SeaKing Electrical strengthens senior management team with new managing director and two new directors

SeaKing strengthens senior management team with new managing director Merseyside headquartered maritime engineering company SeaKing Electrical is announcing a strengthening of its senior management team with the appointment of a new managing director Neil Watson. Mr Watson joins Birkenhead-based SeaKing after spending more than two decades in senior management and managing director roles in industry. The move will see company founder Dave Gillam move from managing director to chairman supported by board members Chris Dahill, Rachel Downey, Mark Gillam, Eric King and Martin Sealeaf. Dave Gillam said the time is right to bolster SeaKing’s senior management to drive the company forward for the next 10 years. “We’re very pleased to welcome Neil to our team,” he said. “The last 10 years has seen SeaKing grow into one of the best-known electrical engineering companies in the maritime industry with a £8m turnover and more than 100 engineers and office staff. But we want to look to the future now and invest in talented people like Neil to take SeaKing to the next level. SeaKing has a clear strategy for growth in the naval, commercial marine and superyacht sectors at home and abroad. There are many opportunities for us but we have to keep pace with industry demands. This will be a big part of Neil’s role to ensure we move with the times and have the internal systems and accreditations in place which are expected by key clients like Cammell Laird, BAE, Babcock, the UK MOD and the wider industry.” Picture Jason Roberts

SeaKing board members L-R Chris Dahill, Dave Gillam, Neil Watson, Mark Gillam, Martin Sealeaf. Picture Jason Roberts

08/07/2019

Merseyside headquartered maritime engineering company SeaKing Electrical is announcing a strengthening of its senior management team with the appointment of a new managing director Neil Watson and the promotion of Mark Gillam to operations director and Rachel Downey to finance director.

Mr Watson joins Birkenhead-based SeaKing after spending more than two decades in senior management and managing director roles in industry. The move will see company founder Dave Gillam move from managing director to chairman supported by current board members Chris Dahill, Eric King and Martin Sealeaf.

Dave Gillam said the time is right to bolster SeaKing’s infrastructure to drive the company forward to ensure the company continues to adapt to meet changing customer requirements.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Neil to our team and promote Mark and Rachel,” he said. “The last 10 years has seen SeaKing grow into one of the best-known electrical engineering companies in the maritime industry with a £8m turnover and more than 100 engineers and office staff. But we want to look to the future now and invest in talented people to take SeaKing to the next level. SeaKing has a clear strategy for growth in the naval, commercial marine and superyacht sectors at home and abroad. There are many opportunities for us but we have to keep pace with industry demands. This will be a big part of Neil’s role to ensure we continue to move with the times and have the internal systems and accreditations in place which are expected by key clients like Cammell Laird, BAE, Rolls Royce, the UK MOD, Konsberg and the wider industry.”

Mr Watson joins Birkenhead-based SeaKing after spending more than two decades in senior management. Picture Jason Roberts

SeaKing Chairman Dave Gillam with new managing director Neil Watson outside Birkenhead headquarters. Picture Jason Roberts

Mr Watson said he is excited about his new role and the strategic vision of SeaKing, seeing huge opportunity to capitalise on Seaking’s market position and reputation.

“SeaKing is very well known and respected in the industry,” he said. “I have been impressed by the innovation of its electrical works, the calibre of its clients and how organised the senior management team are. The board is fully behind the growth strategy and willing to invest in it. There is a lot of potential for growth, in maritime and renewables, but we start with our core work in the UK maritime sector and expand from there. Cammell Laird, as a long-standing client and its work with the UK MOD, is obviously very important and I will be spending more time on professionalising SeaKing’s internal processes. SeaKing understands that to go up a level and grow over the next decade it has to add resource to its senior management team. The key is for operations to remain efficient while at the same time evolving with marketplace requirements.”

Martin Sealeaf, Seaking’s CEO said: “I am confident that the appointment of Mark Gillam and Rachel Downey to the board, both with significant industry and company experience rounds off the new board of directors giving the company the mix of expertise it needs to continually develop and improve its services to meet key customer requirements.”

SeaKing Electrical managing director Neil Watson. Picture Jason Roberts

Seaking Electrical was established in April 2001 targeting maintenance and project work for commercial ships, ferries, naval vessels, cruise ships and superyachts. The company now works across Europe, Asia and the Americas covering many market segments of the marine sector. It has employed 43 apprentices in the last 10 years. SeaKing is certified through Bureau Veritas for the ISO9001 and 14001 management standards.

For further details on the SeaKing Group’s services contact T: +44 (0)151 652 4821 E: enq@seakinggroup.co.uk

SeaKing Electrical background

SeaKing Electrical caters for the marine, industrial, commercial, military and offshore markets, specialising in electrical and electronics engineering. It delivers offshore wind market support, marine installations to SOLAS requirements, vessel survey and upgrades system engineering, complete mechanical & electrical packages and software development. It further delivers construction, modification and refurbishment of electrical marine, commercial and industrial control. The firm can offer fault finding and repair automated process control systems, as well as repair or source and supply replacement electric motors, electronic variable speed drives, generators switchgear and PLCs. It has achieved ISO 14001 Environmental management.

SeaKing