The 2025 edition of the Clarksons Dry Cargo Shipping Diploma (CDCSD), also known as The Jon Marshall Lectures, welcomed 35 participants for a week of industry insights and collaboration. Held at our flagship London office, the course was attended by nine of our trainee brokers, from Athens, London, Delhi, Tokyo, Geneva, Singapore, and representatives of 22 clients visiting from across five continents.
Now in its 13th year, the CDCSD has earned a reputation for delivering high-impact learning that blends theory with practice. The 2025 programme was no exception, offering participants a comprehensive overview of the dry cargo market, commercial operations, legal frameworks, sustainability challenges, and data-driven decision-making.
Led by Course Director Alex Gray and Clarksons Learning and Development Advisor Malcolm Willingale, the diploma featured contributions from senior Clarksons leaders and external experts, ensuring a strong and varied learning experience. From market analysis and freight strategy to negotiation techniques and legal essentials, the sessions were designed to challenge assumptions, spark discussion, and deepen understanding.
One of the programme’s defining features is its emphasis on collaboration and applied learning. Throughout the week, participants engaged in interactive workshops, panel discussions, and group exercises that mirrored real-world commercial scenarios.
The Dragons’ Den challenge, a cornerstone of the diploma, encouraged teams to develop and pitch a deployment strategy for a fleet of capes, panamax, kamsarmax, ultras and supra vessels. This year’s ‘dragons” comprised Alex, S&P Divisional Director Fred Engelbach, Panamax Broker Hamish Ferguson and Head of New Business Development Denny Sabah. After a keenly fought competition, the winning team included representatives from Roy Hill, Ultrabulk, Norden, Ezz Steel and Cosco.
This year’s Rob Byrne memorial prize was awarded to the team performing best in the FFA exercise. The winning team included client representatives of Oldendorff, Pacific Basin, Diana Shipping, Interocean and Koch. The Jon Marhsall memorial award was won by Mathias Schroder of Ultrabulk.
Reflecting on the success of this year’s course, which attracted a record attendance, Malcolm Willingale highlighted that:
We’re delighted to welcome 20 new trainees to our 2025 Global Trainee Broker Programme, joining us from eight international offices across: Connecticut, Dubai, Hamburg, London, New York, Oslo, Singapore, Tokyo.
In mid October we welcomed participants to Clarksons’ London headquarters for Tanker Week (TW) —our annual five-day programme designed to equip employees and clients with essential knowledge for navigating the global tanker industry.
This year’s Dry Cargo Shipping Diploma, held at Commodity Quay now in its 12th year, was attended by 30 participants - our largest group to date. The one-week programme is available to Clarksons employees and clients who are in the early stages of their careers.
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