IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE. — Jim Lawrence, Remembered
Naomi Walker, Ph.D.
Manager, Special Projects
On June 1, 2025, the maritime world lost James “Jim” Lawrence, and SCI lost one of our most beloved and longstanding Board members. The tributes that flowed in upon the news demonstrated what an impact Jim had on all who knew him. At his eulogy, Jim’s brother said “With Jim, the glass was never half-full, it was overflowing.”
Jim joined the SCI Board of Trustees in 2008. He was already steeped in the maritime world by then, having first joined the Connecticut Maritime Association, a nonprofit representing aspects of shipping and international trade, in 1988. He became its face soon after, taking it from monthly luncheons to an internationally attended industry event.
Jim’s prescience and business acumen was evident when he acquired Marine Money, a ten-page newsletter devotedto credit reporting, in 1987 and published it from his home in Bedford, New York. He subsequently purchased The Marine Investor, combined the two, and the modern-day Marine Money magazine was born. This spawned a conference in New York, which evolved into Marine Money Week NY, now the world’s premier ship finance event, attended by more than 1,000 investors, shipowners, lenders, and advisors. It is the flagship of Marine Money’s annual conferences that take place across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. And in 1990, Jim founded the MTI network, a crisis communication company for the maritime industry. It became the leading incident response company for the shipping, energy, offshore, and transportation industries with an international network of offices and affiliates.
Thus, by the time Jim became an SCI Trustee in 2008, he was an invaluable asset to the Board, not just for the insights he provided but also for his extensive professional experience, his skill as a networker, and the warmth of his personality.
When the SS El Faro was lost off Puerto Rico in October 2015, Jim participated in the initial proposal to create a family fund for which SCI would receive contributions and administer direct support to families, fostering the preliminary discussions between TOTE and SCI to make it happen.
When SCI’s Mountain Challenge first began in 2013, Jim was one of the early champions whose support helped get the event up and running. This sort of enthusiasm is vital for any organization, and for this brand-new event, it was particularly appreciated, especially as Jim took part in many of the events personally as well as sending teams from MTI Network.
In 2018, SCI honored Jim with the Silver Bell Award. In his introductory remarks, the presenter, SCI Trustee Jack Noonan, described Jim as “the fulcrum of the shipping and finance worlds” saying, “Jim is one of the most vibrant, enthusiastic and generous characters in our industry… he also has the rare quality of being sincerely happier with other people’s good fortune than his own, always putting other people’s interests first.”
At SCI’s Silver Bell Forum preceding the event, SCI Trustee and Chairman Emeritus Rich du Moulin interviewed Jim about his role in managing maritime crises. Jim’s slides covered the history of such events, and in a slide entitled “The Sinking of the El Faro,” Jim had chosen the subtitle, “It’s All About the People.” This was his approach in a nutshell; he saw everything through the lens of humanity. In an industrial and mechanized world like the maritime, it explained his dedication to SCI and our mission to serve mariners, the people behind the business. (To view a video interview with Jim taken at the 2018 Silver Bell event, scan the QR code below). The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, President & Executive Director of SCI, said Jim was, “a dedicated member of our Board and one of the Institute’s biggest cheerleaders and advocates for our mission. His leadership and presence, along with his friendship, will be deeply missed.”
We close this with some more quotes from our Trustees and staff who had the privilege of working with Jim over the years: “Jim was one of the greats, and a great supporter of SCI;” “always so patient and willing to share knowledge;” “such a positive force for good, making an impact on people not just in the U.S. maritime space but far beyond;” and “a wonderful person and a true gentleman.”
Rich du Moulin said, “I will always think of Jim and remember how he could light up a room and help a friend. Jim had no equal.” We wholeheartedly agree; he will be sorely missed.
