cruise management international and cmi leisure … · expedition team onboard, thank you and well...
TRANSCRIPT
I S S U E 8 | W i n t e r 2 0 1 9C R U I S E M A N A G E M E N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L A N D C M I L E I S U R E M A N A G E M E N T
INSIDEPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ................................ 3NEWS ........................................................... 6CREWING DEPARTMENT ..........................12COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT ....................14PORT AND FUEL MANAGEMENT ..............16PURCHASING DEPARTMENT ....................17FINANCING DEPARTMENT .......................18IT & COMMUNICATIONS ......................... 20HOLIDAY EVENTS ................................... 22
TABLE OF CONTENTS
87
22
2 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
Dear Officers, Crew, Clients and Shareholders;
Wishing you and your families a Happy, Safe and Healthy 2020.
So much has happened in 2019; ‘and we are on roll’. With the rapid expansion of our organization; new vessels, new technology, updated systems and great innovative ideas within all our Group Companies, it’s hard to contain oneself, I am looking forward to what 2020 will bring.
Our first newbuild, the M/V Greg Mortimer finally entered into management, and in September we signed the technical management agreement with Grupo Vidanta, the owners of the M/V Vidanta Elegant. As you can imagine there is a lot that took place behind the scenes, and for a very long time, to make all this happen, and we couldn’t do it without your constant feedback and support, so thank you.
I had the privilege to join the M/V Greg Mortimer on her very first cruise. It’s hard to believe, but this was my first time to Antarctica, and it absolutely exceeded my expectation. It was an unbelievable experience, as it also ignited a renewed respect for the condition under which we operate in that area, cruise after cruise.
Meeting Mr. Greg Mortimer himself was the ‘icing on the cake’ of course. His personal approach and intense interaction with the teams onboard and passengers was impressive. And while dealing with the constant changes in weather conditions and other challenges, he concluded our first cruise on time and on schedule, delivering a quality product.
The entire CMI and CMIL team worked hard to deliver a fantastic experience to our passengers. All agreed that the food was the best ever, so my hats off to the officers, crew, culinary and the expedition team onboard, thank you and well done!
Vidanta Cruises is our latest new client, they are the owners of the M/V Vidanta Elegant. They have spent the last two years remodeling the vessel to meet their resort standards and will operate the vessel as an extension of their timeshare business to commence cruising in March 2020. This is an exciting project and we are pleased to be associated with another > > >
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
“CMI continues to grow; however, selectively, with attention to quality and care for our current fleet”
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 3
quality-driven organization. They will offer the vessel to their current clientele as a timeshare amenity; a concept many have tried before but couldn’t really make it a success. Grupo Vidanta however, is uniquely positioned to make this concept a reality.
As you can see, our growth is inevitable; however, our directive is clear: “we are to grow our business, selectively with the emphasis on making our organization stronger to the benefit of our clients”.
“It is great to work for an organization that cares more about quality and how this will benefit the Fleet than just increasing the number of ships under management.”
With our CMI Board approval, I am extremely excited to introduce our new Vision, Mission and Values Statement;
OUR VISIONTo be the preferred provider of expert marine services to select passenger shipowners,
with the highest regard for safety, the marine environment, our clients, our employees, and our shareholders.
OUR MISSIONTo efficiently provide industry standard, technical management services to our
shipowners in a manner that is cost effective, risk averse and optimizes the passenger and crew experience.
OUR VALUESSafety / Integrity / Profitability / Transparency / Risk Aversion
We must however continue to focus on how we are going to translate these statements into a performance that can be measured over time. Therefore, we are developing new Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that will connect our new mission, vision and value statements. We are in the process of establishing this new framework, which we anticipate rolling out later this year.
The aim is to have everyone within our team clear on our purpose, our objectives and to concentrate on performing to the highest standards, while preparing for our growth. Ultimately for our shareholders, these efforts will allow us to improve efficiency, streamline our organization, while increasing our profitability.
In September, CMI Ship Management, jointly with SunStone and CMI Leisure hosted the Semester at Sea (SAS) Board Meeting here in Miami. It was a great opportunity to introduce the entire SAS Board to our team in Miami, tour our beautiful offices and provide an overview of our services. I outlined my personal involvement with the SAS program for the past 21 years and how, through CMI, we are going to continue providing the services they have been accustomed to, for years to come. We concluded with our proposed vessel strategy for the future. It was a productive and engaging two days and CMI is proud to be part of Semester at Sea’s mission.
