ABS Adds to Membership

At the recent ABS Council meeting in N.Y., 40 prominent members of the shipping and offshore industries were elected as new members of the international classification society. The ABS Council also elected two new members to the society’s Technical Committee.  

“ABS governance is vested in a membership comprised of distinguished individuals drawn from the international shipping, shipbuilding and offshore industries, from academia, the insurance sector and other related disciplines,” said ABS Chairman and CEO Robert D. Somerville. “The advice and direction these members provide, together with counsel from various national, regional and technical committees, provide us with essential insight into the needs of industry as we develop new Rules and update existing standards that can further improve the design, operation and safety of ships and offshore units.”

The newly elected members serving a five-year term are:
Akimitsu Ashida, President, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Noel L. Basset, Acting President, American Steamship Company
Captain Ali M. Belhag, Chairman, GNMTC – General National Maritime Transport Co.
Bob Browning, Managing Director and CEO, Austal USA
Mel Causer, Senior Vice President, Zurich Global Energy
Frank Costa, President, Berkley Offshore Underwriting Managers, LLC
Joseph L. Cruz, President, Cabras Marine Corporation
Takatoshi Funada, President, Funada Kaiun Co., Ltd.
Antonio Augusto de Queiroz Galvao, General Director, Queiroz Galvao Oleo e Gas S/A
J. Justin Gardener, Vice President, General Reinsurance
Jeff Geiger, President, Bath Iron Works
Kevin M. Graney, Vice President – Engineering, General Dynamics, NASSCO
Hong-Xiang Jia, Executive Board Chairman and President, Grand China Logistics Holding Co., Ltd.
Hong Jun Jung, Chairman and CEO, Sungdong S.B. & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.
Basil M. Karatzas, Vice President – Projects and Finance, Compass Maritime Services
Dr. Michael Kennedy, Managing Director, Hellespont Steamship Corp.
Saburo Koide,  President, Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha
Kingsley C. S. Koo, Technical Director, Valles Steamship Company, Ltd
Shigemi Kurahara, President, IHI Marine United Inc.
Han Joung Kwak, President and CEO, SPP Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
Jai Yong Lee, President and CEO, Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., Ltd.
Peter Liew, Regional Director – AET Americas, AET Inc. Ltd
Thomas F. Martin, President, Northland Services, Inc.
Shinjiro Mishima, President and Executive Director, Universal Shipbuilding Corp.
Takashi Nishino, General Manager – Ship and Marine Project Division II, Marine and Aerospace Business Unit, Mitsui and Co., Ltd.
Rear Admiral Roger T. Nolan, USNR (Ret.), Executive Director, Naval War College Foundation
Kent Paulli, Director, ST Shipping and Transport Pte., Ltd.
Jaco Rabie, Director/General Manager, RK Offshore Management Pte. Ltd.
Louis A. Raspino, President and CEO, Pride International, Inc.
Joe Rella, President, Austal USA
John T. Rynd, President and CEO, Hercules Offshore, Inc.
Puthalath Sankaran, Senior Executive Vice President – Projects, Reliance Industries Ltd.
Felipe Arturo Simian Fernandez, Managing Director, Naviera Chilena Del Pacifico S.A.
D. Loy Stewart, Owner and Chairman of the Board, Detyens Shipyards, Inc.
Koji Usami, President, Mitsubishi Ore Transport Co., Ltd.
Graham Westgarth, President, Teekay Marine Services/Teekay Shipping (Canada) Ltd.
Greg D. Wight, President and CEO, Algoma Central Corporation
Weng Sun Wong, President and COO, Sembcorp Marine Ltd.
Hor Weng Yew, President and CEO, AET Tankers Holdings Sdn. Bhd.
Kenji Yokota, Managing Executive Officer, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.

Elected to the ABS Technical Committee for a three year term are:
Takayuki Sasaki, IHI Marine United Inc.
Satoshi Yamamoto, Universal Shipbuilding Corporation