The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 1

Welcome to the first in a series of podcasts recorded at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 in Malmo, Sweden.

The event brought together several big hitters from the world of ships and shipping and your hosts Nigel Thompson and Alistair Eagles spoke to many.

Arguably few have as much experience as Peder Gellert. Until 2022 he was the executive vice president of DFDS shipping, a company he first joined in 1994.

Now a consultant and still very much involved in shipping, he presented a State of the Industry at the sold-out summit.

He showed how shipping is still facing a challenge when it comes to encouraging more to take traffic off the roads and how price and reliability is what drives people to choose ferries.

You can hear his thoughts in this episode.

One of those listening to Peder was the CEO of Brittany Ferries, Christophe Mathieu who told us about the company’s fleet renewal programme, recovery from Covid and plans for the future.

And we spent time with Bo-Lennart Thorbjornsson, co-founded of the summit and team member Mike Louagie who edits the newsletter that accompanies the event.

Thanks to them for the invitation to attend and to you for downloading the first of five episodes we made during out time in Malmo.

Subscribe now to be sure of hearing the next one first!

We hope you enjoy the podcast and if you would like to hear more stories of ships and shipping and would be interested in sponsoring an episode or short series in 2026, get in touch.

Show notes:

2025 presentation download

Details of the Ferry Shipping Summit 2026

Podcast contents:

2-4' minutes Setting the scene in Sweden

4 minutes Meet Bo-Lennart Thorbjornsson, co-founder of the summit

8 minutes Mike Lougie is part of the team and the man whose editor of the newsletter that accompanies the event. A photographer, lecturer and journalist he tells us how they go about planning the summit.

10 minutes Peder Geller was until 2022 Executive Vice President of DFDS. He’s still very much involved in shipping as a consultant and has been part of the industry since the 1990s.12 minutes Why is the market static?

16 minutes When does he think the market for new ships will improve?

21 minutes We reflect on Peder's interview

24 minutes Among those no doubt listening intently to Peder's presentation was the Chief Executive of Brittany Ferries Christophe Mathieu. He told us about the effects the pandemic, Brexit and a host of other challenges has had on Brittany Ferries.

29 mins We reflect on Christophe's interview.