4 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 5
Our three companies agreed to start a SAS Scholarship Fund to support student scholarships at Semester at Sea to honor and celebrate the lasting partnership between Cruise Management International-Leisure (CMI Leisure), Cruise Management International-Ship Management (CMI Ship Management), and SunStone Ships.
Preference for this award will be given to students whose parents are employed by CMI Leisure, CMI Ship Management, or SunStone, but a more formal announcement will be made, in which further details will be provided in due time.
As we prepare for 2020, I would like to thank all crew and the office teams for their dedication and hard work in making 2019 another successful year. We concluded a tremendous number of projects during our April-May transition season and on time. Several dry docks, major interior upgrades and new stabilizers required focus, good planning and teamwork. It is a privilege to be part of this team!
Over the past two and half years, we introduced many initiatives, from having dedicated teams onboard each ship, (which is now starting to pay off), to introducing ship management software, training/ workshops and building relations with new strategic partners. As we took charge, we must continue building upon these initiatives in 2020, however these initiatives require constant updates, upgrades and adjustments as we aim to maximize the benefits for all our stakeholders. Your involvement, whether you are a crewmember, a charterer, a strategic partner, or a shareholder, is of utmost importance to us. We value and need your constructive feedback, as this allows us to constantly customize, reorganize and improve our services. I, therefore would like to stress the importance of completing the Client’s and Crew Surveys distributed by our Compliance Department annually and thank you in advance for taking the time.
This edition of CMI’s NEW HORIZON will outline what each department within the Company is working on. I hope you will enjoy it and remember, I am always available for any questions, suggestions and or concerns you may have.
Sincerely
Jim Barreiro de León
Safety + Integrity + Profitability + Transparency + Risk Aversion
OUR VALUES
CMI Leisure Management President & CEO Dietmar Wertanzl with CMI Ship Management President & CEO Jim Barreiro de
León, and the M/V Greg Mortimer’s Engine crew.
6 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
NEWS
Since acquiring their first cruise ship,
VIDANTA ELEGANT, Grupo Vidanta
has been dedicated to upgrading,
reconfiguring and branding the vessel
to align her with their resort standards.
CMI’s President Jim Barreiro de
León confirms, “We are honored to
be awarded this contract and it is a
privilege to be associated with such a
quality organization as Grupo Vidanta”.
Mr. Jose Alonso, Director of Operations
of Grupo Vidanta remarks, “We are
excited to engage a Technical Manager
who understands our needs, behaves as
a true partner and operates within the
same time zone as our organization.”
CMI will also provide Port & Fuel
Management, Purchasing and Project
Management services and will handle
all administration for the deck, engine
and hotel crew.
Grupo Vidanta operates luxury
time share resorts in Mexico and
will continue to provide a similar
experience onboard the VIDANTA
ELEGANT to their guests. Mr. Alonso
states: “We are proud of our brand and
we are thrilled to have the opportunity
to extend it onboard our very first
cruise vessel”.
Jim further stated “our partnership
is based on similar objectives and
principles making it a natural fit. We
are confident in our ability to deliver
tangible benefits to our Owners and
we are delighted that the VIDANTA
ELEGANT and Grupo Vidanta will
enhance our reputation managing a
very select fleet of vessels”.
GRUPO VIDANTACMI’S NEWEST CLIENT
In October, CMI took over the technical and crew management of Grupo Vidanta’s first vessel, the M/V VIDANTA ELEGANT.
Omar Villa Aramburo (Left), Jim Barreiro de León, CMI (Middle), Jose Alonso, Grupo Vidanta (Right)
SEMESTERatSEA
n September, CMI and CMIL, who respectively have the
Technical Management and Hotel Management of the
WORLD ODYSSEY for Semester at Sea, had the pleasure of
hosting their Board of Directors Meeting. While the actual
meeting was held off-site due to the number of attendees, a
Reception was held in the CMI-CMIL offices where the ISE
Board Members had the chance to casually meet employees.
After the reception and being out-of-towners, the Board
and a few employees from CMI-CMIL were taken on a bus
tour of the Wynwood Art District, located within miles of
the Corporate Offices. Dinner followed the tour and several
hours later, after a very festive meal and much interaction,
the evening came to a pleasant end.
CMI-CMIL HOSTS
I
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 7
On September 1, the eye of
Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the
Abaco Islands with maximum sustained
winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), making
it the strongest hurricane on record to
affect the Bahamas.
