Alex Gregg-Smith, President, BV Marine & Offshore, takes over as IACS Council Chair
The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) is pleased to announce that, with effect from 1 July, Mr Alex Gregg-Smith, President Marine & Offshore at Bureau Veritas, has assumed his duties as Chair of the IACS Council having been unanimously elected in December 2025.
In preparation, Alex Chaired the 93rd meeting of the IACS Council (C93) which took place in Busan on 17/18 June where he set out his vision for his term in office. In his opening speech, Alex highlighted that increasing geo-political upheaval and irregular operating conditions, exacerbated by disruptive technologies, reinforce the need for apolitical, technical leadership from IACS if quality shipping standards are to be upheld across the globe. By speaking with a single, powerful voice, IACS can add significant value to the many technical and regulatory debates that are currently taking place, and which will determine the future shape of the industry.
Commenting on his appointment and looking ahead, Alex Gregg-Smith said: “It is a great honour to lead IACS at this pivotal time. Class is evolving rapidly and IACS has played a vital role in the global success story that is shipping. While our industry is bigger - and now safer - than ever, we must grasp the opportunities of new technologies and digitalisation to develop new solutions to further drive safety, security and performance.
“I want to underline our work on safety, especially for new fuels and where we are leading the way in the continuous improvement of ships’ structural integrity, through our ongoing evolution of the Common Structural Rules (CSR). Above all, we need to listen to, and work with, our key stakeholders: shipowners, shipyards and flag states, as we develop new technical standards.
“Shifting geopolitical realities and market dynamics, combined with regulatory uncertainty and fast-moving technological developments all serve to make the role of Class, and IACS, more important than ever. IACS will have to keep evolving while remaining true to our four foundational pillars of Leadership, Technical Knowledge, Quality Performance and Transparency.”
Welcoming Alex to his role as IACS Council Chair, Secretary General Robert Ashdown stated: “Alex brings a wealth of experience from previous roles in shipowning and shipbuilding in addition to his work within Class. As IACS’ role evolves to reflect the changing needs of the industry, this background makes Alex ideally qualified to lead the Association as we work increasingly closely with all stakeholders in pursuit of our common objectives of safer ships and cleaner seas.”