Capt Bertrand Apperry HonFIIMS (President of IIMS 2014 to 2016) and
still president of AFEXMAR (France) remembers...
The French Association of Maritime Experts (AFEXMAR) was a founding member of the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS).
The goal of the maritime experts at that time was to unite in order to promote our expertise considering the profession's planned growth and internationalization in parallel with the fast evolution of global maritime trade.
Our primary goal was providing competent and independent marine surveying experts. To achieve this, we needed a membership recruitment policy that included not only experienced ex-seafarers, of course, but also land- based engineers working in the maritime or related sectors. This was fundamental to our credibility in a world where the old "good enough" approach was no longer acceptable.
The knowledge required today must be regularly updated, as regulations closely follow technological progress and changes. Keeping ourselves current was a challenge, and we immediately began offering our marine surveying experts professional continuing education. IIMS and AFEXMAR have done a great deal to keep surveyors up to date, including instruments like the ISM and the ISPS Codes, which have been major turning points in maritime safety and security management.
Remember, the first ISM expert course (The ISM Surveyor & Consultant) was offered as early as 2004 through the IIMS Marine Surveying Professional Qualification and Diploma.
Today, this expertise is recognized as essential within the college of experts, as well as in management audits of our industry, including offshore (for example, the recent Coastal State Control related to the Montego Bay Convention) and the rapidly developing Port State Control.
As a French branch of IIMS, AFEXMAR is still offering these courses and continues to improve them as far as possible.
We wish a long life to the Institute. Capt Bertrand Apperry HonFIIMS
The IIMS is 35 years old: Geoff Waddington HonFIIMS - President from 2020-2022
I joined the IIMS in 2003. The IIMS was a much smaller organisation in those days; we were based in Gosport, and most functions were held on board HMS Wellington. Nikki and Vicki were pretty much running the show, and an AGM would only fill a small room on board.
I became involved with the Education program, writing modules for the IIMS diploma program. John Lawrence became the CEO and we moved to Murrills House at Portchester.
I was chairman of the Education Committee and an executive board member, but the IIMS was not in a good place, and financially in a very poor state indeed. In January 2014, I was part of the committee to recruit a new CEO along with John Lawrence, John Heath, Paul Homer and Adele representing our HR and recruitment company, who I was sat next to. We had a mixed bag of applicants and although we all knew we required someone to lead the IIMS out of the mire, my take on a solution was to recruit someone who knew nothing about the industry at all, but who had a sound business background. With some help and support from Adele and the other board members, Mike Schwarz was chosen and recruited.
The profile of the IIMS then began to grow noticeably on the world stage. Within the IIMS improvements were made in every sector to streamline the business and improve performance. The education department left the influences of Edexcel and in 2014 the training department Marine Surveying Academy was formed to develop and promote professional courses, but most importantly, the Institute was now financially sound.
It was my privilege to serve as President from 2020 to 2022 during the Covid years. By then, we had established such a good financial situation that we could afford to purchase the freehold and real estate of our headquarters building.
Over the years, the IIMS has become the Institute for Marine Surveyors of all disciplines from all over the world, and I am immensely proud of our collective achievements.
Geoff Waddington HonFIIMS
THE REPORT | MAR 2026 | ISSUE 115 | 21
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