"Joining Clarksons was a rare opportunity and ultimately just a no-brainer for me," Nokta tells TradeWinds in his first interview since starting the new job as director of shipping research at Clarkson Capital Markets (CCM).

"It has an established presence and tradition in shipbroking. I had gotten to know (Clarksons CEO) Andi Case over the last few years and when this opportunity came I had to jump on it.