Dr Jeffrey Hawkins
Dr Jeffrey Hawkins
Managing Director | Pivot Maritime International
Dr Jeff Hawkins is the Managing Director of Pivot Maritime International, a Tasmanian company that specialises in maritime simulation systems and maritime consultancy services.
Jeff has over 30 years professional experience in the maritime industry. A Master Mariner, he has a solid background in international shipping, port management, and strategic and financial management. He holds a PhD in Maritime Strategic Planning, Master of Science in International Shipping, Master of Education, Graduate Diploma in Business (Shipping), and Bachelor of Commerce (Economics).
After serving as Ship Master, trading worldwide on different ship types, and later on as Marine Superintendent, Jeff set out for a life ashore, focusing initially on maritime training and commercial shipping, before branching out into other areas of expertise, including maritime port development and operations, offshore wind farm navigation safety risk assessments, and maritime simulation technology.
Today, Pivot Maritime International is the only Australian manufacturer of maritime bridge simulators. It also uses its simulators for high level research in port and ship design and development, navigational safety risk assessments, competency assessments, and accident investigations. Its main clients come from defence, commercial shipping, training, ports and port authorities, and engineering and environmental consultants.
Jeff has been active in industry sector strategic and operational planning. He was a member of TT-Line’s Board of Directors for seven years, serving as its maritime shipping expert, and on the Northern Tasmanian Development Corporation (NTDC), focusing on advanced manufacturing. He has also sat on a number of advisory groups in Australia and overseas, providing regulatory authorities and regional bodies with expert advice on evaluating maritime operations and setting strategic directions for the maritime industry. He currently serves as Chair of the Tasmania Maritime Network, the professional association of maritime businesses in Tasmania.
He was honoured as Innovator of the Year at the 2023 Australian Defence Industry Awards