The International Marine Contractors Association  has welcomed DEME Offshore Energy Managing Director Hugo Bouvy as its new President.

He succeeded Luca Gentili, Head of Asset, Fabrication, and Project Services at Saipem, at the end of his two-year term at a meeting of IMCA’s Board on 18 March, in line with IMCA’s Articles of Association.

Bruno Pinho, Senior Vice President for Subsea Operations at TechnipFMC, becomes Vice President, and will replace Mr Bouvy as President in two-years’ time.

As the offshore marine industry navigates a period of change driven by technological innovation, geopolitical and demographic trends, and growing expectations around safety and sustainability, Mr Bouvy highlighted three important themes for his Presidency:

• to continue growing IMCA’s influence with political institutions, regulators, clients, and other key stakeholders,
• to support the industry to build the workforce it will need in the coming decades, by growing IMCA’s Next Generation Network – to support the development of junior professionals and open new pathways into offshore careers – and by expanding IMCA Skills to enhance competence across the industry,
• to increase engagement with IMCA Members, across the globe, and particularly among smaller companies, to ensure all Members feel involved in IMCA’s work and to strengthen IMCA’s role as the voice of the marine construction industry.

A familiar face within the Association, Mr 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. Prior to this, he was Director of Tideway BV for 12 years and has also held senior roles with Dredging International.

His career spans major offshore construction projects, subsea operations, and the rapid expansion of offshore renewables in Europe.

Mr Bouvy said: “As our industry transforms, through decarbonisation, innovation and the development of new offshore capabilities, IMCA’s role as the voice of the offshore construction industry has never been more important.

“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.

“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.”

Driven by feedback from Members, IMCA is introducing a range of new initiatives to ensure its activities keep pace with Members’ changing needs.

IMCA is increasing its investment in policy and advocacy with the European Union, national governments, and regulators, building on IMCA’s longstanding engagement with the IMO, where it has been the only organisation dedicated to representing marine contracting interests since 1999.

To support people and skills, 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. In February, it launched IMCA Skills, the new home of professional learning, development, and competence for the offshore marine industry.

And it is planning a range of improvements to its Membership structure to enhance and make more accessible the benefits of IMCA Membership. These include the launch of 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.

Iain Grainger, IMCA Chief Executive, added: “Hugo’s expertise across offshore construction and renewables, combined with his deep understanding of our work, makes him exceptionally well placed to lead us over the coming years.

“As our Members respond to the challenges of the energy transition, technological advancement and global uncertainty, IMCA’s role in defining technical excellence, championing safe operations worldwide, and supporting sustainable practice will only grow in importance.

“I would like to thank Luca for his dedication and leadership over the past two years. He has expertly guided IMCA through a period of considerable change, and we are grateful for his support.”