IRI President Bill Gallagher explores the year ahead in this 2025 message to clients and colleagues:

As 2025 opens, it does not look like a quiet year in shipping. With impending regulatory changes, rapidly approaching decarbonization targets, innovations in advanced technologies and alternative fuels, geopolitical activities, and sanctions, the industry will withstand a lot of transformation this year.

To prepare for these impending changes International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator, have invested significantly in strengthening and developing specialized technical teams and expanding capabilities in global offices over the last decade. Today, the IRI team includes more than 450 resources, including some of the most experienced experts in the fields of alternative fuels and decarbonization technologies, as well as experienced security and safety personnel. IRI has strategically supported autonomous decision making in regional offices to not only provide a rapid response to clients, but to ensure that decision making takes into account regional concerns and information. Additionally, active participation at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), frequent meetings with class societies and technical innovators, as well as interaction at the flag State level with port State control authorities ensures that our teams are well informed and a valuable resource for our clients as they plan, respond, and react to the changing marketplace. These investments have resulted in unparalleled client access to answers, decisions, and support from our teams. We truly are available 24/7/365.

This year, with so many external challenges on the horizon, IRI is working internally to enhance collaboration across our teams and offices to support a truly seamless client experience. From hosting a global corporate training seminar to streamlining human resources and IT projects, increasing cross-communication opportunities between departments and offices, and listening to our teams for new ideas, we’re looking at how we can improve and enhance the client experience. For example, harnessing the power of technology, tools like our Technical Status Board allow full transparency across our technical department ensuring a team member in Houston and one in Singapore have the most up-to-date information on technical client requests and inquiries. Internal working groups and teams, such as the Corporate and Maritime Services Groups, the Cruise, Renewables, Gas, and Offshore Teams, or the Security Team work across offices and departments to not only synchronize operations, but also share expertise, best practices, and most importantly to build relationships so that we truly function as one global team.

We are fortunate that so many of our team members achieve 10, 15, 20 years and beyond with us, and recognize that those anniversaries speak to the culture of our organization. We also recognize that to meet the forthcoming changes we need to support the development of the younger generation of maritime professionals so that they are prepared to lead and transition into more prominent roles.

Change is the only constant in this world, so we must be prepared internally as an organization to continue to adapt and evolve. Whether some of the uncertainty in the market is resolved this year or takes a little while longer, we know that other questions and players will arise in the market, and the status quo will change once again. IRI has been committed to evolving and transforming since its inception and I am confident that we are well prepared to meet the challenges of 2025. Our goal this year is to prepare internally for 2030, 2040, and beyond so that the client experience remains excellent, seamless, and exceeds expectations no matter what the future may bring.
Source: International Registries Inc.