Giselle helps to keep Dryad’s growth under control
In an ideal world, Dryad Maritime Intelligence Services wouldn’t need to exist. But while piracy continues to pose such a massive threat to commercial and private shipping, it’s a good job that it does.
The Portsmouth-based business was formed in 2008 by former Royal Navy officer Graeme Gibbon Brooks. During his 13 years in the Royal Navy, where he served as a Principal Warfare Officer and Mine Warfare Clearance Diver, he had witnessed first-hand the impact that a lack of commercially-available intelligence was having on the world’s merchant fleet.
Identifying there was a void between naval protection and the merchant fleet’s abilities to mitigate the risks themselves, Graeme set up Dryad Maritime to provide the intelligence that would enable crews to protect themselves better against the rising level of crimes at sea.
Today more than 5,000 vessels at sea in the commercial shipping, super yacht and leisure industries receive Dryad’s daily flash incident and advisory reports which help to safeguard the commercial interests of countless organisations worldwide and contribute directly to the Safety of Lives at Sea (SOLAS).
From a one-man band in 2008, the company has since quadrupled its turnover and now employs 25 people, almost all of whom are ex-Navy. Karen Jacques, the COO, is a former Navy navigator and has significant insight into the effective presentation of information to officers on watch.
EMC’s Giselle Barrowcliffe has been working as an advisor to the company since early 2010, assisting the management team during its major growth phase which has recently included relocation to a new high-tech operations centre which is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Dryad’s ability to provide high grade intelligence with military precision and style, but with a commercial focus, has attracted many high profile clients from commercial shipping, world-leading commodities companies to oil and gas providers and super yachts. The company is also advisor to The Volvo Ocean Race, the most prestigious round-the-world crewed yacht race in the world.
Giselle said: “As is often the case in a high growth situation, cash has been a focus of attention. But the fact that the majority of the board are ex-Naval has made implementing the necessary processes more straightforward than in many companies.
“It seems that military training, coupled with the right commercial outlook, may be the key to effective planning and monitoring.”
Giselle has helped the board to introduce processes which ensure that the financial progress of the company is fully understood. The company business plan leads into an annual budget process.
She said: “Of course, in such a fast moving business, the budget is really just a line in the sand and therefore quarterly forecasts are also used. In addition there is a weekly sales review which updates the company sales funnel and a cash review including a detailed look at debtors and creditors. This, coupled with comprehensive monthly management accounts and a process to review all the information, has been the key to controlled growth of the company.
“It has also reassured everyone involved that when decisions are taken, they are affordable and fit with the company strategy and tactics.
“We are all exceptionally keen to avoid surprises, either good or bad, and having these processes in place means that Dryad is fully equipped to deal with high-class problems such as servicing new transformational contracts.”
Graeme Gibbon Brooks expects 2012 in Dryad to be “like being strapped into a rocket, which is fine as long as the rocket is well constructed.”
EMC is proud to have been part of that construction. Who says it isn’t rocket science?