Birdon Names Albertson Maritime Executive GM
Australia-based Birdon Group announced it has appointed Mark Albertson as its new Executive General Manager of Maritime, effective from July 1, 2024.Albertson brings to the role experience and expertise from the defense and heavy industries sectors, having most recently served as Executive Manager Operations, at the Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) in Henderson, Perth. With a career that began in the Royal Australian Navy in Aviation Maintenance Engineering, Albertson has since made significant contributions to the mining and utilities sector.
Apprenticeship Programs Are Key to the Future of Marine Welding
Uncle Sam wants you â to choose a career in welding. The chronic shortage of qualified welders has been well documented. The American Welding Society (AWS) even created a website â www.weldingworkforcedata.com â so that industry and the media could share accurate data. Currently, the U.S. needs 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028.While some may shrug at the shortage of welders in the offshore, marine and civil fabrication industries, the need for welders to shore up the U.S.
Engines, Inc. Names Hughes Managing Director
engines, inc., a Jonesboro, Ark. based distributor of diesel engines and generator sets, has hired David Hughes as its new managing director. Hughes is an industry veteran with expertise in marine diesel product management, having most recently served as sales manager for marine products at Scania USA. He has also held leadership positions at distributors such as Superior Diesel and Hamilton Power Solutions."I'm excited for the opportunity to join the team at engines, inc. They've been a successful and well-respected engine distributor and supplier to the marine market since 1979âŠ
Simulators Track our Changing Relationship with Technology
Simulation-based training has its whole-of-ship/whole-of-team scenarios, but zooming in, the industry is now working on more specific targets.We have a close relationship with technology, evidenced by, for example, the phones we are estimated to unlock around 50-80 times a day. It has changed us. Half the people surveyed in a 2022 Kingâs College London study said that they feel like their attention span is shorter than it used to be. They are wrong, though, if they think that the average attention span of adults today is just eight seconds, one second less than goldfish.
Mack Boring Promotes Ponnwitz to Lead New Sustainable Energy Division
Somerset, N.J. based Mack Boring & Parts Co. has promoted Christopher Ponnwitz to the role of Chief Commercial Officer of Mack Sustainable Energy, a new division for the company.âI am very happy to announce that Chris has moved into this new role, where he will be leading our efforts to further expand and grow the electric marine market, particularly with the ePropulsion product line,â said Patrick McGovern, President and CEO of Mack Boring. âChris has been an exemplary leader for our company, and heâs a fast learner who has been working relentlessly to promote electric propulsion.
SCHOTTEL Names Roland Schwandt Deputy CEO
SCHOTTEL GmbH announced it has appointed Roland Schwandt as Deputy CEO with effect from January 1, 2024.Schwandt joined SCHOTTEL in 2000 as a graduate naval architect, starting his career as a project and sales manager in various SCHOTTEL sales segments. After briefly managing the Tug & Offshore Energy segment, in 2018 he was entrusted with the responsibility for the global sales activities of SCHOTTEL GmbH and its now 14 subsidiaries as Vice President Sales.Alongside his role at SCHOTTELâŠ
US FMC Names Usman Chief Information Officer
Mohammad âAliâ Usman has been hired as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.Usman will serve as director in all areas of information technology (IT) and as the primary IT technical advisor to the Managing Director.He assumes his new duties effective immediately.âWell functioning, publicly accessible, and secured information systems are vital to being able to meet the mission of a government agency in the 21st Century. Mr.
S&B Names Sipes CEO
Jeffrey G. Sipes has been named chief executive officer at engineering and construction firm S&B, parent company to naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers.âS&B has a remarkable record of growth and success over the past sixty years, and we look forward to decades of further success. The markets we serve are changing, creating new opportunities for growth. Jeff is the leader who can successfully guide the company to capitalize on these opportunities. He brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of both S&Bâs markets and the companyâs distinctive capabilitiesâŠ
AME Hires Paul Savage as Operations Manager
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based maritime and industrial mechanical service repair specialist Advanced Mechanical Enterprises (AME) announced it has appointed Paul Savage as its new Operations Manager.With over 30 years of leadership and project management experience, Savage joins the AME management team from Veolia North America, where he served as Vice President, managing complex industrial and government contracts. At Veolia, Savage was at the helm of commercial, state, and federal contractsâŠ
Ramping up Warship Production, Shipbuilder to Add 1000 Jobs
Babcock International Group (Babcock) is creating more than 1,000 new jobs at its large-scale, advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding facility in Rosyth.The new job opportunities will include 400 apprenticeships, 350 production support operatives, skilled engineers, tradespeople, and graduates to support programs like the Type 31 frigate design and build."Attracting and retaining talent is essential to the future success of our business and directly benefits the local communities in which we operate," said David Lockwood, Chief Executive, Babcock International Group.
TAI Engineers Names Kalla Director of Production Design
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers, owned by S&B, announced it has appointed Amer Kalla as director of production design, based in Houston."We are excited to have Amer Kalla join the TAI team. His wealth of experience and expertise will play a crucial role in advancing our production design capabilities and contributing to the success of our projects,â said Kris Karri, senior vice president of operations and chief engineer at TAI Engineers. âKalla will be responsible for TAIâs global production design team in the U.S.
