Mr. Kenney currently serves as the Director of Legal and External Affairs at the International Maritime Organization, London. In this capacity, he is responsible for advising the Secretary-General on all legal issues associated with the functioning of the Organization, with special emphasis on matters of treaty law and the law of the sea. He provides legal counsel to the Secretariat staff supporting IMO’s committees and sub-committees and has particular responsibility as Secretary for the Organization’s Legal Committee. He oversees the Organization’s role as depositary for the 53 multilateral conventions adopted under the aegis of IMO. He also oversees the operation of IMO’s Public Information Service, its Maritime Knowledge Centre and External Relations Office.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Kenney has served as the Chair of the Secretary-General’s Seafarers Crisis Action Team.  In July and August 2022, Mr. Kenney served as the UN Interim Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative and as Senior UN Representative to its Joint Coordination Centre.

Prior to joining the Secretariat of IMO, Mr. Kenney served as the Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the United States Coast Guard, attaining the rank of Rear Admiral.  Previously, he served as the Chief of the Coast Guard’s Office of Maritime and International Law and as a judge on the Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals. He served at sea for more than 5 years, including service on a polar icebreaker and extensive service conducting tactical law enforcement operations.

Mr. Kenney holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law.  He has written and lectured widely, including as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, the IMO International Maritime Law Institute, the World Maritime University and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies.