All movement in the world will continue indefinitely. The waves will rise and fall, the tides will ebb and flow, and the sea will shift as a result of lunar forces. Below the waves, the water currents form invisible highways that connect different parts of the planet. These principles reflect a similar reality for those organizations and individuals involved in shipping cargo between countries.
Just as the speed of movement, timing, and geography in shipping is constantly changing, so is every aspect of shipping (packing, tracking, delivery, etc.) and the maritime industry gradually evolving. As a result, maritime executives must be able to read the movements of the ocean and their corresponding movement in shipping before they actually occur. They must be able to move and position themselves at the exact point that the ocean will take them in a given period of time, rather than at the point where the ocean has already taken them.
The time is now for maritime executives to lead their organizations to succeed at this type of leadership because geopolitical issues, environmental issues, and new technologies are compelling the maritime industry to evolve. Successful maritime leaders must think like chess masters who consider multiple moves at once, and they must be the type of creative, innovative leaders who have a vision for how to be successful in the future. A game changing trailblazer such as Sundeep Sibal fits this profile perfectly.
The Man Behind the Regional Powerhouse
Sundeep leads Regional Head Ocean Network Express (ONE) West Asia Region, commanding a maritime network that stretches across 23 countries. His territory reads like a geography lesson in global commerce- the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and East Africa. These aren’t just dots on a map. They’re living, breathing trade arteries where ancient Silk Road traditions meet modern container shipping, where emerging economies sprint forward alongside established markets, and where every leadership decision ripples across continents.
ONE itself is a heavyweight in global shipping. Headquartered in Singapore, the company operates over 260 vessels with a combined capacity exceeding 2 million TEUs, serving more than 120 countries. But ONE doesn’t just move containers across oceans. The company orchestrates a symphony of logistics, ocean transport, rail connections, barge movements, and truck deliveries, all working in concert. From consumer electronics to pharmaceuticals, from industrial machinery to perishable foods, ONE handles it all through specialized containers designed for every shipping challenge imaginable.
Dubai: More Than Just a Pin on the Map
Dubai sits at a geographic sweet spot, the natural crossroads of the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and East Africa. For Sundeep, this location solves a problem that plagues many regional operations: time zones. With Dubai as the nerve center, his team can make real-time decisions across all 23 countries simultaneously. No more waiting for morning in Mumbai while evening approaches in Mombasa. The UAE’s world-class port infrastructure and mature logistics ecosystem provide the stable foundation needed for coordinating complex regional operations.
Sundeep saw something deeper in Dubai than just longitude and latitude. He recognized the city’s cultural magnetism- a place where you hear a dozen languages in a single elevator ride, where business gets done across cultural boundaries with remarkable fluidity. Dubai’s neutrality and transparent regulatory environment allow ONE’s regional headquarters to operate as a trusted partner across the diverse West Asia landscape, from conservative markets to rapidly liberalizing economies.
Sundeep was instrumental in setting up ONE’s West Asia Regional Headquarters in Dubai, as part of ONE’s strategic direction, which commenced operations in April 2024. The city’s digital and physical connectivity accelerates everything. Coordination within the region becomes faster, approvals happen quicker, cross-border compliance is simplified, and strategic pivots are executed with agility. In shipping, where delays cost millions and opportunities vanish overnight, this operational speed becomes a competitive advantage.
Seeing Around Corners
Ask most shipping executives about their strategy, and they’ll talk about optimizing existing routes, improving vessel utilization, and reducing costs. Sundeep thinks differently.
His approach centers on business forecasting. Sundeep developed an internal metric that aggregates leading indicators most executives overlook: subtle shifts in commodity movements, infrastructure investments that signal future capacity, and geopolitical agreements that hint at new trade partnerships. By staying physically close to markets and maintaining direct customer relationships, his team spots patterns early, enabling ONE to position vessels and allocate sales resources not where demand exists today, but where it will emerge tomorrow.
This forward-thinking approach drove Sundeep to explore growth opportunities within the Intra-West Asia region itself, not just trans-oceanic routes. He’s expanding inland corridor connectivity, strengthening the vital links between ports and inland destinations. Recent service launches across India, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia validate this strategy. Customer uptake has been strong, proving that Sundeep’s team identified real demand before it became obvious to the broader market.
Green Shipping Isn’t Optional Anymore
Sundeep doesn’t treat sustainability as a public relations exercise or a compliance checkbox. Under his leadership, ONE operates with a clear decarbonization slogan: “ONE Mission: Zero Emission.” But he’s pragmatic about it. Sustainability must deliver business results- improved profitability, operational resilience, and enhanced reputation, or it’s just greenwashing.
