Chairs

In accordance with the relevant Rules of Procedure, the election of Chairs and Vice-Chairs takes place annually at the regular autumn sessions of the 1992 Fund Assembly, Supplementary Fund Assembly and 1992 Fund Executive Committee. Whereas the terms of office of the Chairs of the Assemblies and the Administrative Councils are not subject to a limited time, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee are limited to a maximum term of two years.

With regard to intersessional working groups, the Chair is usually agreed upon by the Assembly immediately following its decision to establish such a group and the Chair remains in that position until the Group finalises its work.

1992 Fund Assembly

  • Antonio Bandini
    (Italy)
    Chair

    Chair of the 1992 Fund Assembly since April 2021 and former Chair of the 1992 Fund Executive Committee (2017-2019), Ambassador Bandini has been Head of the Italian Delegation to the IOPC Funds meetings since 2013. A former Navy Lieutenant, with a degree in law and a postgraduate diploma in diplomatic studies, he has had a long and distinguished career in the diplomatic service, has held many senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represented Italy at various UN bodies and at the OECD in Paris. More recently he was the coordinator for Maritime Affairs and for Implementation of IMO Conventions at the Ministry and is currently coordinator of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for IOPC Funds, in the Prime Minister’s Office.

  • Tomotaka Fujita
    (Japan)
    First Vice-Chair
  • Sipho Mbatha
    (South Africa)
    Second Vice-Chair

1992 Fund Executive Committee

  • Samuel Soo
    (Singapore)
    Chair

    Mr Soo is First Secretary (Maritime) at the High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in London, and currently serves as one of Singapore’s liaison officers to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He has been attending meetings of the IOPC Funds since 2018, and actively participates in all IMO Committees and Sub-Committees. A trained naval architect with a Master of Engineering in Earth System Science and Technology from Kyushu University, Japan, Mr Soo started his career in the Singapore Government in 2008 with the Sea Transport Division in the Ministry of Transport, and then joined the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in 2012. During his time at the MPA, he worked in various roles including flag state control as a marine surveyor and also as Assistant Director of the Operations Policy Unit. He was involved in the MPA’s emergency response to several incidents during his time there, including oil spills.

  • Karen Andersen
    (Denmark)
    Vice-Chair

Supplementary Fund Assembly

  • François Marier
    (Canada)
    Chair

    François Marier was elected as Chair of the Supplementary Fund Assembly in October 2022. A long-serving representative at IOPC Funds’ meetings, he is the Head of the Canadian delegation and has attended the meetings since 2005. He is active in promoting the 2010 HNS Convention and has chaired both the correspondence group established to promote the ratification of the Convention and a workshop on the same matter held by the International Maritime Organization, in cooperation with the IOPC Funds, in 2018. Mr Marier is the Director of International Marine Policy at Transport Canada, where he has served since 2000. He holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Geography. [In his current role, he is responsible for economic policy related to international shipping, covering economic regulation of shipping; competition and trade-related matters; liability, compensation and insurance; as well as binational marine shipping matters with the United States.

  • Andrew Angel
    (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
    First Vice-Chair
  • Emre Dinçer
    (Türkiye)
    Second Vice-Chair

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