CLAUDIO ABBATE
Group Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs,
MSC Group
Claudio Abbate joined MSC as Group Vice Chairman Maritime Policy and Government Affairs in2018. Associated with this role, he actively participates in the work of different trade associations such as Cruise Lines International Association, UK Chamber of Shipping, International Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners’ Council, Assarmatori, Interferry, World Shipping Council , Swiss Shipowner Association, Methanol Institute and Hydrogen Council.
Previously Claudio dedicated most of his professional career to safety related matters, as field surveyor and office technician dedicated, with different degrees of responsibilities, to design approval. He is an expert in various national and international regulatory and standardization bodies.
He obtained the Degree in Ship Construction from the Nautical School of Genoa in 1977 and, after experience in an offshore engineering company in Milan, he joined the Structure, Classification and Statutory Services Department of RINA, one of the founding members of the International Association of Classification Societies. His career in RINA encompassed various levels of responsibilities; technical, up to the position of Head of the Safety Section, and administrative, as CEO of RINA USA and RINA Panama. In RINA, for four years he also took the role of Director of Institutional Relations.
As far as the contributions he provided to international regulatory and standardization bodies he has held the positions of:
- Vice Chairman of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Subcommittee on Fire protection for 10 years in a row. At IMO he also chaired a number of working groups and drafting groups at both Subcommittee and Maritime Safety Committee levels.
- Chairman of the Sub-Committee “Lifesaving Appliances and Fire Protection” of ISO/TC8 “Ships & Marine Technology” from 2002 to 2010. Under his chairmanship important standards in support to IMO and the needs of the world maritime industry have been developed.
- Chairman of the MarED Horizontal Committee, the co-ordination group for the Notified Bodies assigned by the European Community Member States to carry out the conformity assessment procedures referred to in the Marine Equipment Directive. He maintained the post for 16 years.
- Chairman of the Statutory Panel of the International Association of Classification Societies.(IACS) in the period 2006-2008; in that association he also chaired the Expert Group on MLC in 2005.
- Chairman of the EU Recognized Organizations Mutual Recognition Group in 2017.
- Chairman of the Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping taskforce in the biennium 2021-2023.
Claudio was recently appointed as co-chair of the Cruise Safety and Sustainability Forum.