In that first phase, the focus was practical and execution-driven: deploying salvage masters and building a foothold in the market. Henk went out to get those people placed, while Danny supported with contractual and technical matters in the evening hours.

After Danny had decided to resign from his Operational Directors role within another contracting firm around 2022, he shifted his full focus to Marine Masters. Looking back, Danny frames the last couple of years around one clear outcome: traction. “It takes time to build, but once it starts moving, it can move quickly. That is what Marine Masters is seeing now, both in salvage as well as Oil & Gas, and especially in Malaysia.”

Marine Masters is currently seeing strong momentum across salvage, T&I, and decommissioning. Danny describes it as careful growth, staying positive, and positioning the company for its next phase of exponential growth. The organization reflects that growth with 12 experienced employees within the Dutch entity and approximately 30 accomplished and enthusiastic employees within the Malaysian entity. “This is just the beginning of a very interesting period”, Danny adds.

According to Danny, that traction is driven by a specific combination: out-of-the-box thinking from salvage, fast solution thinking, and then the discipline to follow through with solid engineering, procedure work, and delivery. A relatively small but very experienced core team that can scale up quickly when needed.

Malaysia has become a major focus area for Marine Masters, and the South Angsi Alpha platform decommissioning became an important milestone in that development. The project showed what is possible when trust, transparency, and proper preparation come together. For Danny, it is a strong example of how Marine Masters works in Malaysian waters: developing offshore methods that stand apart from others, planning thoroughly, keeping clients closely involved, and just doing what we promise.

That matters in a market where relationships are close-knit and reputation travels quickly. You keep meeting the same people again, so delivery is what builds trust. Marine Masters carried out the decommissioning of South Angsi Alpha as part of Malaysia’s largest offshore removal project, which now contributes to a rig-to-reef marine habitat. It was a project where our salvage mindset, engineering approach, and practical offshore execution came together.

The project also reflects why the region has become so important. In the Far East, decommissioning is still developing, while Marine Masters brings knowledge, experience, and a way of working that fits these projects: pragmatic, well prepared, and focused on getting the job done safely and efficiently.

With a degree in Naval Architecture and a huge passion for the offshore industry, Danny’s background in project management and offshore contracting shapes the way he looks at oil and gas and decommissioning projects. “In that world, it is all about developing a cost-efficient methodology by combining proven techniques with innovative technical oriented ideas. The technical solution needs to be sold properly: as a reliable approach, with confidence that it is both feasible and safe to execute.”

For Danny, preparation is not an afterthought. It is engineering and procedural work, done properly. He contrasts that with the world of salvage, and emergency response in particular, where teams are deployed to vessels that may be on fire or sinking, and where success depends on continuously anticipating and adapting to changing circumstances.

Danny emphasizes that Marine Masters positions itself differently: “We are pragmatic, solution-driven and we always think ahead. Where contractors with own vessels tend to promote their own fleet for the sake of optimizing their utilization, our aim is always to define a workable solution that provides an ultimate fit to the project. There are also engineering offices that can develop great solutions, but do not want to take the execution risk. Marine Masters is strong in being willing to take that responsibility and commit to the end result, including pressure from costs and dealing with unpredictable risks such as bad weather.”

Danny also highlights the difference between Europe and the Far East. In Europe it can be difficult to break in for an asset-light company like Marine Masters and compete with international contractors that operate their own fleet of vessels. In the Far East, that tends to be less of a concern because clients trust that we will hire the required assets. A more direct access route to several crane barge owners supports that approach, and Danny sees that as a strong combination.

Marine Masters also established an entity in Kuala Lumpur with an enthusiastic team of experts. “We even relocated one of our best Dutch specialists to strengthen the position locally. Not everyone can or wants to do that, but Marine Masters sees opportunities in the region and commits to being present.”

For the coming 10 years, Danny’s direction is clear: continue doing what we do, while building longer-running projects that generate cash flow and support organizational growth. The aim is to further expand the organization in the Netherlands and Malaysia and keep the three pillars connected: T&I, Decommissioning, and Salvage.

Salvage remains a key pillar as well. It is incident-driven, challenging, and never the same. Alongside longer contracts, Danny also points to the possibility of considering asset purchases or long-term charters in the future, linked to the longer-term projects that are at the horizon.

In the Far East, decommissioning is still in its early stage, while in Europe it has already been an established industry for decades. Danny sees a clear fit: “Marine Masters brings innovation, experience, and salvage expertise that is directly applicable to decommissioning work. The region knows how to explore Oil and Gas fields and how to install platforms as this is what has been done for years. For decommissioning, clients are looking for a cost-efficient way forward, and Marine Masters is positioned to support that.”