Meet the team: CEO Corey Ranslem

In Safety4Sea's special column this month, they host an interview with Mr. Corey Ranslem, CEO, Dryad Global who encourages us to look globally for education, employment, and connections. Read on for the full interview.

How did it come about that you joined shipping industry and your field of expertise specifically?

My path to the maritime and global shipping industry is very interesting. I grew up in the middle of the United States. The majority of my family were farmers. I’ve always loved the water and decided to join the U.S. Coast Guard. After serving eight year with the U.S. Coast Guard I worked for a global defense contractor in their ports, border, and maritime division. I really enjoyed working with our cargo line, cruise line, and port customers and learned a lot about the global shipping industry. I had a background in maritime security, law enforcement and risk intelligence from my time in the Coast Guard so I was keen to continue working in that aspect of the industry.

What about your current job/ role most excites you and why?

I really enjoy the people I work with here at Dryad along with our clients. We have an incredible team creating top tier risk intelligence information and software solutions to help our clients navigate global issues and improve the safety and security of their operations. We have worked really hard over the last few years to build a teams that align with our culture and values. Our people operate at the highest level across multiple time zones without resorting to a traditional, centralized model. We started remote working long before covid an are continually refining the model. I am thrilled whenever I see the team working with independence and autonomy and are able to deliver exactly what we ask without constant monitoring. We ask a lot of our people and we give a lot back through our very flexible working culture.

Who is/was the most influential person/mentor to you & why?

There are a couple of people who have been very influential and supportive in my life. First my mother. She has always been there for me no matter the decisions I’ve made and where I’ve gone. She has also been someone I can talk to who always seem to have a solution. The second person who is important to me is my business mentor, Tom Iyoob. Tom really pushes me to think beyond conventional solutions along with challenging how I look at different situations.

What is the most worthwhile career investment (in energy, time, money) you’ve ever made?

There have been several worthwhile investments in my career including my eight years with the U.S. Coast Guard, and the time I’ve spent traveling the world and meeting with and speaking to clients. Taking the time to meet clients and understand their operations and how we can help them has been extremely worthwhile. We can’t build solutions if we don’t understand what our clients need and how they operate daily.

If you could give a piece of advice to your 18-year-old-self one thing, what would it be and why? What piece of advice should you ignore?

I would tell myself to not be afraid of looking globally for education, employment, and connections.

What would you like to change in the current maritime landscape and your area of expertise specifically and why?

Our team have experience in a wide range of sectors and we all see how far maritime lags in terms of adoption of technology and newer working practices. Some of this is a result of the unique commercial relationships that exist in shipping and some of it stems from the momentum of an ancient craft! I decided to focus on the one aspect that frustrated me while I was at sea; being able to access near real-time information for all things risk management. In doing so it became apparent that the solution to this problem would also solve many other connectivity problems for maritime.

As we look to the future, multi-domain integration and collaboration with partners across government, the private sector and allies is of paramount importance. By better understanding and integration we can better interrogate data, develop cutting edge technology that gives a truly holistic view of the maritime security space. Now more than ever, ensuring the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the security and stability of the global supply chain is or paramount importance.

What is your personal motto?

As an entrepreneur the sanity we find during times of insanity brings clarity and that’s when the game changing ideas are born.

Corey Ranslem, CEO is currently the CEO of Dryad Global, a blended maritime security, risk intelligence and tech company. He assumed the role of CEO in June 2022 after the merger of his company International Maritime Security Associates, INC. (IMSA) and Dryad Global.

Corey and his business partner started IMSA in 2013. He has worked in various aspects of the maritime security industry for the past 28 years in both the public and private sector working with ports, cargo lines, cruise lines and large yachts. He is a recognized maritime expert who is trusted by the U.S. Federal Court to provide his expertise on maritime security and regulatory compliance issues.

Dryad Global helps clients around the world better understand the maritime risks they face and how to mitigate those threats. Dryad Global is also a maritime cybersecurity company that provides solutions to protect the critical ship to shore link while incorporating regulatory compliance. Prior to establishing IMSA Corey spent eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard and worked for a large defence contractor concentrating on maritime and Coast Guard Operations. He holds an MBA in international business from Georgetown University and is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Gary L Rollins Business School at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.