148 INTERVIEW A collaborative future Amber Hickman asks Sanjay Sukhrani and Dietmar Wertanzl how Anglo-Eastern’s acquisition of CMI and CMI Leisure will benefit customers in the expedition cruise sector Ship management services provider Anglo-Eastern ventured into the passenger cruise industry in December 2022 when it acquired Cruise Management International and its sister company CMI Leisure Management (collectively known as CMI). Anglo-Eastern has since combined its reach and resources with CMI’s expertise in providing management services to shipowners in niche cruise markets, to help deliver better services to clients. Both companies will operate under their new names, Anglo-Eastern Cruise Management and Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management. “Anglo-Eastern is actively involved in all major sectors across merchanct shipping and has built a reputation for helping its clients achieve effective cost management, compliance and safety,” says Sanjay Sukhrani, president and CEO of Anglo-Eastern Cruise Management. “Its scale and scope can provide the cruise industry with a very efficient service.” Dietmar Wertanzl, president and CEO of Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management, agrees: “Joining forces is a win-win,” he says. “Now we are under the umbrella of Anglo-Eastern, we can tie into different resources and receive support on a global scale.” The cruise industry has seen significant growth and change since the Covid-19 pandemic, and both Wertanzl and Sukhrani believe that Anglo-Eastern can help scale accordingly. “The costs associated with running a ship are staggering and we have the opportunity to leverage Anglo-Eastern’s resources, especially when it comes to procuring the best employees,” says Sukhrani, who believes an employeedriven focus is key. “You must have a career plan for every employee, a pipeline from the engine room to the boardroom.” This is where Anglo-Eastern can help. It currently has two of the largest maritime training centres in the world and intends to create another focused on the leisure cruise industry, which will train employees in guest service at sea. Sukhrani was a customer of AngloEastern for 18 years prior to joining and so has seen how the firm’s employee- “ Now we are under the umbrella of Anglo-Eastern, we can tie into different resources and receive support on a global scale” Dietmar Wertanzl Anglo-Eastern Leisure Management
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