NAPA Strengthens Board With Appointment Of Tor E. Svensen

 NAPA, the leading maritime software, services, and data analysis provider, today announced the appointment of Tor E. Svensen, Vice President, Marine Technology at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to its board. Svensen has previously served as CEO of DNV GL Maritime, chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), and professor at the University of Strathclyde. 

As CEO of DNV GL Maritime, the biggest class society in the world, Svensen helped to outline a consistent vision of shipping's technology-enabled future, which achieved sustained, empirical improvements in safety, sustainability, and efficiency. He will leverage this expertise to support NAPA’s mission of developing and scaling technology for a safer and smarter shipping industry, with a particular focus on cruise.

In recent years cruise ships have become substantially larger, technologically advanced and complex. In doing so, they have added equipment and facilities that would have been beyond the historical remit of classification societies. Svensen has been at the forefront of facilitating these developments and also helping shipowners to increase fuel efficiency, optimising design, and improve safety.

Ilmo Kuutti, President of NAPA Group, commented, “Passenger vessels, particularly cruise ships, are often at the forefront in embracing new technologies and safety measures. NAPA and our clients will benefit from Tor’s unparalleled experience and expertise. Today, NAPA board members together represent important domain expertise in every aspect of maritime business, including design, building, operation, and classification of ships.”

Tor E. Svensen, added, “Having been closely involved in the process of assessing new vessels coming through for class approval, I have seen first hand the incredible benefits that ship designers and operators can achieve with NAPA’s innovative software solutions - safety and optimal performance have never been more important. We’re seeing that every day in the huge demand for NAPA’s software design and operational solutions, and I look forward to helping NAPA to continue to achieve the right strategic focus and to continue their successful growth.”

Svensen has worked in the maritime industry for more than four decades. He graduated from the University of Newcastle in with a degree in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding, and also subsequently received a Ph.D. from the same university. Prior to joining DNV GL, Svensen was Head of the Ship Division at The Norwegian Maritime Research Institute (MARINTEK).

The NAPA Board is chaired by Mitsuhiko Kidogawa, Regional Manager of Europe and Africa, ClassNK. The other members of the Board are Hirofumi Takano, Senior Corporate Officer of ClassNK, Hayato Suga, Corporate Officer of ClassNK, and Patrik Rautaheimo, CEO of Elomatic.