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18 Jul 2018 - CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS
CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS
“The most important thing is we share know-how and best practices.”
The business model is simple: GPH wins a long-term concession or management contract to run a cruise port. In some cases, tender processes see the company go up against the cruise lines themselves. The port agreements generally extend between 20 and 30 years, although the company’s deal in Valletta extends to 65 years, Sayin said. In return, GPH will make significant investments in improvements, including bankrolling new terminals. It’s then up to them to bring in the business in the form of ship calls to drive a return on their investment. Berth pricing is agreed upon working closely with the local port authority.
“We usually invest when we start operating a port,” Sayin said. “We want it future-ready so the biggest ships can call.” Bigger ships can place stress on operations and Sayin relies on a network of skilled GPH managers to run his port portfolio smoothly. “Our operations director in Barcelona knows how to design and operate a business that can handle 12,000 pieces of luggage in 30 minutes. That competes with some of the biggest airports in the world,” he said.The most important thing is we share know-how and best practices.
About
Originally from Istanbul, Sayin attended a German-language high school, and also spent a year on an exchange program in Connecticut. He picked up an industrial engineering degree in Istanbul, and then came back to the United States, this time to New Jersey, for post-graduate degrees from Rutgers and Princeton.
While he considered playing college basketball a job, his first real post came at Merrill Lynch as an internal consultant. More career moves followed with Unilever, Microsoft and Turkcell, along with time spent living and working in Moscow, Amsterdam and New York. At Verizon he played a key role in designing the customer experience, and helped put together the company’s marketing team.
But he wanted more, including the possibility to grow a company globally, and to be based back home in Turkey, which led to his May 2016 hiring at GPH. “I had cruised once in my life at that point,” Sayin said. “In five years I envision GPH as being a truly global company, not just focused on the Med, but having a diverse set of ports around the globe. When that happens we will have doubled in size and set industry standards in operating cruise ports.”
Managing what he called a highly specialized company, Sayin said his style was about empowerment and responsibility. “I am quick to empower people and help them grow. We want them to be responsible for their results,” he explained. “We believe in clarity and setting clear goals and direction, it makes life easier for everyone, as does open communication. “I believe in team play, collaborating and acting as a team, and putting this together to provide a sense of fairness in the workplace. Happier people perform better.”
18 Jul 2018
CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS
“The most important thing is we share know-how and best practices.”
The business model is simple: GPH wins a long-term concession or management contract to run a cruise port. In some cases, tender processes see the company go up against the cruise lines themselves. The port agreements generally extend between 20 and 30 years, although the company’s deal in Valletta extends to 65 years, Sayin said. In return, GPH will make significant investments in improvements, including bankrolling new terminals. It’s then up to them to bring in the business in the form of ship calls to drive a return on their investment. Berth pricing is agreed upon working closely with the local port authority.
“We usually invest when we start operating a port,” Sayin said. “We want it future-ready so the biggest ships can call.” Bigger ships can place stress on operations and Sayin relies on a network of skilled GPH managers to run his port portfolio smoothly. “Our operations director in Barcelona knows how to design and operate a business that can handle 12,000 pieces of luggage in 30 minutes. That competes with some of the biggest airports in the world,” he said.The most important thing is we share know-how and best practices.
About
Originally from Istanbul, Sayin attended a German-language high school, and also spent a year on an exchange program in Connecticut. He picked up an industrial engineering degree in Istanbul, and then came back to the United States, this time to New Jersey, for post-graduate degrees from Rutgers and Princeton.
While he considered playing college basketball a job, his first real post came at Merrill Lynch as an internal consultant. More career moves followed with Unilever, Microsoft and Turkcell, along with time spent living and working in Moscow, Amsterdam and New York. At Verizon he played a key role in designing the customer experience, and helped put together the company’s marketing team.
But he wanted more, including the possibility to grow a company globally, and to be based back home in Turkey, which led to his May 2016 hiring at GPH. “I had cruised once in my life at that point,” Sayin said. “In five years I envision GPH as being a truly global company, not just focused on the Med, but having a diverse set of ports around the globe. When that happens we will have doubled in size and set industry standards in operating cruise ports.”
Managing what he called a highly specialized company, Sayin said his style was about empowerment and responsibility. “I am quick to empower people and help them grow. We want them to be responsible for their results,” he explained. “We believe in clarity and setting clear goals and direction, it makes life easier for everyone, as does open communication. “I believe in team play, collaborating and acting as a team, and putting this together to provide a sense of fairness in the workplace. Happier people perform better.”