theceomagazine.com | 59classic cars,” he laughs. Beginning as a shipbroking business
in 2004, Orkim has evolved into a shipping vessel owner
and operator. It specialises in the transportation of clean
petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas from oil
refineries to various terminals in Malaysia. Its clients include
Shell and Malaysian government-owned oil and gas company
PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Berhad).
Orkim has thrived under Sharifuddin’s leadership.
“I didn’t join Orkim just to maintain the status quo,” he
states. The company won Shell’s Best Ship Owner, Best
HSSE Performance (Health, Safety, Security and the
Environment), Best Operational Excellence and Best Oil
Loss Performance Awards in 2017. It also purchased its
seventeenth vessel, which is the very first one acquired
without a long-term contract attached.
“It is a little bit different because we have always bought
vessels with a clear contract in hand,” Sharifuddin notes.
He adds that it was not a reckless decision. “There are
pockets of opportunity out there, and the onus is on us
to pursue them and build the confidence of others in us.”
Sharifuddin led the upgrade of the company’s fleet
management system to ensure greater accuracy when
monitoring its programs and plans. He also developed
a complete procurement department. “This was about
the segregation of duties and having a more effective
procurement process,” he adds.
For a company that operates in potentially dangerous
conditions, Sharifuddin says safety is “number one”. This
is both in terms of compliance with authorities and to
In 2015, two of Orkim’s oil tankers were
captured by pirates off the coast of
Malaysia. Orkim Victory was captured on
4 June, and the perpetrators siphoned off
770 metric tonnes of diesel. On 11 June,
Orkim Harmony was hijacked, with one of
the 22 crew members sustaining an injury
after being shot in the thigh.
Although Sharifuddin was not with the
company at that time, he points out the
high-security measures the company has
taken since then. “We were fortunate
that no lives were lost,” he says. “We’ve
now secured/hardened our vessels. More
importantly, we are working closely with
the Malaysian Coast Guard (Malaysian
Maritime Enforcement Agency) to ensure
our vessels are protected.”BEEFING UP
SECURITY
differentiate Orkim, holding a competitive
advantage over its competitors. Sharifuddin
credits his focus on safety to his previous
work at Shell.
“Commitment to safety comes from
the top,” he says. “I have been trained to
make safety the first agenda item in our
weekly meetings. I’ve also been trained to
get down on the ground and ensure safety
is understood and practised by everyone.
Everyone has to walk the talk. Everyone
can intervene. There is no hierarchy when
it comes to safety.”
Despite having had a different career
path in mind, it seems Sharifuddin is now
well suited to the shipping industry.“In short, I could answer by saying we are very confident
working with Orkim,very professional in their work from all
levels and yet considerate and we feel very comfortable
dealing with such fine organisation. I must say we are
fortunate to be able to work with Orkim” – Roslan Rosdi,
Managing Director, Westext Sdn Bhd“Orkim has given us great opportunities in developing our business by adopting
the philosophy of growing together as partners, creating an ecosystem with
strong mutual confidence as business allies that support each other in the
presently volatile shipping industry.” – Lee Siing Hung, Managing Director,
IMSE Utama
Interview | INSPIRE