Bureau Veritas president, marine and offshore, Alex Gregg-Smith will become the next IACS Council chair from July 1 until December 31, 2027.
Gregg-Smith becomes the third elected chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Council following governance changes introduced in 2020, which also saw the creation of an elected general policy group (GPG) chair co-located in London with the IACS secretariat.
Together, and in full consultation with the IACS Council, the secretary general and the GPG chair will ensure that the Association’s extensive work programme continues to be delivered in line with its strategic plan while Gregg-Smith transitions into the role.
Gregg-Smith has over twenty years’ experience with Bureau Veritas, as well as experience in leadership roles in both shipyards and shipowners. He has also recently taken over the position of president, marine and offshore, at Bureau Veritas, and is a dual UK-French national.
On being selected unanimously by his peers in the Association, Gregg-Smith commented: “The maritime industry is at a crucial stage in its technical, digital and environmental evolution. The role of IACS in ensuring these far-reaching changes are implemented at pace, uniformly and with safety at the core, is fundamental.”
Robert Ashdown, IACS secretary general, added: “The election of Alex by the IACS Council reflects the collective desire of our twelve Member Societies to ensure IACS engages at the highest level and continues to provide regulators and industry with the impartial, non-commercial, expert technical input necessary to support our shared goal of safer, cleaner shipping.”
