Managing risk

Risk Management is an integral part of Western Bulk’s corporate DNA. More than just a set of theoretical models, reports and administrative procedures, risk management has become a way of thinking and a pivotal component of our culture. We constantly re-think our business, challenge our methods, refine our tools and systems, and adapt to any significant changes in the market to achieve the goals we set.

2008 onwards have offered all risk models and risk management teams the test of their lifetime. We are proud that our risk management infrastructure has contributed to our good results over the last few years:

Commercial departments are continuously held accountable for the exposures in their business units, and for changes to the value of their contract portfolios

Top management maintains constant attention to risk management issues

We strive to be responsive and frequently develop new measures and reports, to focus on the risk factors we believe are particularly relevant in the prevailing market situation

Risk Management is fully integrated in the commercial decision making process, and is appreciated and endorsed by all

Value at Risk (VaR) is our most important risk measurement and capital allocation tool, giving clearly defined limits on risk taking for the business units. We use daily real time M2M valuations, but we also apply stress tests, Cash Flow at Risk and counterpart risk measures. Our VaR model includes bunker price risk, geographical risk and takes account of cargo/vessel specifics. The Risk Department employs eight full time staff and is based in Singapore.

Business Units

Dry bulk shipping

We are a leading dry bulk shipping company with a commercially controlled fleet of over 120 ships. Western Bulk AS was established in 1982... — Read more

Dry bulk shipping

We are a leading dry bulk shipping company with a commercially controlled fleet of over 120 ships. Western Bulk AS was established in 1982 and is a dry bulk operator and owner in the Handysize, Supramax and Panamax segment (30-75,000 dwt), offering reliable, high-quality dry bulk transport solutions to customers worldwide. We are risk aware, approachable and… — Read more

Worldwide

We are a global shipping company with eight Business Units located in Oslo, Singapore, Seattle, Santiago and Monaco. We strongly believe... — Read more

Worldwide

We are a global shipping company with eight Business Units located in Oslo, Singapore, Seattle, Santiago and Monaco. We strongly believe that by having hands-on, local knowledge we are better able to service the needs of our industrial clients. Our presence in key locations enables us to follow the local and regional market trends in an efficient way, … — Read more