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MarineNews spoke with Michael Hume, W&O Supply’s new President & CEO. Hume describes his background in the industry, and the market his company serves, and offers insights into how W&O has achieved its business success. What is your professional background and how did it lead to your current position as CEO of W&O? I started my career in the financial industry as a commer- cial loan officer, meeting daily with business owners of small to large companies and analyzing their financial sit- uation to fund their endeavors. Enjoying that experience is what has guided me throughout my career, leading me to reach my goal of running a company. My experience in the maritime industry started with W&O almost 20 years ago. Given my business background, I was hired by the company’s founder to run the Long Beach, Calif. office in order to learn the business from the ground up. I have since taken on increasingly larger areas of responsibility as W&O has grown. Over the years, I’ve absorbed myself in our industry, and by combining the knowledge I’ve acquired and the specific expertise of our employees, we have continued to achieve success as a company. Serving as CEO allows me to have a pulse on the industry and drive our overall business operations to achieve our goals for the future. It excites me to be able to bring all of those elements together in leading W&O towards a successful future. Can you describe the market W&O serves? At its core, W&O is a provider of pipe, valves, fittings, engineered products and automated valve systems for the marine and marine-offshore industries. We have evolved into more of a partner in the development and execution of projects, helping to create customized solutions for var- ious shipboard applications. This has created many oppor- tunities for us as we’ve integrated ourselves more into our customers’ daily operations. We are at a point where we are helping ship owners/operators and shipyards by designing and installing custom solutions that manage costs, improve their bottom line, navigate regulatory com- pliance and address product issues and other challenges they are facing. Right now, our industry is facing a lot of regulatory uncertainty regarding fuel, emissions, ballast water and others. Those challenges combined with decreased funding for government projects, implementing new technology and the drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico has created a volatile environment for our cus- tomers to conduct business. By stepping in and serving as a partner in addressing each customer’s specific challenges and needs, we have created many opportunities for growth for W&O, as this approach has resonated with our cus- tomer base. INSIGHTS President and CEO of W&O Supply Michael Hume 8 MN June 2011 Images courtesy W&O
