40 Under 40 Awards: Boutian, Brann, Brown, Cain

For the seventh year, 40 of the industry’s future leaders were honored at the Inland Marine Expo with the “40 Under 40” award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the inland marine transportation industry in a variety of fields. All 40 honorees were nominated by executives and peers for their hard work and dedication to the industry.

Over the course of 10 weeks, The Waterways Journal is featuring recipients. This week we recognize Capt. Bubby Boutian, Harrison Brann, Ryan Brown and Mark Cain.

Capt. Bubby Boutian

Captain Bubby Boutian, 39, is a captain for Turn Services in New Orleans.

He began his career in 2004 at IMT as a deckhand and was promoted to crewboat captain before moving to the wheelhouse. In 2014, he joined the team at Turn Services. Currently, he serves on the mv. Keeneland, where he provides fleeting and harbor services in the New Orleans corridor.

Dawn Lopez, vice president of marketing for Turn Services, said Boutian makes an impression even with his first word on a phone call.

“When Bubby answers the phone, he says ‘workhorse,’ which describes his ambitious work ethic,” she said. “He loves his career, and when he is asked to take on any task, he responds, ‘Whatever I can do for the company.’ His dependability, can-do attitude and professionalism make Bubby stand out as an industry role model and a worthy nominee for the 2024 IMX 40 Under 40 award.”

Harrison Brann

Harrison Brann, 34, is engineering manager for The Shearer Group Inc. in Houston.

He joined The Shearer Group in September 2015 as senior naval architect and was promoted to engineering manager in 2022. He previously served in positions at the American Bureau of Shipping and ICI Services. He holds a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from Virginia Tech and a master of business administration from Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business. He is licensed as a professional engineer.

Ed Shearer, principal naval architect for The Shearer Group, called Brann “dynamic” and described him as young, aggressive and wanting to get ahead.

“He has a great working relationship with our clients and is ready to take on projects that task his capabilities,” he said.

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown, 36, is director of vessel operations for T&T Group of Companies in Galveston, Texas.

Jim Elliott, chief operating officer for Teichman Group of Companies, called Brown an inspirational leader who “expertly manages” the T&T Group of Companies fleet of inland tugs, offshore supply vessels and crane and derrick barges, plus oversees maintenance of the company’s national inventory of more than 4,900 pieces of salvage, pollution response and firefighting equipment.

“Ryan sets the highest bar for operational excellence, managing both daily vessel operations while also being on-call 24/7 to support emergency salvage and firefighting operations,” Elliott said. “For example, his vessel expertise was leveraged during the company’s execution of the largest shipwreck removal in U.S. history, where he ensured the safety of vessel crews and the use of the largest U.S.-flagged heavy lift asset to safely complete the removal of a roll-on/roll-off ship that capsized in St. Simons Sound, Ga. When a liquified gas carrier collided with two tank barges, Ryan rapidly deployed multiple support vessels to quickly lighter the damaged barges and refloat a barge that had capsized. His efforts were credited with minimizing environmental impacts while ensuring the Houston Ship Channel could be quickly reopened for vessel transits. During a large-scale petroleum storage facility incident, he placed multiple portable fire pumps on supply vessels to provide needed firefighting water to municipal firefighters.”
Elliott said Brown’s leadership skills and exceptional character set him apart from his peers.

“A caring, visionary leader, he effectively brought together the crews of the company’s inland tugs, offshore supply vessels and heavy lift assets into a cohesive, unified team that improved safety performance while increasing productivity and profitability,” he said. “Recognized for his superior performance, Ryan was promoted to the director level and continued to pursue new markets for his fleet of vessels, while also integrating company-wide equipment maintenance into a holistic quality management system. Setting the example for others to follow, crew morale and team performance flourished under his dedicated leadership.”

Outside his daily job duties, Brown is an active member of The American Waterways Operators and Offshore Marine Association. He has also served as the chairman of the San Jacinto Maritime Advisory Council and as a Texas High School Advisory Council leader.

Mark Cain

Mark Cain, 36, is port engineer for Industry Terminal & Salvage Company  in Industry, Pa.

Cain began his river career working part-time for Campbell Transportation Company while attending college in 2009-2010. Following his graduation with a master’s degree in flight technology from Kent State University in 2010, Cain went on to become a certified flight instructor, CFI-instrument and CFI-Twin Engine. 

He was working toward a master’s degree in aviation safety when he decided to switch transportation modes, moving from the air to the water. Cain came to Industry Terminal & Salvage Company in 2014 as a deckhand, then entered the steersman program and earned his Master’s of Towing license. He started working with the engineer and maintenance team in 2018 and was promoted to port engineer in 2021.

“Mark leads and guides his team, where he works closely with the regulatory, dispatch and operations department to ensure our vessels stay compliant, environmentally sound and in good operational condition so we can move cargo on our waterways safely and efficiently for our customers,” said Donald Checkan, vice president of Industry Terminal and Salvage Company. “Mark joins his older brother Justin (captain), and his nephew Blaze and youngest brother Trevor, both steersmen, all at ITS. I’m proud to have Mark on our team, work alongside him daily and honored to nominate Mark Cain to the 40 under 40 club.”