World Bunkering > News > Winter 2010 > An interview with the IBIA Board

The IBIA convention included an opportunity for the current members of the IBIA Board to introduce themselves, and explain both what they think is important about IBIA’s current role, and where they would like to take it in the future. Chief executive Ian Adams was asking the questions: IBIA members got to have their say as well

Chris Fisher – Immediate Past President

Chris Fisher introduced himself as a ‘series of exes’ – ex-chief engineer, ex-marine director, ex-company manager, and currently ex-IBIA chairman. “Being the chair of IBIA is a major commitment, as it extends over three years; one as vice-chair, one as chairman, and one as immediate past chairman, but good fun,” Chris says. “Having been involved in IBIA since its earliest days, I believe it’s going in the right direction.” He highlighted the immense changes that have taken place in IBIA over the last few years, taking both membership and board membership well beyond the UK, and meaning that IBIA is no longer the ‘London gang’ it was at the outset. “My theme is always education,” Chris says. “Establishing a qualifications programme is not as easy as we thought, but it will happen.”

Bob Lintott – Vice Chairman

IBIA’s vice chair introduced himself as the ‘token member of the board from the US’, but admits his accent gives him away as the exile from the UK that he really is. Bob claims to have ‘no qualifications in anything’, but has spent a very long time in the industry, as broker, trader, supplier’s rep, business owner, and now as a director of ISO Bunkers.

Nigel Draffin

Like Chris, Nigel is another Board member with what he describes as the ‘dubious distinction’ of being one of the original members of IBIA. Both Nigel and ex-board member Bob Thornton were working for well-known oil majors at the time, and were allowed to join IBIA on condition they stayed well away from any contentious issues. Accordingly, Bob Thornton ended up on the environment committee and Nigel on the safety committee – showing just what a sea change the industry has undergone in the 18 years since IBIA was established. Nigel has also been a stalwart of the education committee, and says that education “is one of the things that IBIA can really deliver”.

Having seen IBIA develop from the earliest days, Nigel is convinced that “the new board structure is much, much more effective than the old one. With just a dozen of us round the table, where the old council had 25, we can actually take decisions! The new structure is providing the best control of your organisation so far”.

Angus Ogilvie

Angus, who has a background in chemistry and joined Cockett Oil, as it then was, 30 years ago, is another board member with a long IBIA history. He has been treasurer twice, and served on many committees. “I think IBIA has a lot going for it, but there is a lot to be done yet,” he said. At the moment, he is principally interested in IBIA’s education and bridge-building efforts.

Trevor Harrison

As a barrister, Trevor Harrison claims he’d do anything for money – so why, he asks, is he a member of the IBIA Board, an entirely voluntary position? The answer – which some may find surprising – is quite simply that it’s fun.

As a lawyer, Trevor says he inevitably provides guidance to the board, and sometimes to members, on legal aspects of the bunkering business, often on some unusual aspects of the law. This is often behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t come into the public domain. He also regularly represents IBIA at IMO meetings. “IBIA has, I think, a good reputation at IMO, and we punch well above our weight in what is a tremendous lobbying forum. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to act as IBIA’s IMO representative, and I hope you’re pleased with what we do.”

Looking to the future, while IBIA has developed tremendously, Trevor would like to see that development continue. “I’d like to see IBIA expand its research activities, and perhaps become a point of reference for anyone who wants information on the industry.”

Jens Maul Jorgenson

Jens has spent ‘just’ 20 years in the bunker industry, starting out working for a charterer in 1990. In 2007 he left the Armada group to start a bunker desk for Oldendorff Carriers, which he still heads up today. Jens joined the Board in April and had just attended his third board meeting. “I am quite proud to be a member of this group – people have high levels of skills and experience, and always have a reply to your questions,” he says. “I feel that we have a strong board and a strong team at IBIA, and will in future be even better than we are today.”

John Stirling

A familiar figure at bunker conferences and seminars, John Stirling has spent 22 years at DNVPS. He became involved in IBIA in 2007, and joined the council in 2008, bringing both representation from the Scandinavian region and a connection with the fuel testing sector. John believes the Board is able and willing to push IBIA forward.

Mike Ball - Chairman

Mike is another ex-marine engineer, but, he says: “Once a marine engineer, always a marine engineer.” He first became a member of the IBIA council in 2001. Despite all the changes that have taken place, Mike says that IBIA has not projected itself to the outside world – or to its membership. “I get disappointed when people ask me what IBIA stands for. We have huge amounts of work going on, and we need to trumpet that. We must promote dialogue between the Board and the members. This is just the baseline, and if it means we get awkward questions, then so be it.”

Simon Neo Tiau Gee

Simon says that he joined the bunker industry ‘by accident’ in 1992. Since then, he has worked for a bunker supplier, for Wilhelmsen Bunkers, and is currently deputy MD of Singapore-based Equatorial Marine Fuels. He joined IBIA’s Asia branch in 2006, and became chairman of the branch in 2009. Simon also sits on the SPRING technical committee, which sets standards for bunkering in Singapore, the Singapore Shipping Association’s bunkering committee, and is a member of the working group on the mass spectrometer. “I am a strong believer in education, and I hope to increase the proficiency of the industry. Bunkering as an industry only really started in the mid-1980s, so it is still young. I want to spread what IBIA is doing to the rest of the region.”

Dilip Mody

“IBIA is supposed to be an international association. That is why I joined the board; to take IBIA to India,” says Dilip. “When I joined the board, I didn’t know what IBIA could do, or was doing. I want to see the free flow of information between the members and the Board – tell us what you want us to do!”

Getting representation

Imami Ibgun, working for Delta in Nigeria, pointed out that while there was strong representation from Asia, Europe and America on the IBIA board, “it would be nice to see Africa involved on the front desk as well”.

All that’s needed to ensure this, said Ian Adams, is to find someone with enthusiasm to stand for the board. “Anybody who feels their region or sector needs more representation should send in an application, which will be passed to the Board development committee, which tries to produce a balanced Board, both geographically and in terms of the skills represented. The IBIA Board uses both Skype and conference calls as a way of ensuring that members can attend all meetings, no matter where in the world they are based.”

In summary, while IBIA tries hard to ensure that its Board is as representative of the industry as possible, it cannot do this unless members are willing to provide that representation.

There is a nomination form on page16 of the magazine for any members interested in applying to join the Board and take a more active role in shaping the future of the organisation – and the industry.