Quentin Soanes News

Guy Campbell of the China Navigation Company has been appointed by the Baltic Exchange Board of Directors as Chairman for a two year term of office. He replaces Quentin Soanes who served as Chairman from 2012. Guy Campbell, FIFC, MCIArb is aged 47 and began his shipping career at shipbroker JE Hyde & Co Ltd in 1990. A dry cargo specialist, he became a Baltic Exchange member in 1991, remained at JE Hyde for seven years before joining Koch Industries, where he spent 10 years as a chartering manager and eventual Director, Ocean Freight for Koch Carbon LLC. After six years as Dry Cargo Managing Director at shipbroker Clarksons, he now works for The China Navigation Company, the deep sea ship owning and operating arm of the Swire Group.

London's Baltic Exchange informs that the achievements of Eyal Ofer, the principal of ship management company Zodiac Group, have been celebrated with the award of honorary life membership of the Exchange. The prestigious award was last awarded in 2009 to the late Sammy Ofer, KBE, father of Mr Eyal Ofer. Other recipients of Baltic Exchange honorary membership have included the Duke of Edinburgh, Winston Churchill, and Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller. Presenting the award Baltic Exchange chairman Quentin Soanes said: 

“We thank you for your services to the London shipping market and the UK ship register. Receiving the award Eyal Ofer said:

“I and Zodiac Maritime have a longstanding association with the Baltic Exchange which will always remain important to us.

London's Baltic Exchange and clearing house LCH.Clearnet are in talks about a tie-up over the Baltic's freight derivatives platform, the two groups said on Friday. Volumes have remained low on the loss-making Baltex multilateral trading facility since it started in June 2011. It is the first central electronic marketplace for freight forward agreements (FFA). "We are finalising arrangements with LCH.Clearnet, which clears about 70 percent of the dry bulk FFA market, to enable them to transform OTC (over-the-counter) derivatives into futures in response to certain rule changes," the Baltic's outgoing chairman Quentin Soanes wrote in the exchange's annual report published on Friday.

Quentin Soanes and Jeremy Davies have joined the Sterling Shipping Services team. Having worked in the world of Sale & Purchase shipbroking for 36 and 30 years respectively, both Quentin and Jeremy bring with them a wealth of experience and are highly respected in the business. Quentin will also be well known to many as the current Chairman of the London Baltic Exchange. After commencing trading in September 2013, Quentin and Jeremy will further enhance the service Sterling Shipping Services provides to its clients on sale and purchase as well as other associated services such as valuations, consultancy and expert witness appointments. sterlingshipping.com

The industry-led Steering Group running the inaugural London International Shipping Week (LISW) has established an official Board of Advisors which will act as guardians of the event to ensure it maintains objectivity and furthers London’s role as a major global maritime center. The purpose of the Board of Advisors is to lend credibility and high profile support to the LISW event, its aims, objectives and international engagement; while also taking a strategic view of the impact of LISW’s focus, its activities and attractiveness of London’s role in the global shipping industry. The Board of Advisors will have responsibility and accountability for reviewing and assessing LISW’s progress in achieving its strategic aims…

The Board of Braemar Adjusting is delighted to announce the appointment of Grant Smith as Group Managing Director of the company with immediate effect. His appointment is an important stage in the streamlining of the business and will enable senior management within Braemar Adjusting to focus entirely on the needs of its client base around the world. Grant will work closely with his team of Regional Managing Directors – Geoff Thomas (Europe and West Africa); Chris Dye (Americas)…

The board of Braemar Shipping Services PLC (“Braemar”, “the Group” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of James Kidwell as Chief Executive with effect from today. James Kidwell, age 50, is Group Finance Director and has worked for Braemar in that role since June 2002. He succeeds Alan Marsh, who will retire as chief executive today and from the board on 31st July 2012. Alan Marsh has, however, agreed to continue to play an active role in the Shipbroking division. In addition, Quentin Soanes, following his appointment as Chairman of the Baltic Exchange, will also retire from the board on 31st July 2012 but will remain responsible for the Group’s Technical, Logistics and Environmental divisions.

Braemar Shipping Services plc's penetration of the global marine and offshore services sectors continues to develop with the bringing together of its business units under the umbrella control of the Braemar Technical Services (BTS) division. As was set in train with the results’ announcement in May 2011, BTS will bring a broader service as well as operating efficiency benefits to customers of its technical services businesses - Braemar Casbarian, Braemar Falconer, Braemar Steege, Braemar (incorporating The Salvage Association) and Braemar Wavespec/Wavespec. - Braemar (incorporating The Salvage Association) as a leading multi-disciplinary marine surveying and technical consultancy arm providing services to the world's shipping, offshore energy and insurance sectors.