North P&I Club Appoints Job de Groot of Van Oord as New Vice Chairman

The 175 million GT, ‘A’ rated North P&I Club has appointed Job de Groot of Van Oord as its new vice chairman.  He succeeds Lars Christensen of Norden A/S, who stood down from the role as well as from the club’s board at the directors’ meeting on 5 November 2015.

North chairman Pratap Shirke says, ‘Job has a wealth of commercial and legal expertise in the international specialist shipping sector, making him ideally suited to assume the role of vice chairman at North. I look forward to working closely with him over the coming years as we continue to build on North’s financial strength and stability. I would also like to thank Lars for his invaluable contribution to the board over the past 10 years.’

de Groot first joined North as a director in 2006 and continues to serve on its group risk and audit committees. He is also a director of North’s fishing and aquaculture subsidiary Sunderland Marine.

de Groot currently heads the legal and contracts department at Rotterdam-based Van Oord, one of the world’s leading dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy project contractors. The €2 billion turnover company operates a fleet of 75 specialist construction vessels. 

Other changes made at North’s board meeting last week include the appointment of Alex Lynch MBE as chairman of the risk committee and Peter Johnson as chairman of the audit committee. Lynch was previously group finance director of Scottish ferry operator David MacBrayne and joined the club’s board in 2013. Johnson was formerly senior audit partner of accountant KPMG in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK and has served on the Sunderland Marine board since 2000.

Joint managing director Alan Wilson says, ‘I am delighted with these recent board changes as they ensure we continue to have the highest quality of expertise at the core of our corporate governance structure.’

Joint managing director Paul Jennings says, ‘Led by Pratap Shirke and Job de Groot, I am confident North’s board will maintain their drive to improve the financial strength of stability of the club, ensuring all members and clients continue receiving the highest levels of service and security.’

ENDS

For further information contact: Kim Heaselden +44 191 232 5221

Note to Editors

North is a leading global marine insurer providing P&I, FD&D, war risks and ancillary insurance to 130 million GT of owned tonnage on a mutual basis and 45 million GT of chartered tonnage. Through its guaranteed subsidiary Sunderland Marine, North is also a leading insurer of fishing vessels, small craft and aquaculture risks. The Club is based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK with regional offices in Greece, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore and Sunderland Marine offices worldwide. North is a leading member of the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG), with 11.6% of the IG’s owned tonnage. The 13 IG clubs provide liability cover for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage and, as a member of the IG, North protects and promotes the interests of the international shipping industry.