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The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) announced last night that Robin Meech of Marine Energy & Consulting Ltd. and Ciric Cheung Yuet Han of Fratelli Cosulich (HK) Ltd. have been elected onto the board.

Mike Ball and Mustafa Muhtaroglu have both stood down.

Trevor Harrison, acting as chief executive on a part-time basis since August 2011 following the resignation of Ian Adams, pending the making of a full time appointment, stood for re-election and was successful.

The newly-elected board members are due to begin their new roles in April 2012, when Nigel Draffin of LQM Petroleum Services will also succeed Robert Lintott of ISO Bunkers LLC as Chairman of IBIA.

Commenting on the appointment last year, Draffin said: "I hope I will be able to live up to the high standards set by my predecessors when I take over as Chairman in April 2012.”

Nigel Draffin - Career summary

Nigel Draffin has been involved in shipping for 44 years and with the commercial bunker market for 23 years.

After joining Shell Tankers in 1966, he progressed through the ranks serving on all classes of vessel, steam and motor, including VLCCs and LNG tankers. He came ashore in 1979 to join the new building department of Shell International Marine and in 1986 he moved to the commercial department as a bunker buyer and economics analyst.

In 1988 he was promoted to the Head of Operational Economics, responsible for all of the fuel purchase for the Shell fleet and the operation of the fuel price risk management policy and the performance of the owned fleet. Part of Draffin's responsibilities in the operations division included the investigation and conduct of bunker claims and the technical resolution of bunker problems.

In March 1996 he joined the staff of E.A.Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd. in the bunker department. He is currently technical manager of LQM Petroleum Services Inc. which took over the bunker broking activities of Gibsons in 2006.

Draffin has participated in IMO sub committees on bunker quality as an observer for OCIMF. He has lectured on operational, commercial and technical aspects of shipping for the last 22 years for his employers, IBIA, the College of Petroleum Studies, Lloyd’s Marine Academy and at many conferences worldwide.

Draffin is a founder member of the International Bunker Industry Association. As a member of the council he held the Safety Working Group portfolio for 3 years and served as co-ordinator of the Education Working Group. He is also a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology, a supporting member of LMAA, a qualified Marine Engineer and a qualified Quality System Auditor.