On September 2, the eye of Dorian
moved over the eastern end of Grand
Bahama Island, and drifted across the
island.
On September 4, following Dorian’s
devastating impact on Freeport,
Grand Bahama Island, BAHAMAS
PARADISE CRUISE LINE announced
a two-fold support initiative. The
company began accepting monetary
donations online through its partner,
Mission Resolve, as well as donated
supplies at its Riviera Beach warehouse.
“Our hearts go out to all those
impacted, and we felt it was imperative
to issue a rapid response, demonstrating
our support through action,” said Oneil
Khosa, CEO of Bahamas Paradise
Cruise Line, who is engaged in direct
communications with the Bahamian
Government, including Deputy Prime
Minister Kevin Peter Turnquest, to
determine specific areas of need and
serve as a liaison for those looking to
assist in the hurricane recovery effort.
“We’re proud to partner with Mission
Resolve in taking the necessary steps
to help our brothers and sisters of
Grand Bahama Island that are in
desperate need.”
The GRAND CELEBRATION was
the first cruise line to respond to the
devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian
that lashed the Bahamian islands with
speeds of 185 miles per hour.
Cruise Line Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort
‘what are you doing for others?’– Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Activist and Clergyman
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,
BAHAMAS PARADISE
NEWS, CONT’D
8 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
GRAND CELEBRATION departed Port of Palm
Beach on Sunday, September 15 with 400 pallets of
humanitarian aid, three times the amount of the first
sailing seven days prior – including 30,000 pounds of
water, 275,000 pounds of canned and dry food, 150,000
pounds of household supplies, and 50,000 pounds of
construction materials – as well as more than 300
qualified volunteers.
150 Bahamians returned home to the island via
GRAND CELEBRATION to help jumpstart the
process of rebuilding Grand Bahama Island.
First responders who sailed were joined by numerous
business and philanthropic organizations from across
South Florida, which included Bahamas Relief Cruise
(comprised of members of The Everglades Trust team,
along with a collection of West Palm Beach businesses
and organizations including Subculture Group, Titou
Hospitality Group and the Downtown West Palm
Beach Hospitality Association) and Mission Resolve
(who were joined by its partners in the South Florida
business community, including Entrepreneurs’
Organization and others).
Also onboard were representatives from various disaster
relief response groups, including Sheep Dog Impact
Assistance, West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department,
Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Hope Force International -
plus more than 50 medical professionals - organized by
the Bahamas Relief Cruise team.
Upon arrival in Freeport, the ship’s crew and volunteers
prepared more than 10,000 boxed lunches, which
were delivered directly to local shelters, homes and
neighborhoods by volunteers.
30 cases of water were delivered to Pastor Robert
White on the north side of the island, a direct request
from Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s CEO Oneil
Khosa, who learned of the neighborhood’s plight
through a family who evacuated during the first
humanitarian sailing.
10 pallets of water and 10 generators were delivered
to RAND Memorial Hospital.
Bahamians who boarded GRAND CELEBRATION
in Freeport were required to pay $49 per person and
provide proof of an address in the United States where
they planned to stay. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is
donating 100 percent of cruise fares back to the Island’s
relief effort.
Just over 200 Bahamians traveled back to Palm
Beach on GRAND CELEBRATION with the necessary
documentation required to enter the U.S., and the
majority were met by friends and family.
Key Facts and Figures from the cruise:
Bahamas Relief Cruise and Mission Resolve, as well as the
hundreds of volunteers who sailed with us on GRAND
CELEBRATION to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to
Grand Bahama Island,” said Khosa. “Our second sailing was a
tremendous success, and we are proud to play such a vital role
in the recovery of the island, but we can’t do it alone. We invite
other industry leaders and local groups to step up and lend a
hand to our sisters and brothers in the Bahamas as they embark
upon a challenging journey to recovery.
Thanks to the great Crew onboard for their hard work and
dedication during this very difficult time for this island nation.
We are grateful to our partners,— Story contributed by: Sandi Perchy-Crew Manager
— PhotograPhS comPlimentS of: Roger Edelman-Photographer
NEWS, CONT’D
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line canceled all its booked sailings to ferry relief materials and run special missions
to the Bahamian Island and they have gone far and above to supporting the distressed Bahamas islands.
