As Senior Market Data Analyst for the UK Shipping Concierge, Susannah Finlay turns complex data into insight, maintaining the UK’s competitive edge amid an increasingly fast-moving global shipping industry.
From the devices in our hands to the goods arriving at our doorstep, global shipping underpins everyday life. At the heart of this crucial system is data.
For Senior Market Data Analyst Susannah Finlay, turning data into insight isn’t just a job – it’s what drives the UK’s ability to compete on the global shipping stage. “My role is around being aware and scanning the maritime market and landscape for what’s happening among commercial shipping operators here in the UK and across the globe,” she says.
Susannah’s insight helps the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and wider government understand where the UK can compete, and where it needs to adapt.
“I might be looking into tonnage tax, or economic policies that attract shipping to the UK; comparing these with policies in countries like Sweden or Norway, looking into what we can learn from the wider global shipping market,” she adds.
With an MA in International Shipping and experience working in distribution and logistics for a major domestic retailer, Susannah’s attention to detail brings a strong lens to analysing data and developing insight for policymakers.
It’s work that sits largely behind the scenes with an impact that’s far-reaching; blending commercial awareness with data analysis to track a rapidly evolving industry.
Having previously worked for the MCA as an analyst, Susannah returned earlier this year to take up her role with the UK Shipping Concierge, building on her expertise in the UK flag and the maritime environment.
She says: “I’m drawn to shipping because it’s a hidden world that keeps everything ticking. It’s where my passion lies, and it still fascinates me to see how amazingly dynamic the industry is, and how quickly it adapts. Being able to turn insight into something actionable that leads to real outcomes, like attracting new business to the UK, is really rewarding.”
Susannah’s work provides an ‘inside track’ on vessel operators, from major fleets to smaller and more bespoke operations.
Is an operator exploring methanol as a fuel source, or are they looking at wind propulsion? What about their fleet composition or the turnover of their seafarers and staff? It’s answers to questions like these that help policy makers understand where the UK can truly compete among a global market.
Susannah says: “Operators want to know what else is on offer – for the UK, that could be our excellent record in training seafarers or decarbonisation. Data helps shape conversations with industry, inform strategy and support decisions around growth across UK shipping”.
She added: “That might be attracting new business to the UK; identifying exactly where operators could invest or harness innovation happening in the UK right now.”
