VINOD VISWANATH

Accomplished and strategic Director of Project Management in the shipyard industry, boasting a rich 30-year track record of leading and successfully delivering an extensive portfolio of complex Ship Repair and Offshore projects. Specializing in marine industry ventures such as FSRU, FPSO, Oil & Gas, and Offshore Windfarm initiatives, I have consistently demonstrated adept management of HSSEQ, onshore resources, stakeholders, clients, and vendors within challenging timelines and environments to bring bespoke projects to fruition.

My expertise extends to the comprehensive management of Production, Engineering, and other shipyard departments, ensuring the safe delivery of projects within agreed parameters for optimal commercial success. Proficient in Budget Management, Staff Management, Strategic Planning, and Implementation, I have played a key role in advancing business development strategies within shipyard operations.

Adept at relationship-building across diverse stakeholder groups, I have achieved successful change outcomes even in the face of challenging project deliveries characterized by constricting budgets, competing priorities, aggressive timelines, and integrations. My skill set encompasses various sectors, including client relationship management, HSSEQ oversight, risk management, commercial and procurement management, cost control, and engineering development and management.

Renowned among peers and managers for troubleshooting abilities and decisiveness, I possess a keen acumen for risk management and efficient resource allocation. My career is marked by a consistent commitment to achieving excellence in project delivery, fostering innovation, and navigating complexities inherent in the shipyard industry.

• Hundreds of complex ship repair projects executed every year, which required docking, repair of pumps, steel, piping, electrical motors & other afloat repairs in the yard.
• Management of production departments in a shipyard & effectively getting the productivity from various production departments.
• Borwin -3 Platform for Petrofac /TenneT to be deployed in North Sea. The project is valued at USD200 million.
• FPSO Akko Mizu for Blue water. Complete upgradation of the existing vessel valued at 70 million.
• IMODCO Calm Buoy for Single Buoy Moorings -Monaco valued at USD 2 million
• Rashid C project for Technip France which involved fabrication of Jackets & topside for the end client Dubai Petroleum valued at USD 32 million
• Kvaerner RP&DP projects: The project was done for Kvaerner for the North Sea, which involved fabrication of pile clusters & flotation tanks with the end client being STATOIL Norway valued at USD40 Million.
• Subsea oil storage tank (SOST) deployed at North Sea for Premier oil of UK valued at USD85 million.
• FLNG Turret for FSRU PRELUDE awarded by Single Buoy Moorings and executed for SHELL Australia valued at USD97 million.
• Modular Capture Vessels (MCV) Projects Eagle Texas & Eagle Louisiana for AET / MWCS (A consortium of Major oil companies like Exxon, Shell, ConocoPhillips) to be deployed in USA. Valued at USD150 million.
• BW Offshore / Ithaca energy in Dubai. Lengthening of FPSO ATHENA and installation of mating cone arrangement APL design. The project to be deployed in North Sea.
• SAIPEM / ENI in Dubai - Conversion of a crude carrier to FPSO AQUILA.
• SAIPEM/Offshore LNG Toscana (OLT)- Dubai Conversion of a LNG carrier to FSRU LIVORNO/TOSCANA.
• Euronav/OSG for Maersk Oil Qatar -Dubai Conversion of a crude carrier to FSO TI ASIA & FSO TI AFRICA valued at USD 250million.
• Teekay / Al Reyyan field – Dubai, Conversion of a crude carrier to FSO RITA valued at USD14.8 million.
• Fred Olsen / Canadian Natural Resources (CNR) - Dubai, Conversion of a Crude Carrier to FPSO KNOCK ALAN valued at USD 62 million.
• Chevron / SBM - Dubai, Conversion of a Crude Carrier into a FPSO FRADE valued at USD 200million.
• PETROBRAS /SAIPEM -Dubai, Conversion of a Crude Carrier into FPSO GIMBOA valued at USD 97 Million.
• ExxonMobil / SBM - Dubai, Conversion of a Crude Carrier into a FPSO XIKOMBA valued at USD 54 Million
• SAIPEM / SBM -Dubai, Conversion of Crude Carrier into a FPSO MYSTRAS valued at USD 80 USD Million.
• Propylene recovery plant (PRU) - Indian oil corporation (IOC) India as a construction engineer where the scope includes piping, installation of pumps & pre-commissioning activities.
• Sulphur Recovery plant (SRU) -Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) India as a construction engineer for piping, pumps erection & pre- commissioning.

