Ben Bailey

Director of Programme at Mission to Seafarers

Speaker

Ben Bailey serves as the Director of Programme for The Mission to Seafarers, a global maritime welfare charity supporting seafarers and their families across 200 ports in 50 countries. After an initial career with The Salvation Army, Ben has worked for the last 17 years in maritime welfare, establishing port welfare facilities and community programmes. As Director of Programme, Ben leads on the charity’s advocacy strategy, and collaborates with the shipping industry, governments, and civil society to design and implement innovative welfare services for seafarers and their families. Under his leadership, the Mission launched WeCare—an award-winning suite of mental health and wellbeing programmes for seafarers—as well as Seafarers’ Family Networks in the Philippines and India which provide meaningful and lasting connection. Ben is one of the voices behind the Seafarers’ Happiness Index, an internationally acclaimed initiative that earned him a Fellowship with the Royal Society of Arts & Manufactures. Since 2017, Ben has been a prominent voice in the global maritime community, representing the charitable welfare sector in international forums and at the IMO. He is a regular panellist and presenter at maritime conferences, and has recently completed studying Leadership at the Manchester Business School.