COME ON IN AND GET INVOLVED
IBIA is very much a member-led organisation, but from the outside it may be difficult to understand how we work.
Four months into the new term for the IBIA Board, and a lot has happened around us. The geopolitical situation is complex to say the least and this obviously has a significant impact on the shipping and marine fuel industries. We operate in markets that are deeply interconnected and events happening on one side of the world have immediate effects thousands of kilometres away.
As IBIA, we continue to focus on the priorities we set at the start of our term: transparency and integrity, the energy transition, and adoption of globally accepted best practices or licensing schemes for marine fuel suppliers. As, by now, you are familiar with the reasoning behind these priorities, I thought it would be interesting to share more with you about the inner workings of IBIA, how we function and how we strive to add value to our members and to the industry as a whole.
IBIA is a member-led organisation, with members volunteering their time, effort and knowledge for what we consider “a greater good”. The IBIA Board of Directors is democratically elected by members of the Association, and seats on the Board become available every year as our terms are “staggered”; this structure provides the organisation with a good balance between renewal and continuity.
Approximately a year ago, we launched IBIA Regional Boards, starting with Asia and Africa. This will be followed by the Americas, Middle East and, of course, Europe. The goal of establishing these Regional Boards is to strengthen our local presence in key areas, as well as creating a “pipeline of IBIA champions” who might eventually run for a seat on the IBIA Global Board. With members’ engagement being such a key success factor for our organisation, Regional Boards provide an excellent opportunity for members around the world who want to provide their know-how and skills to make a positive impact on the industry.
Working groups are another great way for members to get involved and focus on some clearly defined goals. Particularly relevant and active IBIA working groups – just to name a few – include Future Fuels, Bunker Licensing & MFM, Events, and Technical.
As much as members’ contribution is fundamental for IBIA to achieve its goals, the organisation would not function without the great work of some dedicated and passionate professionals who truly make our association special: the IBIA Secretariat.
Every member who had the chance to interact with Unni, Tahra, Sofia, Tara, and Siti will consistently tell you about their professionalism and know-how in their respective areas of expertise. Having had the privilege to work alongside them for some time, I feel that IBIA is in great hands with these five women being the backbone of the organisation.
It is not always easy to know, from the outside, how IBIA as an organisation works. My encouragement to you is to take a step towards the inside because it is from the inside that you can have a real impact and both IBIA and the industry will benefit from your active engagement.
Timothy Cosulich,
Chair