May 4, 2023
Interviewee: Rik van Hemmen
Interviewer: Jake Cohen
Interview Synopsis:
This interview is with Rik van Hemmen, born and raised in the Netherlands. Rik immigrated to the United States as a teenager, and is currently president of Martin Ottaway, a company that specializes in assisting maritime clients. As a result of working for Martin Ottaway for decades, Rik has had the opportunity to travel to more than eighty countries throughout the world and brings his experience and international historical knowledge to the interview. He speaks to common practices he has observed across developing countries and to his experiences assisting clients in different countries throughout the world. Specifically, Rik focuses on his experiences in Korea, which he traveled to twice. Rik describes the differences he saw in Korea between his two visits and speaks to his overall experiences in the country. This interview covers topics such as Korean cuisine, Korean economic progress, and international experiences gained by Rik throughout his travels.
I was introduced to Rik van Hemmen through my grandparents, specifically my grandfather who has been good friends with Rik for many years. The interview was conducted via Zoom due to geographic limitations.
The interview was conducted by Jake Cohen, a second-year history and government double major at Colby College who is interested in learning about the differences in cultures and societies throughout the world and understanding why these aspects of countries can so drastically differ from each other. I am passionate about this course as it allows me to discover the historical makeup of Korea and gain an understanding of why the country is the way it is today.
Interview Recordings:
Interview Transcript:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CGDymWSO263G6QQt06NKMlXwctutyAWhQ2YwZ-dSiFM/edit
Biography:
For my project, I interviewed Rik van Hemmen, president and senior partner of Martin Ottaway company. As president of Martin Ottaway company, Rik deals with maritime companies who are dealing with operational and financial problems. The company provides hands-on operations to help find out and resolve maritime issues. An example of a common mishap that Rik deals with is shipwrecks, which of course can occur anywhere in the world. Because the company deals with ships worldwide, Rik has had the opportunity to travel to over 90 countries throughout the world, something most people cannot say they have done. One of these countries he has traveled to is Korea, where he was sent twice, once in the early-1990s and again in the late-1990s. Rik is able to provide valuable insight regarding the economic transformation of Korea and the shipbuilding industry in Korea throughout the interview. Rik has excellent knowledge of world affairs and economic developments in general, which allows viewers to gain valuable insight regarding practices used by governments throughout the world and what we can expect a country’s next move to be. Overall, Rik’s intelligence regarding maritime activities and worldwide trends is phenomenal, and it is shown throughout the interview.