The Inflatable Safety & Survival Equipment Technical Association(ISSETA) has elected the Danish self-proclaimed “liferaft man”, Erik Søndergaard, Secretary.
“I join ISSETA’s members in congratulating Erik Søndergaard on his election as Secretary. Erik is a great guy and brings decades of experience to our governance at ISSETA”, says Kent Mølsted Jørgensen, Rules & Regulations Manager at VIKING Life-Saving Equipment.
Søndergaard has held various leading management positions for both Survitec and VIKING Life-Saving Equipment and comes with extensive knowledge about the maritime industry. He retired a few years ago and looks forward to again being a part of the industry he loves so much.
“I am excited to take on the role of ISSETA Secretary,” says Erik Søndergaard. “My goal is to continue Ian Brindle’s legacy and focus on ISSETA’s continual development and improvement in the quality and standard of inflatable life-saving apparatus. A very important part of my job will be to get all maritime authorities to support and implement IMO Resolution A.761 (18), which will ensure a high standard of the work performed at maritime service stations worldwide.”
Since 2000, Ian Brindle has served as Secretary of ISSETA. During his 19 years, Brindle has led the organization in times of change - both on the member side, but also with major changes in rules and requirements for products and services, especially concerning new hybrids on the market.
“It has been an honour to serve as ISSETA Secretary,” says Brindle. “I have enjoyed working with all the members, authorities and service stations. Over the years, their contributions have established ISSETA as a stamp of quality for liferaft service and technical improvements around the globe.”
“We are very grateful to Ian Brindle for his hard work and dedication to ISSETA during his tenure as Secretary,” says Henrik Uhd Christensen, ISSETA Director and CEO at VIKING Life-Saving Equipment. “We thank Ian for the past almost 20 years and are excited to welcome Erik Søndergaard as the new Secretary,” he says.