The Marshall Islands Quality Council (MIQC) held its meeting in December 2023 at The Ned City of London. Chaired by Rear Admiral Kevin S. Cook, United States Coast Guard (Retired), the MIQC gathers biannually as a consultative consortium of industry experts and leaders throughout the maritime industry. These meetings, focused on the open sharing of information and experiences, raise awareness and knowledge on a diverse range of industry issues. Open discussion and dialogue at these meetings facilitate learning, sharing of best practices, and strengthens relationships. The December 2023 MIQC meeting included MIQC members, invited guest speakers, and Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry personnel.
International Registries, Inc.’s (IRI’s) President Bill Gallagher, Chief Maritime Officer Simon Bonnett, and Chief Commercial Officer Theo Xenakoudis opened the meeting with an RMI Registry update, providing high-level insight from both the maritime and corporate perspectives. Nick Makar, Senior Vice President, Maritime Administration/Regulatory Affairs (IRI Reston) and Elizabeth Bouchard, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs (IRI Reston) provided a detailed overview of regulatory outcomes since the last MIQC meeting in June 2023. Tom Payne, Director-Marine Operations, Diamond Offshore Group and Chair of the Offshore Advisory Group provided an update on the recent OAG meeting held in November 2023 in Houston. Hans Krijger, General Manager (IRI Roosendaal) provided an in-depth update on port State control trends worldwide.
The meeting concluded with an insightful discussion on the Russian oil price camp and sanctions with invited guests Laura Harbidge, Head of Oil Price Cap and Trust Sanction Implementation Unit, Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), HM Treasury; Mike Salthouse, Head of External Affairs, NorthStandard; Selena Challacombe, Legal Counsel, INTERTANKO London; Marissa Hall, Foreign Affairs Officer, Bureau of Energy Resources, United States (US) Department of State; and Michael Loughlin, Special Advisor, Bureau of Europe and Eurasian Affairs, US Department of State.
Each MIQC meeting aims to provide a platform for information sharing, open discussion, and collaborative thinking between industry stakeholders and the RMI Registry’s team of professionals.
