CEO Insights Magazine

In the dynamic and rapidly evolving maritime industry in Asia, effective leadership is essential to drive growth, navigate complexity, and capture both local and global opportunities. Yulin Ma, CEO of Junma Services, exemplifies this excellence. Starting his career as an engineer specializing in shipbuilding and marine engines, Yulin amassed two decades of experience, across multiple roles at leading engine manufacturers. With this bedrock of deep technical expertise, Yulin then transitioned to business leadership. He initially launched Junma Services as a one-man operation, handling everything from invoicing to customer relations. Over time, his attitude to be 'on the customer side' got paid off. The company earned customers' trust through 24/7 free support, capability to solve complex problems and quick response from both engineers and spares; Yulin transformed Junma Services from a consulting firm into a comprehensive, one-stop shop for marine engine maintenance, providing complete service to clients' holistic needs'.

This led to many strategic wins. For example, as a pioneer in the industry, Junma Services was the first to introduce bundled services, offering a single point of contact for engine-related needs, including maintenance, repairs, and spare parts, all fully guaranteed. Another example is how while many companies faced disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Yulin's strategic decision to form a joint venture in China allowed Junma to continue operations seamlessly. Today, he drives the company forward by focusing on cutting-edge projects like EEXI compliance and decarbonization.

In a recent interview with CEO Insights Asia, Yulin shared his strategies, future roadmap, and vision for the company.

How have your experiences been helpful in bringing strategic insight & governance expertise to lead Junma Services?

My two decades of experience have instilled in me a deep and valuable understanding of our sector. We have honed our ability to tackle complex challenges for our clients. Many of our clients come to Junma Services after unsuccessful results with other companies, and we’ve earned their confidence by delivering efficient, all-in-one solutions.

How would you describe your leadership approach? What are the methodologies you follow as a leader?

The foundation of my leadership style is rooted in a customer-first philosophy. I believe that enduring customer trust is crucially dependent on whether we understand and can resolve their concerns. We take full responsibility for the services we provide, offering guarantees and support to solve any issues.

Additionally, I also place a high value on emphasizing continuous learning, both for myself and my team. We routinely publish internal and external circulars outlining the many lessons we’ve learnt through feedback to ensure our continued dedication to excellence. My objective is to create an atmosphere where our staff and clients feel appreciated, encouraged, and secured in our capacity to perform.

How do you keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends?

I actively participate in seminars, conferences, and updates to stay informed about market trends and regulatory changes, which helps keep me up to speed. My initial priorities were servicing, maintenance, and troubleshooting for our clients. But I’ve since expanded beyond that, as keeping a pulse on future developments for the sector is equally important.

For example, when the IMO standards of 2020 mandated that ships utilize low-sulfur fuel, many of them experienced issues with damaged rings and cylinder liners. We worked hard to comprehend these difficulties and were the first to offer clients advice on how to use cylinder oil correctly and deal with these problems. We invested in cutting-edge machinery to analyze under piston scrap down oil, which enabled us to solve issues quickly and efficiently. Even though we are not an engine manufacturer, we are proud to create our own solution in response to the EEXI and EPL, which helped many ship owners in IMO EEXI compliance.

What is the future roadmap you have envisioned?

I will continue to push the frontiers of innovation in our sector. We are developing and testing state-of-the-art solutions in close collaboration with research partners and engine manufacturers.

With the help of our cutting-edge engine efficiency solutions, we are spearheading the maritime decarbonization movement. We are able to lower CO2 emissions significantly while boosting fuel efficiency because of our focus on engine D-rating and eVIT optimization. Through the improvement of part-load performance and tailor-made engine D-rating based on EPL level, one case study we performed showed that for a 6,600 TEU container vessel, the D-rating is able to save around 5,000 tons of fuel annually, equivalent to about 18,300 tons of CO2 emission reduction. Apart from that, the customer will have also accrued sizable commercial gains with the ROI (return over investment) as short as one year. This is just one of many innovations we are working on to offer clients both environmental and financial benefits.

Considering your strong professional experience, what would be your advice to budding industry leaders?

I would tell them to put the trust of their customers first. Long-term success for a service business depends on meeting client needs and always providing top-notch support. Gaining and retaining the trust of your clients is essential if you want to thrive in this field.

Yulin Ma, CEO, Junma Services

Yulin Ma graduated from Harbin Engineering University with a bachelor's degree in Marine Diesel Engines. He has over two decades of expertise in maritime engineering and has held positions as an engineer at Dalian Maritime Diesel Works, Jurong Shipyard, and was also the Superintendent Engineer at MAN Diesel A/S.

Hobbies: Swimming, Going for a Walk

Favorite Travel Destination: Denmark, South Africa

Awards & Recognition: COECOM 2012-13 Singapore Top 20 Maritime equipment and Supplies, Singapore Maritime Distinguished Awards 2014, Asia Business Outlook Top 10 Ship Repair and Maintenance Companies in Singapore 2023.