CEYLINE SHIPPING
Q: Could you tell us about Ceyline Shipping and some of the company’s recent milestones…
A: Ceyline Shipping, a subsidiary of the Ceyline Group, is among Sri Lanka’s leading maritime service providers with over 40 years of expertise in crew management, recruitment, training and trusted manning solutions.
As a Seafarers Recruitment and Placement Services (SRPS) licence holder, we manage a pool of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certified Sri Lankan officers and ratings, serving over 25 international clients with nearly 2,000 active seafarers. We are also among the few maritime companies in Sri Lanka to hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.
The Ceyline Group itself is a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning maritime services, education, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics and marine support services.
Our ecosystem includes CINEC Campus, APIIT Sri Lanka, Dankotuwa Porcelain, Suwasevana Hospitals, Mercmarine, MSTS, Starlink One, Ceyline Maritime Services, Oceaneeds, Ceyline Travels, Califolink Logistics, Cey Container Services, Ceyline Engineering and Cargoserv Shipping.
A major recent milestone was the celebration of 40 years of excellence, signalling our ability to evolve with international demands while contributing to Sri Lanka’s economic resilience and human capital development.
Q: How would you define Ceyline’s philosophy?
A: Our strategy is anchored in one clear principle: ‘seafarer first,’ which stems from our belief that seafarers are the backbone of international trade, operating the vessels that transport nearly 90 percent of the world’s goods. Yet, their contribution often goes overlooked.
At Ceyline, we believe the sustainability of the maritime sector depends on supporting seafarers beyond technical competence. Our focus extends past employment to nurturing well-rounded professionals capable of thriving in a demanding environment.
This philosophy is guided by our core values of care, courage and coaction alongside a strong commitment to integrity, transparency and ethical business practices through our anti-bribery and anticorruption policies.
Today, seafarer wellbeing has become a pressing concern driven by prolonged periods away from family, mental health pressures, operational stress and post-pandemic challenges. We take this responsibility very seriously with wellbeing initiatives personally overseen at the highest level of management.
To support professional and personal development, we have introduced structured soft skills and behavioural training programmes at our in-house academy in Bolgoda under a global resource management license from ALL Academy in Sweden – making us the only manning company in Sri Lanka to receive this recognition.
The training programmes focus on leadership, teamwork, adaptability, multicultural awareness and emotional intelligence – qualities that are increasingly important in maritime operations.
We have also introduced wellbeing training to help seafarers build financial security while our seafarer loyalty programme recognises long serving seafarers through benefits such as priority airport lounge access and enhanced welfare support.
Ultimately, we believe seafarers must be supported as valued professionals deserving continuous investment, recognition, dignity and care.
Q: How do you support seafarers beyond recognition days?
A: We recognise both the International Day of the Seafarer (25 June) and Sri Lanka’s National Seafarers’ Day (21 March) as important reminders of the role seafarers play in sustaining trade and economic stability.
Our commitment extends year-round through structured wellbeing, training, engagement and welfare initiatives supported by a dedicated annual budget.
We also run awards and recognition programmes that honour the sacrifice, dedication and contribution of our seafarers and their families, alongside a strengthened seafarer loyalty programme that provides ongoing welfare support.
Q: What is Sri Lanka’s position in the global maritime sector?
A: Sri Lanka holds a respected position as a source of high quality seafarers with officers and ratings known for their discipline, adaptability and technical competence. The next step is to become a value added human capital partner to the worldwide maritime sector, which requires investment in education, training standards and institutional development.
In this regard, we develop leadership qualities among maritime students across Sri Lankan universities and training institutes. Through engagement with students, cadets and young professionals, we promote leadership, responsibility, communication, professional ethics and technical competence.
At Ceyline Shipping, we work with over 25 international shipowners and ship management companies, viewing these relationships as long-term strategic partnerships, while ensuring discipline, compliance and professionalism remain non-negotiable.
Q: How is Ceyline addressing diversity and inclusion in the maritime arena?
A: Diversity and inclusion are integral to our organisational culture with women making up over 50 percent of our workforce across operational and leadership roles.
We promote women’s participation through our Maritime SheEO initiative, which focusses on leadership development, empowerment and breaking structural barriers both at sea and ashore. Our women seafarers demonstrate exceptional capability, helping reshape perceptions of maritime careers and inspiring greater inclusion in the sector.
Q: What is your outlook for the future of the maritime sector?
A: The future of the sector will be shaped by digital transformation, sustainability and human capital development. While technology will enhance efficiency, people will remain central to safety, trust and performance.
Our vision is to build future ready institutions that strengthen Sri Lanka’s position in maritime services by producing well trained and happy seafarers who meet international standards and client expectations.
– Compiled by Prashanthi Cooray
COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone: 4511052 | Email: info@ceyline.lk | Website: www.ceyline-group.lk
