The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has appointed Hugo Bouvy, Managing Director of DEME Offshore Energy, as its new president, succeeding Luca Gentili, Head of Asset, Fabrication, and Project Services at Saipem.
According to IMCA, Bouvy has served as the Managing Director of the Offshore Energy segment at DEME and as a member of DEME’s executive committee since 2019, after having held the director position at Tideway BV for 12 years, as well as senior roles with Dredging International.
He succeeded Gentili at the end of his two-year term at a meeting of IMCA’s Board on March 18, in line with the association’s Articles of Association.
Bruno Pinho, Senior Vice President for Subsea Operations at TechnipFMC, has become Vice President and will replace Bouvy as President in two years.
“I am honoured to take on the Presidency at such a pivotal time, I look forward to working with IMCA’s secretariat and Members to deliver IMCA’s mission – to advocate for technical excellence and standardisation, champion a safe, skilled, and diverse workforce, and support sustainability and energy efficiency in Members’ operations,” said Bouvy .
“I am passionate about ensuring IMCA continues to provide the technical leadership and collective voice our industry needs as we deliver offshore energy responsibly and for the long term. People and skills form a crucial part of this – supporting our people, and attracting the next generation of talent to our industry, will define our future.”
Bouvy said his three important themes for the presidency include continuing to grow IMCA’s influence with political institutions, regulators, clients, and other key stakeholders, supporting the industry to build the workforce it will need in the coming decades, as well as increasing engagement with IMCA members across the globe, and particularly among smaller companies.
Of note, IMCA launched the IMCA Next Generation Network earlier this month to support the development of junior professionals working for member companies and open new pathways into offshore careers. This followed the launch of IMCA Skills in February, the new home of professional learning, development, and competence for the offshore marine industry.
The association further said it was planning a range of improvements to its membership structure to enhance and make more accessible the benefits of the membership, including a new membership committee, a simplified membership structure and renewals process, and a new membership category to open up IMCA membership to small businesses and sole traders.