After the February 2023 merger of SembMarine and Keppel O&M, the enlarged entity, still known as SembMarine, proposed changing its name to Seatrium in April of the same year.
At the time, SembMarine said that its new name reflected its aspiration to become a “premier global player providing innovative engineering solutions for the offshore, marine and energy industries”.
Seatrium also unveiled its new logo in electric blue, marking a departure from SembMarine and Keppel O&M’s respective corporate colours of green and red. “We didn’t start by saying we didn’t want either colour,” says Ong when asked about the new branding.
However, Ong, who previously managed Keppel O&M before heading the combined entity, wanted new beginnings, and blue — the colour of the ocean — came naturally to mind. After all, Seatrium’s core business is providing businesses with offshore energy. Ong adds that the specific shade of electric blue paid tribute to the ability to service the energy market.
When asked to take on the role, Ong, who joined Keppel fresh out of school in 1999, did not find that a difficult decision despite knowing all the challenges he would face. “I think Seatrium is in a unique position to do something meaningful. You have that challenge of integration; you have that challenge of business; you have the challenge of returning to shareholders after their many years of loyalty. Our people, making sure they have good careers.”
“The most important thing is that both companies are global players. They are global leaders in their field,” he adds.
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Nevertheless, Seatrium is still a people business. “Yes, it’s about big docks, capable cranes and facilities, but we need capable people to manage and grow that company and succeed,” says Ong. “[We also need to] make sure the business is resilient with a good flow of talent.” Since day one, the group has been identifying talents and prospects so that they can succeed in senior roles.
“Seatrium is at the start of its growth. We are just over a year old. So there is a journey that we are planning,” he says.
