Timmerman Elected ISU President

Joop Timmermans was elected President of the International Salvage Union at the ISU’s September Annual Meeting in Quebec. Joop Timmermans, managing director of the Dutch towage, salvage and heavy lift company I.T.C. (International Transport Contractors), succeeds Jean Labescat, of the French Les Abeilles. Joop is a master mariner by profession. He commenced his seagoing career in 1962 with Nederland Line (Royal Dutch Mail) of Amsterdam, which later merged with NedLloyd Lines. He obtained his Master's License in the early 1970s. In 1975, Joop joined I.T.C. as a Marine Superintendent. He became Manager of the Commercial Department four years later and Vice-President in 1983. In 1991, he moved to Fairmount Marine of Rotterdam as Managing Director, a position he held for six years. Joop returned to I.T.C. in 1997 as Managing Director. He has been a member of the ISU’s Executive Committee since 1999 and was appointed ISU Vice-President during 2000. He is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch National Towing Museum in Maassluis. In addition, the Annual Meeting in Quebec elected Hans van Rooij, Managing Director of SMIT Salvage B.V., as Vice-President. Hans joined SMIT in 1978. In 1991, he left SMIT to join Greenpeace Netherlands as Executive Director. After two years as Managing Director of Wijsmuller Salvage, he returned to SMIT in 1997.