The London P&I Club has today announced that Ian Gooch will be stepping down during the year from the role of chief executive officer after 15 years as CEO and 21 years as a director of A. Bilbrough & Co., the company that manages The London P&I Club.
Ian Gooch will be succeeded by James Bean from NorthStandard P&I Club. Gooch will continue as a member of the A Bilbrough & Co team, supporting Bean and the senior management team, to ensure an orderly transition.
A qualified solicitor, James Bean has worked within the marine insurance industry since 2005 and was appointed to the NorthStandard’s senior leadership team in February 2023. Before that, he was the group managing director at the Standard Club.
“Having served The London P&I Club and Bilbrough for over two decades, I am very proud of what our team has accomplished. After such a tenure, following a strong renewals season and the Club’s positive trajectory, I feel the time is right to step aside,” said Ian Gooch.
“It is a real privilege to take this next step in my career and join The London P&I Club at an exciting time for the company. On a personal level, I greatly valued all of my time at NorthStandard and the opportunities and experiences afforded to me over the past 19 years,” noted James Bean.
John M Lyras, chairman of the London P&I Club, pointed out: “I am delighted to welcome James to the Club. He has first-rate credentials with extensive industry experience, and he will have all the support he may need from the Board, Members’ Committee and our Membership for his new role. I am pleased to say that Ian will remain involved with us, supporting James and the team in continuing to deliver the highest standards of service for the Club and increasing our Membership, in line with our strategic goals.”
The London P&I Club is a provider of marine protection and indemnity (P&I), freight, demurrage and defence (FD&D) and war risks cover to an international membership of shipowners and charterers with a combined tonnage totalling 69m gt. It is also one of The International Group of P&I Club’s 12 member Clubs, which together provide marine mutual cover to approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage.
The Club recently reported a strong outcome to the February 2024 P&I renewal and saw year-on-year growth in its mutual tonnage of 8.9%.
