Katharina Stanzel was elected Managing Director of INTERTANKO in 2012. The fifth MD in the Association’s 45 year history, she is the first to bring an environmental background to the position. In addition to science qualifications from Germany and Australia, she holds postgraduate degrees in coastal management and business administration from universities in the UK.
A marine biologist by training, she entered the world of shipping in the 1990ies, focussing on marine pollution from ships. She spent ten years as technical advisor for the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) before joining the IOPC Funds, a UN body tasked with administering several crucial compensation conventions for oil pollution from tankers.
Kathi is an elected Member of the American Bureau of Shipping and sits on the Marine and European Advisory Committees for Lloyd’s Register and RINA respectively. She also serves as non-executive director on the Board of SeaAlarm, a Belgian foundation that brings together NGOs, government agencies and industry to enhance oiled wildlife response.