Alex Gregg-Smith, who serves as President Marine & Offshore at Bureau Veritas, commenced his duties as the Chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Council on July 1. His election to this prominent position was unanimous, occurring in December 2025. He succeeds Nick Brown from Lloyd's Register, marking a scheduled leadership transition within the organization.
IACS plays a crucial role in the maritime industry by establishing and maintaining technical standards for ship safety and environmental protection. Its members, which are classification societies, survey and certify over 90% of the world's cargo-carrying tonnage. The Council Chair's role involves guiding IACS's strategic direction and ensuring its continued influence in global shipping regulations.
For freight forwarders and operations managers, changes in IACS leadership typically do not have an immediate direct impact on daily operations, rates, or capacity. However, IACS's work on safety and environmental standards underpins the regulatory framework that governs vessel construction and operation. Any shifts in IACS priorities under new leadership could, over the long term, influence future vessel designs, maintenance requirements, and the adoption of new technologies, which might indirectly affect vessel availability or operational costs for carriers, eventually trickling down to freight pricing or service reliability.