GRAND CELEBRATION becomes a pioneer in Bahamas relief
10 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 11
ONBOARDTHE VESSELS
ONBOARD THE OCEAN ENDEAVOUR
ONBOARD THE WORLD ODYSSEY
ONBOARD THE SEA SPIRIT
CREWING DEPARTMENT
12 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
When visiting the ships and talking with our crew, it is
apparent that most of them have a passion for wildlife
and nature. It is fascinating to see the almost “kid-like”
excitement on some of the Captains’ faces at the start of the
Arctic season and comments like, “I am so happy Antarctica
season is here!” “I miss it and I cannot wait to go back!”.
Talking to them I have also learned that due to the nature of
our business many of our officers have developed a passion for
photography; some more than others, and since it could not
go unnoticed we decided to feature some of the photographs
our Captains have captured of the wildlife and nature.
CAPTAINS AND THEIR CAMERAS
We all know that one of the reasons our officers and crew started their career at sea is for the possibility to travel and see the world; an answer given by most of the crew when asked WHY they decided to pursue a career at sea.
and started my marine career right after high school as an AB. Almost all my sea time I have spent on passenger vessels with only one contract on a bulk carrier.
My love for photography started when I joined expedition vessels (ISP, FleetPro, CMI). When I see myself around the beautiful
uniqueness of regions like Arctic and Antarctic, there is a desire to capture these moments through the lenses and take as many with me as possible.
The magic of captured photographs begin when looking back at these moments, which brings back the emotions and positive energy when remembering the time you experienced them in reality.”
We have received many wonderful photographs; however a few standouts for our Crewing Department as submitted by Captain Yaroslav Gonta. In his own words Captain Gonta described his love of photography:
“I’m a 50 years old seaman
During the 2019 crew show we put together each semester, Mrs. Anne
Little donated U$13,000 to the crew welfare fund. Following this amazing
gesture and contribution, the Crew Welfare Committee along with the
rest of the crew decided to name the Crew Bar in her honor.
Mrs. Little was invited to our Thanksgiving party where a short ceremony
took place for the naming of the Crew Bar to “LITTLE BAR”.
Mrs. Little & Captain Siamantas
Mrs. Little & The Crew Left to right: Executive Dean Dr. John Tymitz, Mrs. Little, Captain Siamantas, Chief Engineer Stathopoulos
ONBOARD THE
WORLD ODYSSEY
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 13
COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT
14 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
An integral part of any successful
management system is to develop
a culture of continual systemic
improvement. The use of “soft”
targets or (Key Performance
Indicators-“KPIs”) to define the
scope of improvement is important
to monitor progress, and react
to results, which in turn helps to
improve a company’s processes and
procedures for better planning. CMI has developed
KPIs for the various core processes that make up our
organization, including tracking Port State Control
(PSC) inspections for flawless performance, as well as
the PSC Deficiency Ratio, which measures the number
of deficiencies reviewed against the total number of
inspections carried out in a period.
As of mid-November 2019, the CMI managed fleet
was subjected to 40 PSC interventions, of which 18
inspections resulted in zero deficiencies. The overall
KPI rating for the three quarters of
2019 was 92.5%, while the overall
KPI rating for the second, third and
fourth quarters to date were 78.26%,
25.0% and 97.92 respectively, for an
overall average of 77.63%.
The final 2019 KPI rating for
flawless inspections was 45%, of
which 18 out of 40 inspections
resulted in zero deficiencies.
Managed Fleet Port State Control Record of Deficiencies
KPI REPORTING
Port State Control KPI Flawless Inspection RatingYearly Comparison (Goal > 50%)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
2019 45%
2018 60%
2017 51%
2016 43%
2016-2019 KPI DEFICIENCY RATING YEAR-ON-YEAR RESULTS
2019 77.63
2018 88.03
2017 79.73
2016 69.79
Port State Control KPI De�ciency RatingYearly Comparison (Goal > 75)
0 50 100
SAFETY & QUALITY KPI’S 2016 2017 2018 2019
PSC KPI Rating 69.79 79.73 88.03 77.63
PSC Deficiency Ratio 2.73 1.62 0.94 1.85
PSC Inspections 30 37 48 40
PSC Deficiencies 82 60 45 74
Inspections w/ Zero Deficiencies 13 19 29 18
PSC Flawless Inspection Rating 43% 51% 60% 45%
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 15
CMI office personnel have been working closely with the vessels’ senior management to drive down incidents of
PSC deficiencies, and better prepare shipboard staff for these inspections through the provision of training materials,
inspection checklists, and more thorough and frequent visits onboard by our compliance team and superintendents.
