Tell us a bit about your role and what it entails?

As MWS Lead for Canada, I oversee and support Marine Warranty Survey activities for projects across the country.

The Canadian offshore construction market is smaller than established offshore hubs such as the North Sea, so my role has naturally become quite varied. My main responsibility is looking after our Marine Warranty Survey services across Canada, but I also support engineering work, business development and other local activities as needed.

My work can include reviewing engineering documents and procedures, assessing marine operations and associated risks, working with project teams, and attending offshore or site activities when required. I also act as a connection between our Canadian clients and Global Maritime’s wider engineering and MWS teams around the world.

I enjoy the variety, as no two projects are exactly the same and the role can change depending on what is happening locally.

What inspired you to pursue a career within the industry?

I have always had an interest in the maritime sector. What really attracted me was the scale of the projects. It is difficult to fully understand just how big and complex some of these projects are until you actually see them first-hand.

Growing up, I remember watching documentaries about major engineering and construction projects and always finding them interesting. Having now been offshore during installation work myself, I still find the scale of these projects impressive every time.

What does the role of a Marine Warranty Surveyor involve, and why is it important to offshore projects?

A Marine Warranty Surveyor provides an independent review of marine operations to make sure they have been properly planned and engineered before they are carried out.

This can include transportation, loadouts, lifting operations, towing, installation work and other marine activities. We review things such as the engineering, vessels, equipment, procedures, weather limitations and the main operational risks.

Offshore projects can involve high-value assets and complex operations in challenging environments. There is often not much room for error, so having an independent technical review can help identify problems before they happen offshore.

What’s something exciting you’re currently working on?

One project I am currently involved with is Cedar LNG, where Global Maritime is providing MWS services during the transportation and installation phases.

It is an important project for the Canadian LNG sector and, from an MWS point of view, it is interesting because of the scale of the asset and the different engineering and installation challenges involved.

Projects like this are a big part of why I enjoy MWS work. There are always technical problems to work through and usually more than one way to approach them.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest challenge facing Marine Warranty right now, and how do GM’s capabilities help overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges is probably the increasing complexity and variety of offshore projects.

The industry is changing quickly, especially with offshore renewables, floating technologies, LNG and larger offshore infrastructure. A lot of these projects involve new concepts or new installation methods, so you cannot always rely on something having been done many times before.

That is where Global Maritime’s experience is useful. We have people working across different sectors and regions around the world, so there is usually experience within the company that can be brought into a project.

For me, being able to combine that global experience with an understanding of the local project and operating environment is one of the main strengths we bring to MWS work.

What’s one trend in the offshore world right now that excites you the most?

What excites me most is how much the offshore energy sector is changing and diversifying.

As an MWS professional, I have already had the opportunity to work on floating and fixed offshore wind, wave energy, oil and gas installations and LNG projects. Each one is different and brings its own engineering challenges.

For me, that is one of the most interesting parts of the work. Every project is a bit of an engineering puzzle, and being part of the team that works out how these large and often unique assets can be safely transported and installed is very rewarding.

What’s your favourite thing about being part of the Global Maritime team, beyond the day-to-day work?

One of my favourite things about Global Maritime is that we are a relatively small and connected team, but at the same time we work on projects all over the world.

We get involved in projects that are important to the wider energy industry, whether that is floating wind, FLNG or more traditional offshore work. I like the fact that you can be working locally in Canada but still be part of a much bigger international team and project.

If you could describe your role in three words, what would they be?

Challenging, varied and rewarding.

And finally, if you could describe Global Maritime in three words, what would they be?

Thorough, practical and solutions-focused.

Learn more about Global Maritime’s Marine Warranty Survey capabilities and how our local knowledge and worldwide expertise support the safe delivery of complex marine operations: Marine Warranty – Global Maritime