Shane Barks

ACCA 

Shane joined Baker Tilly Isle of Man LLC after being educated at St. Ninian’s High School on the Isle of Man.

After he qualified as a Certified Accountant he joined the company’s yachting administration team, Baker Tilly Isle of Man Maritime, and now acts as Superintendent to number of large yachts. He now has over seven years’ experience in yacht accounting and administration.

Baker Tilly Isle of Man Maritime was formed to bring together the various strands of the group’s yachting interests.

Baker Tilly Isle of Man Maritime offers all ‘back-room’ services that are involved with superyachts, ranging from organising the corporate ownership structure and the registration, through to the accounting, paying wages and undertaking onboard auditing of the ship’s books. It also advises on wider issues and, in particular, VAT for both private and commercial yachts.

In addition, the company handles the financial administration of a number of large yachts and has been authorised by the Isle of Man Administration as Representative Person for the Commercial Yacht Register.

Ian Biles

Master Mariner, BEng (Hons), MA, CEng, CMarENG, DipMarSur

FNI, MIIMS, MRINA, MIMarEST, MSNAME, MSCMS, MHCMM, AMS, (SAMS), MEWI, MRIN  

Ian started sailing with his father at the age of 12 and went to sea upon finishing school. He sailed world wide for 13 years in a range of commercial ships spending his leave sailing yachts around the United Kingdom and in the Mediterranean. Throughout this time, Ian studied for various qualifications passing his Royal Yacht Association Ocean Yachtmaster certificate in 1982 and Class 1 Master Mariner Certificate in 1984.

In 1988 Ian was recruited by Shell International Marine who sponsored him to return to University and study for an Honours degree in Naval Architecture. He went on to take a Master's Degree in Business Management.       

Ian began his own marine surveying, consultancy and investigation business Maritime Services (International) Ltd in 1992. MSI offers a complete surveying service for all types of floating vessels and structures. His team of highly experienced surveyors, marine engineers, and naval architects carry out surveys for a number of clients including insurers, P&I clubs, underwriters, prospective purchasers, pre and post charter clients and financial institutions.   

MSI also offer investigation expertise in all areas of marine claims relating to ships, personnel and cargoes.  The investigation of claims undertaken ranges widely from cargo damage and marine accidents through to personal injuries and fatalities.  

Chris Fairgrieve

BSc(Eng) CEng, MSMS, AIIMS

Chris learnt to sail on a ‘505’ dinghy in Tenby in 1957 while his army father was based in Pembrokeshire (as it was then!). During the school holidays he worked as a deckhand on the Caldy Island support vessel.

In 1967 he joined the Royal Navy as a Weapons Electrical Engineering officer. After gaining his degree at the Royal Naval Engineering College in Plymouth he served in submarines and surface ships.

In 1980 he left the RN to pursue a second career in the IT industry. Subsequent jobs included project managing weapon developments on the Sea Harrier aircraft, developing integrated databus systems for naval vessels and aircraft and writing a guide for the RN on how to design their combat systems. In the late 1980s he set up and ran his own company ‘Smart Power’ developing a power monitoring system for yachts, powerboats and industrial applications. During this period he edited a guide for installation of electrical cabling and equipment for the BMF and wrote a number of articles in the yachting press on batteries and cathodic protection. He finished his IT career working with the DuPont chemical company in Geneva, one of the main partner suppliers to the Alinghi syndicate.

In 2006 Chris returned to working full-time with his first love – yachts and boats. He is now an IIMS qualified marine surveyor working as a consultant for Maritime Services International in Gosport. In this role he carries out operational surveys on a large variety of vessels and writes/edits educational material for the marine marketplace. Since 2009 he has carried out MCA coding in accordance with the ‘Brown Code’ on workboats under 24 metres

Chris is a qualified RYA Yachtmaster and still harbours an ambition to spend a year sailing across the Pacific (wife permitting!)

Russell Kelly

Russell is a partner of Lester Aldridge LLP, a law firm with offices in Bournemouth, Southhampton and London, and is head of the firm's shipping department, LA Marine. Following completion of his degree at leeds University and the requisite law exams at the College of Law, Russell joined specialist shipping frim Thomas Cooper & Stibbard London, in 1984 to undertake his articles (now known as a training contract). Upon qualification as a Solicitor in 1986, he remained with Thomas Cooper & Stibbard becoming a partner in 1990 and dealing with many aspects of shipping law.