In all, the compliance department has spent over 140 days onboard company managed vessels during 2019. It has
been a productive year, indeed.
— CHRIS DLUGOKECKI | VP Safety & Quality
2018-2019 DEFICIENCY CATEGORIZATION YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON
2019 vs. 2018 PSC Deficiency Categorization25
20
0
5
10
15
07-Fire Safety
01-Certi�cates &
Documentation
04-Emergency Systems
10-Safety of Navigation
13-Propulsion & Auxilia
ry Machinery
09-Working & Living Conditio
ns
18-MLC, 2006
11-Life-Saving Appliances
14-Pollution Prevention15-ISM
12-Crew Certi�cates
05-Radio Communications
501-Bahamas Inspectio
n De�ciencies
02-Structu
ral Condition
15-Navigation
03-Water/W
eathertight Conditio
n
171-Other
06-Life-Saving Appliance16-ISPS
99-Other (not cl
early hazardous)
2019 2018
Regarding the overall PSC Deficiency Ratio to date in 2019, the CMI managed fleet averaged 1.85 deficiencies per
PSC intervention, with the fleet having experienced 74 recorded deficiencies in 40 inspections. Although, this is higher
than at the close of 2018 of 0.94 deficiencies per PSC intervention, it is still below the company KPI goal of less than
two deficiencies per inspection. It should be noted that the overall PSC Deficiency Ratio was adversely affected by the
repositioning of the GRAND CLASSICA to Vancouver, during which time the vessel was subjected to (2) inspections
outside of the U.S. resulting in 18 deficiencies being issued.
There was one vessel detention during the 1st quarter in Alta, Norway, which is currently under appeal by CMI and
under review through the Norwegian Maritime Authority.
An analysis of PSC inspection reports revealed that the top deficiencies by category were found to be in the area of Fire
Safety and Certificates & Documentation. The large number of deficiencies found in the category of “Fire & Safety” and
“Emergency Systems” in 2019 vs. 2018 was found to be attributed to a Paris MOU Concentrated Inspection Campaign
(CIC) on “Emergency Systems and Procedures”, which ran from 1 September to 30 November 2019.
16 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
PORT AND FUEL MANAGEMENTCONTINUES TO GROW
This Antarctic season we are managing the fuel operations
for five vessels and anticipate that we will bunker over
13,000 cbm of fuel for the current Antarctic Season.
We continue to strengthen our position with suppliers to be
able to offer our clients the best rates for fuel and port costs.
Our long history with fuel suppliers and agents has allowed
us to negotiate favorable pricing and these savings are passed
on directly to the charterers as CMI does not receive any
special compensation from port agents or fuel suppliers and
all discounts are directed to our clients. We pride ourselves
on the transparency of our service.
With the increase in the number of port and fuel
management contracts the port management team
expanded in April with the addition of Inna Tsyrfa as Port
Administrator. Inna, based in Odessa, has been a much
needed and great addition to our team. She has worked in
customer service management positions onboard ships and
her organizational and planning skills have been invaluable.
She is very intuitive and has quickly picked up the new
responsibilities of this position. She will be a vital asset to
CMI moving into the future as we continue to grow
Port Operations.
Additionally, Ramon Dalagan has been transferred into Port
Operations. Ramon has sailed onboard company vessels and
his nautical experience, shipboard knowledge and experience
with expedition cruising further strengthens the Port
Operations team.
It is an exciting time at CMI! We are developing deeper
relationships with existing clients as well as expanding
relationships with new operators. We have strengthened
our team to ensure we can meet the operational needs of
our clients and their ships. Our knowledge, experience, and
professional connections allow our clients to focus their
efforts on their expertise of delivering a great cruise product
to their customers.
With the wealth of experience at CMI, we can offer support
services anywhere in the world our clients chose to operate -
from Arctic to Antarctic; South Pacific to the Americas and
everywhere in between.
— SCOTT WILL | VP Port Operations & Vessel Logistics
Port and Fuel Management continues to be an area of growth for CMI. We are currently managing both port and fuel operations year-round
for both expedition and conventional cruise ships, which was recently increased
by one more ship with the addition of the GREG MORTIMER which came
into passenger service in October; and we are already working on
itinerary development and port confirmations for Infinity Class vessels
coming into service in 2021 and 2022.
