Philippe Baumans, born in Belgium in 1956, is a mechanical engineer who graduated from the Faculté Polytechnique de Mons, Belgium in 1979. In 1982, he joined Bureau Veritas Head Office, Paris in the Hull Department. He managed the Local Plan Approval office in Korea from 1986 to 89.
Back from Korea he has been involved in oil tanker department and in 1996 was promoted responsible of the Hull department in HO.
From 2003 to 2013 he was in charge of the Rules Department. During this period he was responsible for the harmonisation of the IACS Common Structural Rules for Oil Tankers and Bulk Carriers.
He was President of Tecnitas, a subsidiary company of Bureau Veritas group, dedicated to provide services mainly in the shipping and offshore industry from 2014 to 2016.
From January this year, he is Chairman of the IACS Hull Panel.