Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Matson
Search every verified Matthew Cox interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a December 2024 interview, Matt Cox, Chairman and CEO of Matson, discussed the company’s operational performance and environmental goals. He stated that during the pandemic, Matson did not miss a single sailing in three years, attributing this to dedicated terminals and operational resilience. Cox also noted that Matson set a goal four years ago to reduce scope one CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, and said the company is about 20% toward that target. He described the company’s investment in LNG as a transition fuel, which he said emits about 20% less CO2 than conventional fuels, and mentioned the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogenated vegetable oil. Cox commented on the Jones Act, saying it enjoys wide bipartisan support in Congress and has been backed by the last six or seven presidential administrations. He argued that over 90% of industrialized countries have similar cabotage laws, and stated that if the Jones Act were repealed, Matson would likely stay in its current lanes but face disruptive price competition from lower-cost competitors. Cox also discussed Matson’s diversity and inclusion efforts, including expanding executive leadership development, launching diversity scholarships, and conducting gender and racial pay audits. He described the company’s culture as focused on accountability and on-time performance, noting that reliability is critical for customers in remote territories like Hawaii and Alaska.
“If you look at the Jones Act, it reserves shipping between points within a country's possessions to the flag of that country. Over 90% of industrialized countries around the world have similar cabotage laws to protect their domestic shipping industries.”
“The Jones Act enjoys wide bipartisan support in Congress and the last six or seven presidential administrations. Republicans appreciate its role in national defense and maintaining US shipyard infrastructure, while Democrats value the high-wage unionized middle-class jobs it supports.”
“During the pandemic, despite widespread congestion, Matson did not miss a single sailing in three years, thanks to dedicated terminals and operational resilience, ensuring cargo kept flowing to remote territories like Hawaii and Alaska.”
“If the Jones Act were to go away, we would likely stay in our current lanes, but lower-cost competitors not paying US taxes or employing US citizen crews would create disruptive price competition.”
“Matson set an ambitious goal four years ago to reduce scope one CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. We are about 20% there and are investing in new vessels and converting ships to LNG and alternative fuels to meet this target.”
“We chose LNG as a transition fuel because it emits about 20% less CO2 than conventional fuels and is available at scale. We believe alternative fuels like hydrogenated vegetable oil will help us reach further reductions by 2050.”
“Matson has made significant efforts in diversity and inclusion, expanding executive leadership development, launching diversity scholarships, and conducting gender and racial pay audits to ensure equal pay for equal work.”
“Transportation is a male-dominated industry, and Matson is about 70% unionized. We focus on increasing women's representation in leadership and creating opportunities for minorities to better reflect our diverse employee base.”
“Matson's culture is built on accountability and collaboration, with an unrelenting focus on on-time departures and arrivals. For example, if a vessel is delayed in Hawaii, stores hang signs saying 'Matson ship is late, no milk today' to emphasize the importance of reliability.”
“As Matson expanded internationally, especially into China, we maintained our focus on being the fastest and most reliable carrier, becoming the go-to carrier for urgent cargo needs despite being a small player in a giant market.”
Matt Cox was appointed chairman of the board of Matson, Inc. in April 2017. Having served as chief executive officer since 2012, ...
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