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 17
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
has been working rigorously on logistics management
to optimize efficiency by effectively harnessing the
available resources.
Typically, logistics management consists of the process of
planning, implementing and controlling the efficient flow
of supplies from point of consolidation i.e. from hub to the
vessel, with the aim of the delivery of goods to the vessel
in a timely fashion. Simply put, optimum planning ensures
delivery of services within the vessel’s deadlines.
Logistics planning provides a roadmap of the detailed
organization and implementation of a complex operation.
As a team focused on providing logistics guidance, our
biggest challenge is to timely meet the vessels’ deadlines,
thereby minimizing the number of shipments by
consolidation and cutting cost. To achieve this outcome
for our fleet, we are working on selecting four ports as
delivery points within the next year.
Cut-off dates for raising a requisition will be established. If
the vessel does not receive the requisition in the first slot
(well within the cutoff date), it will automatically go on
to the next delivery schedule, unless it is classified as an
immediate concern, which are routed differently. This setup
will result in significant cost reduction, minimizing wastage
of resources, etc.
Container schedules will be provided in advance which
will help both the onboard and shoreside teams in the
planning operations.
Of course, none of this can be achieved without the full
support of the vessels’ crew and therefore your assistance is
paramount in the proper and adequate planning with the
aim of serving our team better.
I hope we can find a way to put this into practice and better
serve our organization!
We welcome Mr. Renan Murta who joined the Purchasing
Team in August as a Purchasing Agent. Congratulations
are in order for Purchasing Agent, Aleksandra Gradova,
who, with her husband welcomed their second daughter
Emma Rose in November. Aleksandra will return to work
in March 2020.
LOGISTIC MANAGEMENT
To conclude, I would like to quote Phillip Kotler:
“Market logistics involve planning, implementing and controlling the physical flow of material and
final (finished) goods from the point of origin to the point of use to meet customer requirements.”
— TK SINGH | VP Purchasing
The Purchasing Department
18 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
PERSONNEL
Sorel Joseph, Accounting Manager / Sunstone Fleet
Sorel joined the CMI family at the beginning of November 2015 as a Senior Accountant. Prior to this
experience, he worked as a Senior Accountant and Treasury Analyst for Faena Hotel in Miami Beach. For about
four years prior he worked as an Accountant for Brasseurs GMT Inc., a midsize brewing company founded in
Montréal. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA Canada, Québec Branch) and a graduate from the Université
du Québec à Montréal and is currently working toward his Certified Public Accounting certification for the State of Florida.
Sorel enjoys playing sports, soccer and volleyball, and is a passionate fan of F.C. Barcelona. He also enjoys reading books on
history and literature.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
The winds of change continue to impact our organization, one gesture, one person, and one moment at a time. In our last issue we presented three of our Finance personnel and discussed some future changes that will further transform our financial services into a more efficient and effective operation delivering prompt and relevant information to our Clients. Continuing in that vein, we are pleased to present three more employees who will aid in reaching our goals, one person at a time.
These initiatives are strategically taken one step at time, so as not to disrupt the overall workflow and workload of our Department.
In the Spring issue we announced several initiatives underway to achieve our present and future goals:• InfoShip Integration with Great Plains (GP) Accounting Software• Concur Expense Reporting software• Concur Invoices Automated uploads software• Automated FX uploads to GP software• Integration of GP with wire payments• Multi-Entity Management (MEM) software addon to GP
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 19
PERSONNEL, CONT’D
Maria Cruz, Senior Accountant
Maria started at CMI in February 2018. Before, her experiences included working as Client Accountant for
Femwell. She served as a Client Accountant for a management company of a large physician group, where
she was assigned 21 physician offices. Prior to that she worked as an accountant for Kronos America, a large
distributor of high-end watches and jewelry. Maria graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science
in Economics and continued her studies at Florida International University in Accounting. In her spare time, she enjoys
kickboxing and attending art shows.
AUTOMATION
The InfoShip integration with the Great Plains accounting
software will enter its testing phase in December and final
implementation is expected in January. The delays in the
project were related to a glitch that was found and corrected.
The integration will allow seamless communication of
approved purchase orders and receipt of these orders between
GP and InfoShip. It will also allow more visibility of the
transactional flows in purchasing.
We are happy to report that Concur Expense
software became fully operational at the end
of November. This software allows employees to easily create
and document travel expenses as it automatically categorizes,
and maps expenses based on receipt images. The benefits
include streamlining expense management, enforcing travel
policy compliance and faster reimbursement to employees.
