Page 15: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2021)

Robert Allan & Mike Fitzpatrick Re? ect on

Designing Boats: 90 Years & Counting

By Greg Trauthwein obert Allan founded Robert Allan Ltd. in 1930

Did you always know that yours would be a career in when he commenced private practice as a con- maritime?

sulting Naval Architect after serving as Techni- Robert G. Allan I’m not sure that I always knew that

R cal Manager of a local major shipyard. In the 90 Greg, but I really didn’t have much of a genetic chance. You years that have passed, the organization has evolved from know, my father and grandfather were both naval architects. a one-man shop to a global powerhouse in the business of My other grandfather was a steam engineer and I kind of just naval architecture and marine design. Following the founder grew up with salt water in my veins. The only time I ever into the business were his namesake son and grandson, with kind of wavered from that, in grade school, a teacher would the company in recent years passing to an employee-owned ask you, “Are you going to be a ? reman, a policeman or a model led by Mike Fitzpatrick. Robert G. Allan, Executive doctor?” And I’d put up my hand and say, “I’m going to be a

Chairman, and Mike Fitzpatrick, President & CEO recently naval architect.” And of course, no grade school teacher ever interviewed with Maritime Reporter TV to discuss not only knew what a naval architect was. But yeah, I think I always the company’s rich past, but also the drivers for what is shap- did it. In my teen years, I was quite keen on architecture.

ing to be a promising future.

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