ONE is procuring dual fuel vessels that can burn cleaner alternatives to traditional bunker fuel. The company installs aerodynamic enhancements like bow windshields that reduce drag and fuel consumption. Digital voyage optimization tools analyze weather patterns, ocean currents to plot the most efficient routes. These aren’t feel-good initiatives, they’re engineering solutions that cut emissions while strengthening operational performance.
Sundeep also recognizes that ONE can’t decarbonize in isolation. He actively partners with customers on their climate goals, expanding deployment of ONE LEAF+, the company’s green shipping solution. ONE LEAF+ uses low emission fuels and provides third-party verified carbon reduction certificates, helping customers track Scope 3 emissions accurately. He seeks customers willing to commit cargo volumes to greener vessels, aligning their demand with ONE’s fleet strategy. Sustainability becomes mutual benefit, not unilateral sacrifice.
His commitment is straightforward: minimize environmental harm, create sustainable value, and lead the regional shift toward low-carbon shipping. No heroic promises, just steady progress.
Digital Without the Disruption
Digital transformation terrifies many traditional industries, and shipping has more tradition than most. Sundeep approaches digitization not as a revolution but evolution. He views digital tools as enablers that improve reliability, not threats that undermine it.
His priority is to effectively operationalize our e-commerce and analytics platforms that empower ONE’s teams to deliver personalized, data-driven service. The goal is predictive service- anticipating customer needs before they articulate them, offering tailored solutions proactively rather than reacting to problems. He wants customers managing their entire shipment process through intuitive digital platforms, having complete visibility and control at their fingertips.
But here’s Sundeep’s crucial insight: you can’t force-march customers into digital adoption. When ONE introduces new platforms, booking portals, container tracking APIs, automated documentation systems, Sundeep ensures traditional support channels remain fully operational. Customers still have access to phone support, email assistance, and dedicated Key Account Managers. This parallel approach reduces friction, maintains trust, and gives customers time to adopt digital tools at their own pace.
Through strategic technology adoption, Sundeep optimizes every aspect of shipping, port operations, vessel routing, and last-mile delivery, while keeping environmental stewardship and customer satisfaction front and center.
Unity Across 23 Countries
Mapping teams across 23 countries is not easy. Different languages, cultures, regulatory environments, market conditions, and customer expectations. How do you maintain coherence without crushing local responsiveness? Sibal’s answer: “Shared Vision, Decentralized Execution.”
He empowers country managers with autonomy. They understand the strategic priorities flowing from the regional office, but they possess the authority to navigate local challenges using their market knowledge. This approach acknowledges reality- the West Asia region is too complex and diverse for one-size-fits-all solutions. Country managers make informed decisions on the ground because, as Sundeep says, “As ONE, We Can.”
To drive regional synergy, Sundeep has encouraged cross market mobility, designed to cultivate a versatile and globally-minded workforce. High-performing managers move across countries, leading different operations and building cross-cultural competency. This approach develops regional capability while strengthening cultural bonds across ONE’s network.
ONE’s eight Core Values provide the cultural glue. These values guide daily decisions and long-term strategy, creating consistency across geographies while allowing local flexibility. The values anchor organizational identity and reinforce the belief that united efforts achieve exceptional results.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
When Sundeep reflects on his career, he expresses pride in the decisive actions that fuelled ONE’s expansion and created the West Asia region. If he could revisit any decision, he wouldn’t change direction; he’d simply accelerate execution. His fundamental framework is straightforward: once you have high-quality insight, execute with speed and conviction.
Leadership isn’t just about choosing the right path. It’s about clearing obstacles so your team can run that path at full speed. This principle shapes how Sundeep operates today.
Looking ahead, Sundeep recognizes that maritime leadership has fundamentally shifted from managing stability to mastering volatility. His focus encompasses three dimensions: expanding high-potential markets across West Asia, delivering agile customer-centric solutions, and anticipating geopolitical trends.
The Current Runs Deep
Container shipping’s future demands bold vision, and under Sundeep’s leadership, ONE is actively shaping global trade in ways that impact real economies and communities. His work demonstrates that modern maritime leadership requires more than operational excellence. It demands the courage to transform, the wisdom to anticipate change, and the conviction to act decisively when windows of opportunity crack open.
The ocean keeps moving. Trade routes shift. Markets and Technology evolve. In this relentless current, leaders like Sundeep prove that success comes from building future ready ecosystems that reflect the changing reality of global commerce. His leadership in West Asia shows that when vision meets execution, when strategy meets agility, when global scale meets local insight, something remarkable happens. Sundeep states, “You don’t just navigate change; you create it. And that makes all the difference”.
