An Interview with Bülent Yildiz, Director of Business Development at Dragon Marine Service
How did you come to shipping?
I grew up by the sea, spending my free time swimming and fishing. A neighbor studying at a maritime school encouraged me to apply, and the combination of adventure, structure, and good career prospects convinced me it was the right choice. I completed my maritime education in Istanbul in 2002 and started as a deck cadet. Over the next twelve years I advanced from third officer to captain, spending about twelve years at sea.
By 2012 I decided to come ashore to focus on family life, marriage and children are hard to balance with long months at sea. I joined BeÅiktaÅ Shipping as Deputy Manager of Purchasing and Insurance, later becoming Manager overseeing purchasing, insurance, and logistics. Later I founded and run my own spare-parts and technical-services company for 5 years before joining Dragon Marine. For the past two years I’ve been leading sales and marketing team of six, managing global spare-parts sales, supplier coordination, and cross-office marketing.
How was the life at sea?
Life on board used to be more human, less paperwork, more time in port, and a stronger sense of connection. Ships often stayed ten or even twenty days in harbor, giving crews a chance to experience local culture and food. Today, with optimization and tight schedules, ships load and discharge within a day or two, often at remote terminals far from cities. Work is now dominated by process, documentation and compliance. These rules may improve safety, but they have stripped away much of the joy and spontaneity that once defined seafaring. The overall quality of crew has declined worldwide. We hear more about tension and even violence on board. The profession increasingly attracts individuals who are less social or find life ashore difficult. They see the sea as isolation rather than adventure, which makes teamwork harder. After the pandemic, shortages pushed wages up, drawing in newcomers without maritime education and further weakening discipline. The job may pay better, but the spirit of the sea, the pride, camaraderie, and sense of belonging, has faded. Still, the sea teaches discipline, patience, and humility. What I miss most is discovering new cultures: hearing that our next port was somewhere unfamiliar always excited me. What I liked least were restrictive or unsafe ports, spending 10 days alongside without being allowed ashore felt suffocating. Every voyage was a lottery between freedom and confinement.
What is the main challenge in ship supply?
The hardest part is coordinating between moving ships and stationary offices. Requests usually come to the office, which must then locate and deliver parts. That gap causes delay. Ship supply requires delivering the right product, at the right place, at the right time, and at the right price. Ports differ widely in capability. A vessel bound for Australia, for instance, cannot rely on local manufacturing, so we often source parts elsewhere and fly them in under tight customs and time constraints. Precision logistics and foresight are everything, the art is aligning moving operations with fixed infrastructure.
What makes someone effective here?
For buyers, planning is essential. Ship managers should forecast maintenance and equipment needs months ahead rather than sending last-minute “urgent” requests. That keeps operations smoother, even if owners dislike holding stock. For suppliers, speed and accuracy matter most. Understanding exactly what the customer needs and knowing where to find it quickly determines success. If five suppliers receive the same inquiry, the one replying within a few hours will almost always win. Every hour counts.
How do you make a difference now?
Dragon Marine was founded in 2004 in China by Mr. Numan Akbas, Turkish entrepreneur. At the time, shipbuilding and repair were shifting eastward, his fluency in Chinese and understanding of both markets helped connect Turkish shipowners with local suppliers and shipyards. Over 22 years the company has become a trusted global partner known for fast, reliable, 24/7 service. Today we are expanding to 20 offices worldwide. The company recently invested huge amount for biggest spare part stockiest in Asia, signed worldwide partnership agreement for sales and service for well-known makers Our vision is to evolve to full-scope maritime solutions partner with our own production & global reach.
How is technology reshaping ship supply industry?
Many procurement teams now include people from non-maritime backgrounds who understand purchasing but not how vessels operate. Without that context, even the best tools underperform. At Dragon Marine we use platforms such as MagicPort to check vessel data, verify sanctions status, and locate agents or suppliers in unfamiliar ports. These tools let us validate clients instantly, avoid compliance risks, and respond more quickly. The industry needs better port-level visibility, live information on what can be supplied and customs restrictions. Greater transparency in China’s supplier base would also be valuable. The goal is fully integrated digital ecosystem where we can identify a part, verify its quality and deliver it on time.
