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With Damen Schelde Marine Services showing growth across all its activities, the company’s Singapore office is entering an exciting new chapter. Earlier this year, Jeroen Caris (see picture at the top) stepped into the role of General Manager for Southeast Asia operations, relocating to Singapore for a three-year assignment. His mission? To lead the Singapore team and bring DSMS closer to the heart of one of the company’s most promising markets.
“Over the last five years, our turnover at the Singapore office has more than doubled,” Jeroen explains. “Until now, we’ve been managing this growth mostly from the Netherlands, but we’ve reached a point where the local market demands a more permanent presence.”
The Singapore office plays a strategic role in DSMS’ broader Southeast Asia operations, covering markets such as Indonesia, India and Hong Kong. With a highly committed and diverse local team, Jeroen’s arrival marks a renewed investment in both people and potential. “They’ve always been on our minds,” he says of the Singapore team, “but now they truly get the leadership and attention they deserve. I received a very warm welcome – the team embraced me immediately.” In fact, Jeroen was invited to celebrate Hari Raya during a previous visit in March and has even attended a colleague’s son’s wedding – his first traditional Muslim wedding. “That made me feel part of the team,” he says.
Jeroen and his family get to know the DSMS Singapore team.
Scaling the End-to-End Service Model
The ambition for Singapore is to replicate the successful end-to-end service model that DSMS has developed so successfully in the European maritime sector. This includes everything from consulting and spare parts to onboard service, workshop overhauls, and full logistics. “What sets us apart is our ability to offer consistency, peace of mind, and quality from A to Z,” Jeroen says. “We want to integrate this business model into Southeast Asian markets, where the potential is in theory even greater than in Europe.”
DSMS Singapore has a wide array of active clients in all sectors. Jeroen: “And with Singapore being the portal to southeast Asia, the room for growth is significant, including in sectors other than maritime. We’re doing a lot of land-based engine work, particularly for power plants in Indonesia. There are over 700 power plants there – it is critical infrastructure.”
The DSMS team at the Sea Asia 2025 exhibition. (From left) Damien Goh, Kayla Koh, Jeroen Caris, Arnold Suykerbuyk, Ezra Lamers, and Wilson Garnell.
Stronger Together
Partnerships are also top of mind. “We are also finding a synergy with subcontractors and our extensive network. We as DSMS support the Damen presence in the region; with Damen Services Australia, for example.”
On a personal note, Jeroen and his family have long dreamed of an international assignment. “We had a very nice orientation trip a couple of months ago. The kids visited their new school and already made friends. The settling in procedure is already happening.”
As he looks ahead to the next three years, Jeroen is optimistic: “We’re not afraid of change. In fact, our willingness to adapt is what differentiates us from other companies. It has brought us this far and I think we are looking at a bright future.”