INTERTANKO's Council unanimously elected Stephen Van Dyck as the Association's
new Chairman during the recent Dubai Tanker Event. Outgoing Chairman Lars Carlsson welcomed Van Dyck to "the finest job in the industry, elected by your peers and by your competitors."
Van Dyck is chairman of Florida-based Maritrans Inc. which operates over 475,000 dwt of ocean-going Super Barges (11) of 21,000-56,000 dwt and handy tankers (4) of 35-40,000 dwt. He has been with the company since 1974, became COO in 1975 , President in 1981 and CEO and Chairman in 1987.
Over thirty years he has built a shipping operation widely respected for its high quality operations and strong financial performance. His "Not One Drop" programme has now been going for 15 years and has led to zero oil spills in 2002 and just 16 gallons in 2003 including deck spills, out of more than 7bn gallons (24m tons) of crude oil and petroleum products carried annually, involving an average of more than five cargo operations a day.
His experience will serve INTERTANKO in many ways. From lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, he went on to receive a degree in Business Administration from Wilkes College in Pennsylvania and then graduated from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University School of Business Administration. He has been chairman of the West of
England P&I Club for 18 years, is Chairman of the Chamber of Shipping of America and is on the boards of Amerigas Propane and the American Petroleum Institute.
In his address to Council, he emphasised how he will act as a spokesman for Council and Executive Committee, representing their interests. "I may disagree sometimes, internally, but to the outside world I will present your views."
He has pledged to look at process - at how we go about things and how that can be sharpened and improved; at mission - reviewing strategy and goals to look for any changes needed to remain relevant to the world we live in; at membership - how to increase numbers.
"My vision is for the respect accorded to INTERTANKO in Washington DC and in Brussels to grow further and to extend to political capitals right around the world."
Source: INTERTANKO