About Us
Our History
Norstar was founded in London, by Chris Bonehill in 1998, initially as a ship brokerage company specializing in Sale and Purchase and newbuilding. In 2001, the office relocated to Monaco to focus on ship owning, investments, and management. In 2005, brothers Chris and Tom Bonehill joined forces to expand their global operations with Chris being based in the West and Tom in the East. As sons of a captain, Chris and Tom Bonehill were privileged to experience all aspects of the shipping industry throughout their entire lives from an early age. The brothers often visited their father on vessels which gave them valuable insights into all aspects of ship operations and life onboard, frequently interacting with the crew on board. It is their innate knowledge of the operations with high performing and unified crew that anchors the ethos and success of Norstar in delivering superior services to its partners. The fundamental core values of Integrity, Pride, Resilience, Quality, Accountability, and Community have been crystallised over decades of operating in the industry and drive decisions made throughout the Group.
TIMELINE
1998 – 2001: Norstar Shipping (UK) Ltd in London. Ship brokerage.
2001 – 2012: Norstar Monaco SAM. Ship brokerage, Management of Ship Investments.
2005 – Present: Norstar Shipping (Asia) Pte Ltd in Singapore. Commercial Ship Management.
2009 – Present: Norstar Ship Management Pte Ltd in Singapore. Technical Ship Management.
2012 – Present: Norstar Shipping (USA) LLC in Westport CT. Management of Ship Investments.
2015 – Present: Norstar Crew Management Co Limited in Myanmar.
2016 – Present: Norstar Chartering (USA) LLC in Westport CT. Commercial Management.
2016 – Present: Norstar Shipping & Trading Ltd in BVI. Tanker Charterer and Operator.
2023 – Present: Norstar Global Recruitment Limited, Myanmar and Norstar Global Recruitment Singapore Pte Ltd.
2023 – Present: Norstar Chartering Services DMCC, Dubai.
* The Norstar Group of Companies is comprised of Norstar Shipping (USA) LLC, Norstar Chartering (USA) LLC, Norstar Shipping & Trading Ltd. BVI, Norstar Shipping (Asia) Pte Ltd., Norstar Ship Management Pte Ltd., Norstar Crew Management Co. Ltd., Norstar Shipping Group Tokyo Office, Norstar Chartering Services DMCC, Dubai, Norstar Global Recruitment Limited, Myanmar and Norstar Global Recruitment Singapore Pte Ltd.
At Our Core
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
To deliver safe, efficient, and reliable transportation and logistics services that enable our partners to perform their operations at the highest standards and accomplish the outcomes they seek.
Our Vision
A sustainable planet and global well-being - created by partnership collaborations which are innovative, complementary and scalable.
Our Values
Values are ideals that shape our company's culture. Our values are reflected in how we run our business and our ethics in dealing with our stakeholders.
Integrity
Honesty is the foundation for any long-lasting partnership. We are truthful and transparent in the way we communicate. Our partners and stakeholders trust that we honour our commitment.
Quality
We always strive for excellence in everything we do and continuously seek ways to improve and do things better. Planning and preparation are a constant.
Community
We are in a people’s business and value strong relationships with our stakeholders. We are committed to our responsibilities in the communities we live, work and operate in.
Pride
Our pride in our work is the thread that ties us all together. We share the same passion which has greatly motivated, inspired and empowered each of us.
Accountability
We are committed to owning our actions. We understand and accept the consequences of our decisions for areas in which we take responsibility.
Resilience
We encourage and promote a resilient mindset so that we see the opportunity in challenges. This mindset allows us to embrace change, think out of the box, and have the agility to pursue innovations in sustainable solutions
Our Leadership Team
Norstar’s management team comprises senior executives with extensive experience in shipping, investment and finance.
Chris Bonehill
Chief Executive Officer, Norstar USA LLC
Chris followed his passion for shipping and dedicated his career to the industry at the age of 18. He began his professional shipping career in London through a traineeship programme at Clarkson PLC in 1989. He moved to Arrow Shipping (UK) Ltd in 1991 and rose to Director of Sale and Purchase. Chris achieved great success as a shipbroker. Driven by a personal ambition to create a shipping company that valued the needs, services and welfare of all industry participants, Chris established Norstar in 1998 with the mission to deliver meaningful impact for clients, staff and crew. Chris is now based in the Norstar USA Office as its CEO. He is leading Norstar’s sustainability transition strategy, in particular, decarbonising supply chains and scaling Norstar’s fleet with 100% zero-emission vessels.
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
Tom Bonehill
Managing Director, Norstar Shipping (Asia) Pte Ltd
Tom moved to Asia in 1993, initially spending a year in Jakarta followed by a year serving onboard a merchant navy vessel. Between 1995 and 1997, Tom trained as a shipbroker with Clarksons in Hong Kong. In 1997 he moved to Island Shipbrokers Pte Ltd in Singapore, where he worked as a Sale and Purchase broker. During his broking career, Tom built an extensive portfolio of blue-chip Asian clients focusing on Southeast Asia and Japan. He led Norstar's expansion in Singapore with the establishment of Luna Ship Management (now Norstar Ship Management Pte Ltd) and subsequently all other aspects of chartering, operational and technical management for the Norstar fleet. Tom is currently based in Norstar Singapore Office as a Managing Director of Norstar Shipping (Asia) Pte Ltd and co-leads the Norstar Group of Companies with his brother Chris. He is leading Norstar’s sustainability and impact strategies with a particular emphasis on Group operations, staff/crew well-being and communities.
Connect with Tom on LinkedIn
Dr. Lars Gruenitz
Managing Director, Norstar Ship Management Pte Ltd
Lars commenced his career in building naval submarines before moving into various technical and commercial leadership roles with Germanischer Lloyd in Europe and Asia. He subsequently joined a shipowner in Jakarta as their COO and, headed the ship management, chartering and corporate side of the business. He was the Managing Director for Thome Ship Management in Thailand, where he managed tankers and offshore vessels on time charter for various oil majors. Before joining Norstar, Lars spent 5 years as Head of Vessel Management and Process improvement for Berge Bulk. He focused on driving down vessel running costs while improving the fleet's quality and performance.Lars holds a doctoral degree in Naval Architecture and is passionate about driving a behaviour-based safety culture and digital transformation to improve ship's safety and performance. Lars is now based in Norstar Singapore Office as a Technical Managing Director of Norstar Ship Management Pte Ltd.
Connect with Lars on LinkedIn