• 03/2019, Current, P&O Maritime Services - Australia. (A DP World Company), Manager- Marine, Took over as the Marine Manager and managing the Australian Business unit Fleet from March 2019., To ensure fleet vessels are maintained and fully operational to meet statutory and charter obligations., Liaise with Masters, Chief Engineers and sea staff to address any concerns about vessel and equipment functionality and personnel. A total of 78 Australian crew members are currently working on the assets., Responsible for the management of technical projects as required including dry dockings, new installations, conversions including adequate asset and equipment acquisition and planning, Undertake routine inspections of the vessels to verify the maintenance and operation of all shipboard equipment, to confirm that correct procedures are being implemented and in particular the effective and proper operation of cargo, safety, security and lifesaving equipment., Ensure all costs incurred are the best value for money and in accordance with contracts / regulatory requirements., Ensure that budgets are forecasted & maintained for the Australian Business unit., Assist, monitor & report in the development of annual budgets and be responsible for meeting the same., Liaisons with Government authorities to ensure all certifications are in place for safe shipping., Communicate health, safety and environmental policies and procedures to ensure staffs understand current policy and practice requirements., Work with the Business Development / Commercial team for the renewal of existing contracts and assist on new ones.
• 04/2015, 03/2019, Dry Docks World - Dubai, UAE. (A DP World Company), Director- Project Management, Took-over as the Director of Project management. It involved heading all the projects of Ship Repair, Conversion & New building projects with a team of 110 project management personnel. The projects mainly done under conversion scope are converting existing gas ships & tankers to FSRU, FPSO, and FSO. The total project portfolio to manage is around USD 650 million., Demonstrated key skills in executive leadership by aligning them with business strategic goals, stakeholder commitment, and qualitative analysis with a strong team leadership skill., Managed the project portfolio governance with portfolio prioritization, resource planning, strategy & execution, budgeting, methodology development & Risk management., Managed the technical aspect of it like process standardization, project Management tools development, financial reporting and project feedback tracking., Planning and overseeing all aspects of project execution which are setting project goals, maintaining an oversight on Budgets, Costs, and Schedule management with emphasis on meeting deadlines., Managed also the offshore services division for a year with about 120 men who are technically qualified in carrying out repair of pumps, motors, main engines, auxiliary generators & industrial jobs in the drydocks & for outside clients., Client relationship management on a day to day basis & played a vital role in business development for business sustainability, even during the most testing times., Excellent personnel and human resources skills, including knowledge of procedures for providing superior customer service and a productive and comfortable work environment for employees., Highly proficient negotiation and persuasion skills to come into agreements and persuade people, organizations, and vendors to meet the company in the middle., Ability to identify complex problems and use critical thinking skills to implement plans for overcoming those problems for the company’s benefit.
• 05/2008, 04/2015, Dry Docks World - Dubai, UAE., General Manager – Oil & Gas/ Conversion Projects & Engineering Department, Managed Conversion Projects division of the company to handle EPC projects worth US$ 250 million. The projects were converting existing gas ships & tankers to FSRU, FPSO, and FSO including construction of process modules., Additionally managed the engineering division of company for all the projects for a period of one year., Responsible for the overall prioritization criteria, process and making decisions at a senior management level., Motivating the project team towards the determined objectives by generating project KPI’s on the project & setting SMART targets and objectives for functional trades & project team., Prepared strategies for completing all critical project activities and delivery of projects within budget and stipulated time., Collectively as a team responsible for an impressive US$ / man-hour return on projects and assignments undertaken., Ensured that the consumable expenditure, indirect costs and non-saleable hours were well within budget assigned from time to time., Maintained the levels as per the quality, safety, environment management and occupational health guidelines set forth by ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004 on all projects., Championing the ROAR (Reduction of All Rework) campaign across the group Dry docks World.
