INTERTANKO’s Council of Members met this week in Dubai and elected Nikolas Tsakos as Chairman of the Association. Tsakos has been a member of Council since 2002 and Vice Chairman since 2012. He succeeds Graham Westgarth who stepped down after five years in post.
“The last five years of leading the independent tanker owners have been both rewarding and challenging,” said Westgarth. “The industry has been through one of the worst recessions in recent history, while at the same time we have had to deal with the scourge of piracy and a plethora of new legislation. This meant that INTERTANKO had to remain focused on our mission of providing support to our members, being a respected voice in the legislative environment and raising awareness of the importance of shipping to the global economy, while at the same time increasing our emphasis on the commercial sustainability of the industry.”
“I believe that INTERTANKO has continued to exhibit real leadership in all these areas and is well-placed to deal with the challenges of the future,” continued Westgarth. “The selection by Council of Nikolas Tsakos as the next Chairman is an inspired one and I am certain he will continue to lead the organisation for the benefit of INTERTANKO Members and of the tanker industry.”
Nikolas Tsakos, President and Chief Executive of Tsakos Energy Navigation, is ready and willing to continue the work started by Westgarth in shifting the focus of INTERTANKO more towards commercial sustainability while retaining its emphasis on technical and operational issues.
“Graham has been a charismatic leader during the tanker industry’s unprecedented downturn,” said Tsakos. “I am honoured to take over from him at a time when INTERTANKO’s role in today’s challenging environment is more prominent than ever. Operational excellence and environmental protection together with commercial sustainability will continue to be the Association’s main goals.”
“I look forward to leading INTERTANKO as it continues to advance the interests of the independent tanker owners. We can make a difference in the technical, operational, regulatory and commercial arenas in which we work; we can make a day-to-day difference for our Members; and we can make a difference for our industry.”
Source: Intertanko