The shipping industry is both special and fascinating. It is special, above all, because of its truly global nature, the huge discrete investments needed, the highly cyclical markets at play, and the unique competitive structure, with many determined players. It is fascinating, above all, because fortunes are made—and lost—at a fast pace, with some of the most risk-willing owners also serving as decision makers. This book is the result of at least seven forces that have shaped my interest in shipping corporations and their strategies. The first is purely personal. Early on, my grandfather, Rudolf Ugelstad, co-founder of the Norwegian shipping company Olsen & Ugelstad, awakened my interest
