Preventing Rough Waters

While David Pilman ’15 has spent the summer in Miami with Royal Caribbean, he wasn’t on a months-long cruise. He’s interning at the headquarters of the international company in the risk management department.

“We’re in charge of assessing the risk of injury for the crew and the guests,” said Pilman, of Caracas, Venezuela. “We try to assess this risk and create an environment that is safe and where the crew can best perform their jobs.”

For Pilman, who is a double major in finance and international business management, this internship has been an excellent opportunity and learning experience. By analyzing data and noting trends, Pilman and his team are able to look at accidents that have happened and figure out ways to prevent them in the future, thus saving the company money in accident claims and providing a more pleasant experience for guests and crew.

“Cruise ships are like floating cities in the sea, only without cars,” he said. “From the food to the entertainment, you name it and the ships have it. The logistics are really interesting.”

Because his department looks at all areas of the company, Pilman is interacting and collaborating with about 15 different departments overseeing life on 41 different cruise ships. He said he is learning communication strategies for working in an environment of 60,000-plus employees and networking any chance he gets. He said he showed up in Miami this summer already with a great base to work from.

“My UT experience is really the key element to my success,” Pilman said. “Not just the knowledge and theory I’ve learned in the classroom, but the advice and tips from professors I’m now seeing be put into practice in a real-world environment.”

Have a story idea? Contact Jamie Pilarczyk, Web Writer
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