• 03/2005, 05/2008, Dry Docks World - Dubai, UAE., Manager – Docks, Scaffolding, Carpentry & Insulation, Responsible for leading, organizing the entire carpentry, staging, Insulation & other activities related to dockings of ships with a team of 1000 strong workforce., Introduced & lead the method of KAIZEN thinking in the department, which revolutionized the productivity level of the department, with new techniques & processes., Reviewing the scope of works, drawings and establishing production objectives, standards and production schedules to ensure safety, quality, timely delivery and cost effectiveness., Keeping a tab on the status of projects which includes but not limited to process, schedule, resource needs and execution issues. Monitoring progress of work in line with requirement and ensuring completion by stipulated deadline., Ensuring consistent implementation and utilization of good work practices & innovative developments on the existing work scope., Managing the department of 1000 men with full awareness of project schedules, project risk issues, direct and indirect cost estimates., Developing Quality awareness among subordinates to comply with the QMS procedures and job specific Quality control plans/ documents., Developed and implemented productivity benchmarking, monitoring and rewarding system for all sections of the department., Developed in house diving department for the drydocks, which was previously subcontracted to expensive contractors.
• 11/2003, 02/2005, Dry Docks World - Dubai, UAE., Production control Manager – Planning & operations, Overseeing the complete Ship Repair services in the yard which includes Ship Repair, Offshore Services, Repair alongside, anchorage services and on Voyage repair, Overseeing, mentoring and coaching Project managers and Project engineers as part of the regular job., Preparing training plan for Project managers & Project engineers based on the training gap analysis carried out., Lead, guide and handhold the Project managers & Project engineers for carrying out their day-to-day responsibility with excellent customer satisfaction., Meeting the gross revenue and profit targets for the project by control of man-hours, material and methods., Central planning for the usage of dock space & allocation of docks to ships with an eye for maximum utilization of dock space for better commercial turnaround., Improving operational efficiency through effective control of resources, cost control and job cost monitoring, Minimizing claims, reworks and customer complaints by efficient management techniques, Closing of jobs without any customer complaints in line with project schedule as well as ensuring adherence to all safety and quality system requirements., Training, development and mentoring of operations personnel, project engineers, project managers and trainee engineers and discipline supervisors on project management., Ensuring that a very high CSQ score is obtained on every project with good US$ / man-hour return.
• 09/2000, 10/2003, Dry Docks World - Dubai, UAE., Project manager – Conversion project & ship repairs., Led a project team of 10 and reported to Conversions Manager., Project management, Bid assessment & Review contract procedures related matters, Project procurement functions, project monitoring, reporting and contract handling., Implement entire spectrum of Production management, which includes shop floor & site management from concept to completion., Validates estimates through risk reviews, management reviews, and past performance., Identify resources, monitoring progress, cost, resource utilization and preparation of budgets., Project planning and scheduling, formulation of work breakdown structures, Weight age allocations, Resource planning, Billing & monitoring construction work with project planner.
• 01/1996, 08/2000, Pan united shipyard- Singapore., Project Manager/Superintendent- Ship repair & Conversions, Overseeing the Ship Repair services which includes Ship Repair, Offshore Services, Repair alongside, anchorage services and on Voyage repair, Overseeing repair work like steel renewal, deck machinery overhaul, cargo gear overhaul, heat exchanger cleaning, pumps, pipe renewal, electrical repairs, motor rewinding, diesel engine repairs, installation of pumps, in-situ machining, propeller polishing, blasting / painting, internal surface treatment of tanks including cargo and ballast tanks etc., Prepare management level plans to define time targets for designated projects and ensure that these are incorporated into contractors’ details plan., Customer focus when dealing with internal and external customers., Review and manage the project budget.
• 01/1994, 08/1995, Bharat Heavy Plates & Vessels ltd, India., Graduate engineer- Process Plant Erection & Commissioning – Refineries, Managed the construction & contracting activities of projects like Sulphur Recovery Unit (SRU) & Propylene Recovery Unit (PRU) for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) & Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)., Supervising pump erections, pipe fabrication, erection alignment, supports, hydro testing including material handling., Project scheduling, tracking, planning and demonstration., Liaison with client, consultants and achieving client satisfaction., Oversee the cost related activities on project within assigned area of responsibility to ensure that the project is progressing within budget.

References can be provided upon request.

• PORT graduate: Inspirational Leadership Training
• Lloyds Register Quality Assurance ISO 14001: 2007 Awareness Course
• Lloyds Register Quality Assurance OHSAS 18001:2004 Awareness Course
• Lloyds Register Quality Assurance certified ISO 9001: 2008 Internal Auditor
• Take 5” Safety campaign exponent conducted by SBM / Exxon Mobil
• PULSE advanced safety training from Technip France

• Championed the UAE Emiritisation program to develop and train UAE nationals for career succession and development along with Human resources and training department at Drydocks World Dubai
• Leading the involvement of local aboriginals in australia as part of diversity and inclusion the shipping Industry