring a wealth of expertise to the group.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I have worked in the shipping industry for over 20 years, having graduated with a BSc in Maritime Studies. I started my career at P&O Nedlloyd as a Graduate Management Trainee.

I then joined Cargill, working in London and Singapore as a Freight Trader, focussing on the handy/smax market. While at Cargill, I moved into the IT transformation and maritime application development space, responsible for the management of third-party applications, including IMOS.

After 10 years with Cargill, I joined Maritech (Sea), part of the Clarkson Group, where I managed a team responsible for providing support services for a suite of applications used within the shipping and offshore industries.

In 2021 I joined Marcura as a Key Account Manager for DA-Desk supporting customers across the UK and Europe. I am also a Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

From a personal perspective, the sea theme continues as I’m a keen sailor!