Russell later relocated to Southampton and, together with two other city trained shipping lawyers, he set up LA Marine upon joining Lester Aldridge in 2000. The team is now one of the largest regional specialist shipping law practices in the UK boasting a client base spanning the globe which includes insurers, protection and indeminty (P&I) clubs, marine finance companies, cruise liners, other ship owners and operators, harbour and port authorities, marina operators, yahct charter companies, repair yards, yacht brokers and dealers, and private individuals.

The LA Marine team deals with all aspects of marine law from collisions, charter issues, bill of lading disputes and demurrage claims, to more general topics such as breach of contract, negligence, and personal injury. It also offers expertise in non-contentious matters such as vessel sale and purchase contracts, charter agreeements, and port developments.

Russell is a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) and is a regular speaker at various industry conferences and seminars around the world.       

Mr Hugh McQuaid

Master Mariner

Retired ship Master with sixteen years, multi-national command experience in oil tankers, from 25,000 dwt to VLCC's

Lloyds registered for External Lead Assessor for both ISO 9002 and ISM code.

Registered OMICF Inspector

I held four United Kingdom Pilotage Licences by examination

Some fifteen years of running my own business, with experience in inspection and audit management systems. Long term member of the Royal Institute of navigation and a member of the Chartered Quality Institute.  

Susan Riitala

Associate, Ship Finance, Reed Smith LLP Susan is a solicitor admitted to practise law in England and Wales and is an associate in the Ship Finance team of the Reed Smith Shipping Group in London. Susan advises clients on a wide range of non-contentious shipping work, acting for financial institutions, shipowners and charterers. Susan has experience of a broad spectrum of matters such as sale and purchase of commercial ships and yachts (including advising on registration and sale and purchase documentation), corporate transactions (including joint venture arrangements) and finance transactions (including pre- and post-delivery financing, mezzanine finance and sale and leaseback arrangements). She has also advised on restructurings and acquisitions of shipowning companies, including in respect of transfer of long-term charter arrangements.

Susan holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Mathematics and Psychology and a MA in European Business from Royal Holloway, University of London. She studied the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School prior to completing her training contract at Reed Smith.

Andrew S Roy

FCA  

Andrew is a principal of the accountants Baker Tilly Isle of Man LLC. The firm is an independent member of Baker Tilly International which ranks number 8 in the world of accounting networks.

Andrew was educated at the Nautical College Pangbourne then qualified as a Chartered Accountant with a practice in Birmingham.

As well as being a principal in the accounting practice he has also written a number of articles and spoken at conferences on matters of yachting.

Outside the office Andrew races his own yacht and is a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Corinthian Yacht Club, Massachusetts and is past Commodore of the Isle of Man Yacht Club

Mike Wall

BSc, MSc, FIMarEST, CMarTech, AFNI, QDR

Mike joined Cunard Line as a marine engineer apprentice at the age of 17, eventually reaching the rank of Chief Engineer with service aboard many types of vessel.

During his career Mike has obtained his First Class marine engineer’s certificate of competency, Class 1 Hong Kong Local Master’s Certificate, a Bachelor of Science in Nautical Studies and Master of Science degree in Shipping and Maritime Studies. Experience has been gained in most areas of shipping with 8 years as a lecturer in Maritime Studies, culminating in 5 years as Senior Lecturer at Warsash College of Maritime Studies, UK. Since leaving full time education, Mike has continued to be a visiting lecturer at various establishments and regularly carries out training seminars for various shipping organisations.

Twenty years experience has also been gained in hull, machinery and cargo surveying in the USA, New Zealand, Fiji and South East Asia,. Most of this has been based in Hong Kong, providing a wide range of marine consultancy and surveying services to P&I Clubs, Shipowners, Shipmanagers, Underwriters, Admiralty Lawyers and other Principals. Mike is also a qualified Mediator, being registered both in the UK and Hong Kong.

Mike is a regular contributor of shipping technical articles to various maritime publications and is currently editorof FLASHLIGHT, the free emailed monthly newsletter distributed to 4,000+ marine surveyors around the world.

His book entitled ‘Hatch Covers - Operation, Maintenance and Testing was published in 2008 by Witherby Seamanship International. His second book entitled ‘Report Writing for Marine Surveyors’ is was published by Petrospot in February 2011.

He is a Fellow of IMarEST, Chartered Marine Technologist and Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.

Mike is currently retired in Thailand but still provides training and consultancy services to the maritime