Page 40: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2016)

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Nick Brown

Nick Brown joined Lloyd’s Register in 1996. He worked as a ship survey-

MANY SECTORS IN THE GLOBAL at the end of the tunnel. As well, I think, or in Bahrain, Dubai, Finland and Germany and has extensive experience

MARITIME MARKET ARE CHAL- the evolution of information technology of ship repair and conversion projects. In 2004 he returned to London to

LENGED TODAY, TO PUT IT MILDLY. and technical capabilities may change work on the development of LR’s award winning “Hull Integrity” service -

HOW, SPECIFICALLY, DO THESE society and economic life in a manner launched at Posidonia in 2006.

MARKET CYCLES IMPACT LR? that could profoundly change shipping.

During 2005 Nick led LR’s global tanker business at a time when IACS’

The collapse in dry cargo freight rates, This cyclical downturn is an important

Common Structural Rules (CSR) for Tankers were being ? nalized. Follow- the collapse in the price of oil and in de- opportunity for us to be as ready as we ing the adoption of the CSRs in 2006, he moved to China, initially in a mand for offshore assets, weakness in the can for what’s coming next.

business development role as the shipbuilding market took off and new containership markets and other sectors ship owners entered the industry. Subsequently, he was promoted to Area has, as we well know, reduced demand OIL … THE INESCAPABLE CON-

General Manager and Marine Manager for Greater China.

In October 2013, after seven years leading LR’s activities in China, Nick for new ships and ? oating assets. The for- VERSATION! HOW HAS THE LIN- was appointed Director for Business Development and Innovation - based ward orderbook in the large Asian yards GERING LOW PRICE FOR OIL at LR’s Global Technology Center (GTC) in Southampton. In July 2014, has declined dramatically – especially in TANGIBLY IMPACTED LR?

with LR’s Marine business continuing to grow, he was appointed Marine Korea. These related market factors af- It has affected our energy business

Chief Operating Of? cer. In January 2016 he was appointed Marine Direc- fect us considerably but cyclicality is in quite considerably and the impact on tor, responsible for LR’s entire marine and energy compliance businesses.

the nature of the shipping business and some of our shipbuilding clients who

Nick’s focus is on leading LR to meet the technical and commercial we are adjusting accordingly – moving moved heavily into offshore has been challenges facing the marine industry, providing the support, services to help our clients deal with their current dramatic. Projects have been stopped and innovation needed to meet ever increasing safety, environmental and cost and production challenges and man- and put on hold – and we are all suffer- ef? ciency goals. aging our cost base. This down-cycle is ing in this respect. I don’t want to try and

He is a graduate of Nottingham University, a Chartered Mechanical En- proving particularly deep – and broad – predict the future for oil prices but I do gineer and a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the and many are struggling to see the light feel that the emphasis is now on gas for

Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.

40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • AUGUST 2016

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