The Husbandry Agent

Name: Juno Toki
Job: Husbandry agent in Wilhelmsen Port Services
Previous job before Wilhelmsen: Dyson 
Works where: Tokyo, Japan
Lives: Yokohama, Japan 

Ships coming to Japan, calling any port in the country, will want to contact Juno and her team. Medical evacuation, new spare parts, crew change, cash – fixing anything is Juno’s job. She became a husbandry agent because she started to ask questions and kept wanting to learn. After work she goes to the boxing gym and clears her mind. Read about, possibly, the most email- and phone call intensive job in Wilhelmsen.  

Coming from UK manufacturing company Dyson, Juno spent her early working years before joining Wilhelmsen mostly translating and adapting international products to Japan. Juno grew up in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, attending British schools. “At Dyson we unboxed and tested new things all the time, helping the company launch products in Japan”. Longing for a more knowledge-based job, she started looking for a place where she could learn.  

Asking WHY got the ball rolling 

Joining Wilhelmsen Ships Service in 2013 opened a whole new world for Juno. A literal global world of shipping. Tasked to sell products to the merchant fleet, she quickly learned about the well-known products and Ships Service brands needed to operate large vessels, and Juno found herself drawn into the many aspects of the maritime industry. “I kept needing to find additional information on port regulations, restrictions, possibilities, local challenges, and kept asking colleagues from Port Services for help. They were so knowledgeable about where and how our products were used, and I found this intriguing”. Juno left Ships Service after fun and educational years, and joined Wilhelmsen Port Services in 2018, in what was a smooth and supportive process transferring from one Wilhelmsen company to another.  

Starting in a new position within such a knowledge-based community had its steep learning curve for Juno and required a lot of patience to gradually piece it all together. “Putting yourself in a challenging situation can be overwhelming and uncomfortable, but once you taste the growth and achievement, it’s surprising how you want to further examine yourself.” 

Gloves on 

Ships call ports around the clock, every day, all year. Juno’s phone and email buzzes nonstop. She primarily does her work from the Wilhelmsen Tokyo office, with so-called subagents handling local work at each port. “We give instructions to the subagent, with language often being a key component since some locals are not fluent in English and struggle onboard the arriving vessels”. Every port call has its own nature, every ship has different needs. Work never stops. But Juno leaves the office knowing the team, partners, the processes, it all works and plans are carefully laid out to tackle all arriving vessels.  

Once out of the office, Juno hits the gym and boxes. “In good periods, I box at least three times a week. It started as a fitness project and easily grew to a passion”. Juno uses boxing to gauge her wellbeing, seeing how she catches her breath and rhythm based on the stress level in her life is at any given time. “Hitting a sandbag resets my body and mind, it really helps. After work I can be tired and going home seems like a good idea. But the enjoyment and benefits of boxing are more meaningful than skipping the gym”.  

It’s always a sandbag. She tried boxing against other people, but it felt wrong, it wasn’t for her.  

Mom and pop shops 

Husbandry services are done all over the world, by a variety of global and sometimes local companies. Why are customers choosing Wilhelmsen when local agents often offer the same services at a cheaper rate? “It’s about the people. Port regulations, those we can’t change or control, and we all make the same arrangements. The difference is how clear people do things”.  

Juno knows of many examples where port agency companies guide customers to immediate and locally beneficial solutions, where thinking what’s best for the customer isn’t happening. “We even sometimes advice our customers to call ports in Korea because the particular challenge is solved just as well, but at more affordable prices there. We always consider what is best for the customer, and we know how things work in a large geographical areas, and that sets us apart.“  

Because Juno isn’t afraid to ask questions, she usually drills into even an urgent spare part order from a calling vessel. “Asking why a vessel urgently needs such a specific part has sometimes led to the owner explaining that the vessel is planned to be sold and therefore needs important updates before the deal. Our expertise in either selling or buying a vessel kicks in, and we can help our customers far beyond simply replacing the urgent spare part they originally asked for”.  

Networks 

Growing up in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and speaking impeccable British English, Juno naturally and easily operates within a global operation. On a recent trip to Europe, meeting Greek customers was a highlight. “These are people I have spoken to on the phone for years, seen their faces on calls, and to finally meet them in real life was fantastic”. Juno participated in the Lysaker Experience where she met with senior executives at the Wilhelmsen head office in Norway. Afterwards she flew to Greece to meet key long-time customers. “It’s the people around me that allows me to create the best teamwork. Building people relationships takes time but when you see the growth within you and your team, it makes it more exciting, and you want to aim higher. Building people relationships is not only within Wilhelmsen but with our local sub agents and towards our customers as well.” 

The husbandry team in Japan, led by Juno, handles close to 2,000 port calls per year. Each and every customer meets an experienced and service minded group Wilhelmsen employees. And little do the customers know, that they are sometimes talking to a Japanese hobby boxer who grew up in Singapore and knows the maritime industry inside and out after years of asking questions, and years of constantly learning.  

  

Interests 

What does your YouTube look like?
Mukbang videos of eating ramen 

Media consumption 

Reading now: Think like a Monk
Listening to just now: Maroon 5 (preparing for the concert in 5 days!) 
Watching now: Squid game 〇△▢  

Honestly: 

What is your guilty pleasure?
Eating Ice cream in a hot tub
What is your favourite sound?
The sizzling sound of grilled meat
If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Singapore Chicken Rice from Maxwell Food court
What is the most useless talent you have?
I can sew a pair of trousers using a sewing machine within 15 sec (gained from my UNIQLO job experience) 



From left: Juno, Tsuyoshi Nakao (cruise operator), Raita Miki (dry operator), Futoshi Imazeki (tanker operator), Takashi Kameda (husbandry operator), Ryota Matsuo (cruise operator) 

From Left, Yuri Ishiguro (Husbandry operator), Menae Maeba (Japan CSA) , Me, Natsuki Ikushima (Tanker operator)