Aker Arctic Names Mika Hovilainen Interim CEO
Aker Arctic, a Finnish engineering company specializing in the development of ice-going vessels, on Thursday announced it has appointed Mika Hovilainen as interim managing director and CEO following the departure of longtime CEO Reko-Antti Suojanen.Suojanen, who spent 19 years at Aker Arctic, including 10 as CEO, announced in December he would depart the company to explore new opportunities elsewhere.âI will pass the helm to Mika Hovilainen with good confidence. Mika has been working for a long time at Aker Arctic and has been leading our Ship Design activitiesâŠ
Seçkin Uz Named Managing Director at elkon
In addition to his present and continuing role as managing director of SCHOTTEL Turkey, Seçkin Uz has been appointed managing director of SCHOTTELâs sister company elkon.In his new position at elkon, Seçkin Uz will be dedicated to utilizing various synergies between propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL and electrical system integrator elkon. At the same time, he aims to strengthen elkonâs international growth and business development in the global maritime industry.Seçkin Uz succeeds ErtuÄ YaĆar, who held this position for nine years.
Mark Exeter Joins Kraken Technology Group as COO
U.K. based Kraken Technology Group announced it has appointed Mark Exeter as its new chief operating officer.Exeter joins Kraken from L3Harris where he was managing director of their U.K.-based autonomous surface vehicles (ASV) division. With a 30-year career in engineering and technology-led businesses, and 16 of those leading multi-disciplinary teams in maritime robotics, Exeterâs appointment as COO will be a significant catalyst and force-multiplier for Krakenâs operational capabilitiesâŠ
New Marine Radar Training Software Launched
U.K.-based Cambridge Pixel has unveiled a new software package to aid in the instruction and learning of the proper usage of maritime radars.SPx Radar Trainer is designed to make it easier for students to familiarize themselves with radar controls by providing a modern simulation of a typical radar display, supported by chart and 3D environment views. It includes custom scenario creation for instructors and runs in a browser window for ease-of-use.Developed by Cambridge PixelâŠ
Leichtfried Named Head of Danfoss Drives in N. America
Danfoss Drives announced that Hannes Leichtfried has been appointed head of sales and marketing for the Drives business segment in North America.Leichtfried, an Austrian native, brings to the role nearly 30 years of experience at Danfoss in Austria and Germany. He began his career at Danfoss in 1994 as a technical support engineer, then moved into sales and marketing roles. He was most recently the head of sales and marketing for Danfoss Drives in the Central European region.
Bristol Harbor Group Promotes Eling
Bristol, R.I. based naval architecture and marine engineering form Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced it has promoted a member of its team, Daniel P. Eling, P.E., to a managerial position.Eling, a senior naval architect with six years of experience at the firm, has been promoted to the role of engineering manager.Eling holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Rhode Island.
Interview: Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä
As maritime faces transcendent changes in terms of decarbonization and automation, Juha Kytölä, Director of R&D and Engineering, Wärtsilä, discusses how this Finnish maritime technology powerhouse is investing in the technologies and facilities that will drive the maritime industry for the coming generation, including insights on its unique arrangement for a future fuel engine testbed onboard Wasalineâs MS Aurora Botnia.To start off, can you give a scope of the Wärtsilä R&D investment?We invest heavily in research and development, about 4.1% of our annual turnover.
C-Innovation Names Cribley Business Development Manager
Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) aïŹliate C-Innovation (C-I) has welcomed back Lucas Cribley as its new business development manager.During his more than 20-year career, Cribley worked as the program manager and first employee in a joint venture start-up between ECO and FMC Technologies, in which he secured and managed major Inspection, Maintenance, & Repair (IMR), light construction, and Riserless Light Well Intervention (RWLI) projects. As a senior manager at TechnipFMC, CribleyâŠ
Seatrium Names Adrian Teng CFO
Singaporean shipbuilding group Seatrium announced it has appointed Adrian Teng as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective January 1, 2024.Teng brings over two decades of diverse international experience in strategy, finance, restructuring, operations and corporate management across developed and emerging markets. Prior to his current appointment, Teng was Group Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Clifford Capital Holdings, with responsibilities in finance, treasuryâŠ
Zaadnoordijk Named CEO of Radio Holland
Radio Holland Group, part of the Pon Group, has appointed Sven Zaadnoordijk as its new CEO effective January 1, 2024. Sven will replace Kees-Jan Mes, who led the group through an important transformation over the last few years.Zaadnoordijk joined the group in 2012 and brings a wealth of experience in the maritime industry. Having served as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Regional Director for both Asia and Americas, stationed in various countries like The Netherlands, Hong KongâŠ
Corvus Energy Names Fredrik Witte as New CEO
Corvus Energy, a Norway-based provider of battery energy storage solutions and fuel cell systems for maritime, offshore and port applications, has appointed Fredrik Witte as the new CEO, starting January 1, 2024. Until Witte starts, CFO Mette Rokne Hanestad will serve as the Interim CEO.Witte joins from his position as the Managing Director of Cargill Aqua Nutrition. Commenting on the new appointment, Chairman of the Board, Mikael Mäkinen, said: "Corvus Energy is entering anâŠ
Newport News Shipbuilding Continues Hiring Push
HII said its Newport News Shipbuilding division continues to make progress in the area of workforce development acceleration, and is meeting hiring demand for skilled trades positions through community outreach efforts and on-site hiring events.The shipyard recently participated in the Whatâs Next for Success Foundation career and job fair held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Hundreds of people, including local high school students, met with NNS talent acquisition representatives to learn about career opportunities at the shipyardâŠ