Leading a Publicly Traded Shipping Company Through Turbulent Times with Tom Lister

UnDocked: The Maritime Transformation Show · Apr 16, 2026 · 1h 5m · transcript

Tom Lister, CEO of NYSE-listed Global Ship Lease, explains how mid-size container ships underpin global trade through flexibility and optionality. The conversation explores shipping cycles, capital discipline, geopolitical disruption, and decarbonisation uncertainty, showing how leasing models and operational pragmatism help navigate volatility in an increasingly complex logistics environment.

Chapters

00:00 Buying at the bottom of the cycle

00:14 Introduction and Global Ship Lease

04:19 How container leasing works

06:19 Ownership shifts post-COVID

07:00 Career journey into shipping

13:36…