Louis-Dreyfus wants to ground Bimco in reality as he takes the helm

Describing Bimco as “the global association that should be closest to the commercial realities of shipping business,” Louis-Dreyfus stated his aims as promoting the excellent work done by the industry in areas such as safety, pollution and the environment.

“It is not too late to influence future politics, so that they are not just imposed on us," he said, calling for the industry and its associations to be proactive in responding to changes.

The new president sees Bimco's development of standard contracts and clauses as fundamental to Bimco's reputation, and highlighted the development of a standard ship finance term sheet as a strong example of Bimco supporting shipping businesses.

“I see this as being absolutely at the heart of what Bimco does – finding new ways to help members and acting swiftly for their benefit.”

Bimco is also reviewing its corporate identity. The association will assess its identity against its core principals, using research from its membership to check that those prinicipals are central to its activities and its presentation to the industry.

“I believe this is a valid and crucial step for Bimco to take and it will also use the needs and engagement of its members as a guiding force,” said Louis-Dreyfus.