At AXSMarine, Stephen plays a vital role in shaping the company’s commercial strategy, leading sales and business development initiatives, and ensuring that customer needs remain at the heart of everything we do.
How did your journey at AXSMarine start?
In short, I worked very closely with Oldendorff on a project that required me to spend one week a month in Lübeck between 2000 and 2002, just before they made an investment in AXSMarine. When I was looking for a new role, Tony Pearkes from Oldendorff, who was deeply involved with AXSMarine, introduced me, I went for an interview, and here we are 20 years later.
The three of you seem very different from each other – what kept you together and how did you make it work?
Our passion for, and belief in, AXSMarine above all else.
How do you feel now at AXSMarine?
Overall, I feel very proud to have been part of the company’s expansion phase—opening offices in Singapore, London, Sofia, the US, Hamburg, Greece, Dubai, and other locations. The reasons for this expansion were to be close to our markets, to provide the best client support, and to engage and grow our client base. At the same time, I feel like my team has become an extension of my own family.
When you spend more than half your waking hours interacting with the same people, that bond naturally forms.
Can you share a memorable experience—funny or challenging—from your time at the company?
I have a thousand of them. One that stands out is when Tim Jones told me early on that I’d never get any of the London-based shipbrokers to become our clients. The exact opposite occured as all of the major shipbrokers are or have been our users. There are many moments like that, where our friendly approach, quiet persistence and strategy having paid off, have stayed with me.
Are the challenges today different than when you began working at AXS?
The number of challenges has increased with the growth in clients, products, people, and offices. But fundamentally, the challenge remains the same: to retain and grow the business while keeping competition at bay. The mission set by BRS/OC was always to create the best solution for the industry as a priority over revenue, and that focus continues to guide us.
What is your biggest lesson learned at AXS?
Your happiest client or user is your best salesperson—and you don’t know what you don’t know.
