DEI expertise built for maritime, not adapted for it.
From strategy and governance to leadership development and one-to-one coaching, our consultancy work helps maritime organisations attract and retain the people they need, build more inclusive, high-performing cultures, and strengthen the physical and psychological safety of people at sea and ashore — delivered by a team that understands the operational realities of the whole maritime sector, from ship owners and managers to ports, classification societies, P&I clubs and technology firms, not just DEI in the abstract.
Tailored, not templated
Every organisation’s starting point is different — some are setting a DEI strategy for the first time, others are years in and need to embed what they’ve already built. All our consultancy work is tailored to your organisation’s priorities, culture and stage of maturity, so what we deliver is relevant, contextualised and sustainable over time.
What we offer
- DEI Strategy Development Clear, practical strategy aligned to your business objectives. We help you define priorities, set realistic milestones, and build the roadmap to get there.
- DEI Governance Structures, accountability and reporting that stand up to scrutiny from boards, investors and regulators, embedding DEI into how decisions actually get made.
- Inclusive Leadership Programmes Practical development for leaders and managers at every level, building the day-to-day behaviours that make inclusion real, not theoretical, for those ashore and at sea.
- Executive Coaching One-to-one coaching for senior leaders, helping individuals navigate the opportunities and challenges of senior leadership, refine their strategic decision making skills and build the confidence, self-awareness and capability to lead effectively and inclusively.
- Mentoring From traditional mentoring to mutual mentoring programmes, structured initiatives designed to broaden knowledge, expand networks and support greater talent attraction and retention.
- Workshops & Awareness Raising Facilitated sessions on the topics that matter most to your organisation right now — examples include inclusive teams, inclusive appraisals, inclusive performance management, inclusive recruitment, inclusion on board, data gathering and dashboards, effective communications through to both traditional mentoring and recriprocal mentoring programmes.
- Data & Measurement Support Helping interpret your data, setting meaningful objectives, and translating data into a credible action plan your organisation can commit to.
- In-house Capability Building Working with DEI and HR leaders to provide coaching and support to drive DEI ambitions internally.
The outcomes we help you achieve
Our consultancy work isn’t measured by activity — it’s measured by what changes. Organisations we work with see:
- Stronger talent attraction and retention, in an industry competing hard for skilled people
- More inclusive, higher-performing cultures, where diverse teams are genuinely able to contribute and progress
- Improved physical and psychological safety, for people at sea and ashore
Beyond maritime — and back again
Our consultants bring maritime expertise first — but not only. Several of our team have built their careers in other global sectors, including finance and legal, industries that are often further along their own DEI journeys. We bring those practical lessons back into maritime, translating what’s worked elsewhere into recommendations that fit this industry’s realities.
Who we work with
We work with organisations across the maritime sector — ship owners, ship managers, classification societies, P&I clubs, ports, technology firms, educational establishments, seafarer charities, not for profit organisations — and our approach is shaped to fit each context.
Why DSG
We know maritime – we’ve worked at the centre of maritime DEI since 2018 — as DEI Knowledge Partners to the Global Maritime Forum, Founding Knowledge Partners to the All Aboard Alliance, and collaborators with Seatrade Maritime and organisations across the sector. Our Founder & CEO, Heidi Heseltine, has been part of the maritime sector since 1992, working in operational and commercial roles before moving into the people and culture space and both DSG and Heidi have been recognised industry-wide for driving progress on inclusion. That’s the expertise and track record behind every programme and initiative we deliver.
Get started
Every engagement starts with a conversation about where you are today and where you want to be.