A project is in the works with our Great
Plains partner, Tidestone Solutions
and a project plan was put in place at the end of November
which included the timeline and milestones of the various
software initiatives which will increase productivity of the
Finance team. As we start these initiatives, we will update
our progress in future issues and provide more information
on the expected benefits and uses of the additional tools and
upgrade of the GP Accounting System.
In the meantime, we will leave you with another quote about
change from the great American industrialist, Henry Ford:
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll
always get what you’ve always got.”
— BILL COLOGNE | VP Finance
“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person.
One moment at a time.”LIBBA BRAY, THE SWEET FAR THING
20 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
IT & COMMUNICATIONS2019In 2019 CMI introduced two vessels into our fleet. The new vessel, M/V GREG MORTIMER designed with the latest
technologies, systems for monitoring to allow for proactive problem solving; and the M/V VIDANTA ELEGANT,
a 1990 built vessel.
2019 was a successful year in upgrading and getting all the ships aligned with some of the latest technology. We completed 291 out of a total of 330 projects since January 2018,
and look forward to finishing the last 39 projects in different stages during 2020.
ACHIEVEMENTS
THANKS TO ALL IT OFFICERS
Hiring and Retaining Qualified PersonnelThe long-standing notion that Information Technology has three critical dimensions - people, process,
and technology - is still valid today. Behind each successful implementation of the technology is a group of
talented people, ensuring that everything goes according to plans to meet the needs of the Fleet. Recruiting
and retaining exceptional staff with the knowledge, skills, and the right attitude is not an easy task.
Increased Demand for Zero DowntimeInformation technology systems must always run and the pressure is mounting on IT experts to ensure the
accuracy and availability of these systems. Large organizations with round-the-clock operations, require a
standby IT team to solve issues that might arise.
Security and PrivacyHackers have found it very easy to hack into computers or systems connected on the internet. Hackers can
easily use an IP (Internet Protocol) address to access a user’s computer and collect data. Internet cookies
collect information as we use the internet and increases the risks of fraud and malicious intent.
HardwarePurchased hardware needs to be designed with durability in mind, including resistance to water, humidity,
dust, dirt, and extreme heat.
1
2
3
4
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 21
Top 4Top 4 2020Challenges for
in the Corporate Offices when the Group celebrated
22 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019
Spooky Dayit was a
halloween at the end of October!
Best Costume winner was Michelle Stewart
– S U N S T O N E S H I P S
Spooky Day is an international affair in the Miami Corporate offices. As American families prepared to feast on traditional turkey
and various side dishes, two days before Thanksgiving the Miami Group put a spin on tradition with some of our 62 employees representing 26 countries across the globe
shared in dishes conventional to their culture.
TRIVIA: There are 195 countries in the world with varied names starting with 24 letters of the alphabet.The CMI, CMIL and SunStone Group comprises of individuals from all letters with the exception of seven!
Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 23
Holiday ReceptionWith the offices draped and decorated in colors reminiscent of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations, an array of sumptuous hors d’ oeuvres, seafood, sushi and carving stations, a good time was had by all, dancing, singing and enjoying the tricks and illusions of a magician in the mix.
This year, the Group was proud to support the efforts of 4Ocean by presenting each employee and guest with a bracelet from that organization.
As the ocean is indeed our Group’s home, Management found it very appropriate to work with this for profit company founded in Boca Raton, Florida in 2017 that sells bracelets made mostly from recycled materials, as well as apparel and other
merchandise for which the materials are environmentally and socially responsibly sourced. Each bracelet sold pulls one pound of trash from Oceans. Over 7 Million pounds of trash pulledso far!
Holiday ReceptionHaving the Group’s annual
Holiday Reception a little later
in December from previous
years did not stop CMI, CMIL
and SunStone employees
and some 200 invited family,
friends, colleagues, clients,
vendors and suppliers from
participating and enjoying an
amazing South Florida evening
in our Corporate offices, filled
with food and music in a Mardi
Gras-esque holiday setting.
2019
Support The 4ocean Cause & Help Clean Our Oceans & Coastline Today.
Thanks to CMI Leisure vendor, JULIUS MEINL, whose coffee is served onboard our vessels; and representatives for PADRE PREMIUM TEQUILA also served onboard our vessels, for providing tastings!