The Council of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has announced the election of Alex Gregg-Smith to the position of IACS Chair. Mr Gregg-Smith will assume the role on 1 July and his term of office will run until 31 December 2027.
Alex Gregg-Smith, President, Marine & Offshore at Bureau Veritas, leads the Group’s global Marine & Offshore business, supporting the maritime industry through a period of significant transformation with a focus on safety, sustainability, and operational resilience. Alex brings more than 30 years of experience across classification, shipowner, and shipyard leadership. He has spent over 20 years with Bureau Veritas across two periods, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Marine & Offshore Asia Pacific, and Chief Executive for Marine & Offshore China. His earlier career at Bureau Veritas included senior technical and management roles across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Beyond Bureau Veritas, Alex has held senior roles in the maritime industry, including Manager of the London Maritime Service Centre at DNV, Vice President Technical at Siem Shipping managing the company’s owned fleet, and Chief Executive Officer for the owners of FSG shipyard in Germany. Alex holds an M.Eng in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a Master of Laws in Maritime Law. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (F.RINA).
On being selected unanimously by his peers in the Association, Mr 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. I am honoured that the IACS Council has elected me to oversee the Association at this pivotal time.”
Mr Gregg-Smith has over twenty years’ experience with Bureau Veritas, as well as extensive experience in leadership roles in both shipyards and shipowners. He has also recently taken over the position of President, Marine & Offshore, Bureau Veritas, and is a dual UK-French national.
Mr Gregg-Smith becomes the third elected IACS Council Chair 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 Mr Gregg-Smith transitions into the role.
Mr Robert Ashdown, IACS Secretary General, congratulated Mr Gregg-Smith, saying, “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.”
Dedicated to safe ships and clean seas, IACS makes a unique contribution to maritime safety and regulation through technical support, compliance verification, and research and development. More than 90% of the world’s cargo-carrying tonnage is covered by the classification design, construction and through-life compliance rules and standards set by the twelve Member Societies of IACS.