BIMCO Unveils New Contract Editing Solution
BIMCO has launched SmartCon, a new solution for editing contracts that is designed to make contractual work easier and more secure. “SmartCon is a brand-new approach to contract editing, we believe that it will significantly ease the work life of our current users and will attract new users to BIMCO’s contract universe,” said Grant Hunter, Head of Contracts and Clauses at BIMCO. The key innovation in SmartCon is that the features are built into a Word document, which will integrate and merge seamlessly with the normal workflow of shipping professionals and legal staff.
Change of Guard at BIMCO
BIMCO has announced that its new Secretary General/CEO to succeed Mr Torben C. Skaanild on his retirement later this year will be Mr Angus R. Frew, currently Chief Executive of the UK Chamber of Shipping. The appointment of Mr Frew was unanimously approved last week by the BIMCO Executive Committee at its meeting in Shanghai. It is expected that Mr Frew, who will be relocating to Denmark, will take up his appointment on 1st October 2013. Mr Skaanild will continue in a support role to the new Secretary General, and the incoming President of BIMCO, for a period of six months thereafter.
Clients Respond to BIMCO’s Idea
Only six months after its official launch in Beijing, BIMCO’s Internet Document Editing Application (idea) has garnered a list of clients worldwide. The number of companies using idea now exceeds 100 and includes not only shipowners and shipbrokers, but also ship management companies, port agents and law firms. The broad appeal of idea stems from its ease of use and the wide range of standard shipping documents available, plus the ability to share the same edited document between offices. In addition to numerous conventional voyage and time charter parties, idea offers electronic versions of ship and crew management agreements, towage contracts, bills of lading and statements of fact.
New Management Elected At BIMCO
BIMCO Informatique has elected Jan Henrik Monsen as manager, while Per Løvgren was appointed IT Manager. Monsen, who has been marketing executive for BIMCO, will now be responsible for the administrative and commercial areas of the organization such as development of standard products and marketing functions. As IT manager, Løvgren, who has been with BIMCO since 1996, will be closely coordinated with the department and include all technical matters involving the organization.
