Osher Perry, a sailor turned startup executive, harnesses his knowledge of navigating the seas to ensure his latest venture ShipIn operates successfully. Yet as he began expanding his team, he realized that many of the new hires did not share this same connection to the ocean.
When it came to adding a new company benefit to recruit and retain employees, Perry knew what would help employees build a deeper understanding of their work.
Newton-based ShipIn recently launched its new company benefit, called The Captain Program, to give employees the opportunity to become a certified ship’s captain. All employees, from software engineers to sales reps, are eligible for this new program.
“The number of people that have done both tech development, tech sales and maritime experience is very limited,” Perry said. “We can’t send people to tankers halfway around the world. Let’s just think about how we just create that language, that understanding, of what is the sea.”
Perry’s career began in the Israeli Navy, where he rose to lieutenant commander and was second in command of the fleet’s largest vessel. Then he spent two years sailing around the world, where he eventually met his wife, who was an Olympic sailor. Perry took a detour from the maritime world for several years, getting his MBA, working in impact investing and building Israeli startups in the Boston area.
In 2019, Perry decided it was time to bring his experience in technology and the ocean together. He co-founded ShipIn, a company that provides fleet management services for vessels like container ships, tankers and car carriers.
The company’s new Captain Program kicks off with an introduction to cruising course in Newport, Rhode Island. Each year, employees qualify for a new, more advanced course. After four years, ShipIn will cover a five-day yacht charter for employees to take friends and family to either Greece, the Caribbean or Newport.
Perry said ShipIn has around 30 of employees, some of whom are based in Israel. These employees are also eligible for The Captain Program and take lessons in Tel Aviv.
The first introductory course takes place three months after employees join ShipIn. Perry said the company will try to help employees take the courses together as a team building exercise.
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ShipIn’s fleet management services start with AI-powered, on-vessel cameras. Perry said these cameras allow the ship’s crew, manager and owner to monitor vessels from onboard or on the shore. This computer vision also allows them to track analytics on things like cargo operations and maintenance.
Perry said it’s that crucial employees understand how ships operate and the challenges of working on the ocean.
“We’re dealing with visual information from the sea. So, you need to actually be on the sea to understand and connect to it,” Perry said.
Perry added that as a startup company, their work is all about growing quickly and learning. This new program adds another layer to employees’ individual growth and skills. And, of course, it’s a pretty fun perk, Perry said.
“It’s creating that shared experience to everybody around the topic that is important to all of us,” he said.
ShipIn is also trying to triple its headcount by the end of 2022, which means the company will need to recruit 60 more employees in an increasingly unpredictable hiring environment. Perry said he’s already had about a dozen job seekers reach out over LinkedIn after seeing the news about The Captain Program.
“I’m very biased when it comes to learning how to sail. I’ve sailed around the world and met cultures and people and my wife in that experience,” Perry said. “But for employees, it really is connecting the employees to their environment, to the marine environment that we are working in day in, day out.”
