IBIA Members Support Restructuring Process
THE International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has started to put in place a strategy designed to reposition it as the focal point of leadership, influence and representation for the marine fuels industry.
At its annual convention in Cape Town last month, IBIA secured the unanimous agreement of its members to implement a new constitution by approving a revised Memorandum and Articles of Association. And it has confirmed that its executive structure is now to be headed by a board of directors, rather than by the council of management which has been in place since IBIA was formed in 1993. Instead of 25 council members plus a secretary-general and a small executive, IBIA is to have a board of twelve directors, including a chief executive.
It is intended that the board will consist of four officers – chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer and immediate past-chairman. The remaining directors will be drawn, where possible, from different sectors and regions of the industry and, where practical, it is the intention that each sector/region will be represented on the board. It is felt that such a board of directors, fully representing the membership base, will mean that IBIA can be more dynamic in terms of responding to the changing commercial environment within which it operates. Board members will focus on strategy and governance of IBIA, leaving the chief executive accountable for performance against agreed objectives.
Under changes agreed to the Articles of Association, the 2008/9 chairman and vice-chairman (Fritz Fredriksen and Chris Fisher) will automatically be elected to the roles of immediate past-chairman and chairman respectively of the 2009/10 board of directors to allow for continuity and a smooth hand-over from the council to the board of directors. An interim Board Development Committee will receive nominations, open to all members, for the board of directors, and conduct an assessment of the candidates. The committee’s recommended list of candidates will be subject to approval by the members of IBIA.
Current IBIA secretary-general Ian Adams says, “Sixteen nominations for directorship have so far been received, and elections will take place in the early part of 2009, possibly in February. It is expected that the appointments will carry varying lengths of tenure. This is an exciting development, and one which represents an advance on the old system of management by council which, in some respects, could be unwieldy and less effective than it should have been.
“Our members have told us what they want, both at the annual convention and in a survey conducted in late 2006. It is important to move with the times, and to embrace change where necessary and appropriate. IBIA has listened to its members, and what we are seeing now is the start of a process which will position IBIA as the undisputed representative body of choice for all suppliers and consumers of marine fuels who put quality and best practice at the heart of their operational ethos.”
• About IBIA
Founded in 1993, IBIA is the trade association of the global bunker industry. Its membership is drawn from bunker buyers, traders, brokers, suppliers and service companies worldwide. IBIA is dedicated to promoting quality and professionalism in international bunkering, and is engaged in a series of long-term initiatives designed to raise standards in the industry.
Contact IBIA
Ian Adams / +44 (0) 2380 226 555 / [email protected]