First Manxman at the helm of the Isle of Man’s Ship Registry

Dick Welsh has been appointed as Director of the Marine Administration, the Isle of Man’s ship registry which forms part of the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) within Isle of Man Government. Dick’s appointment follows a rigorous selection process among a field of strong candidates from across the global shipping industry. DTI Minister Mr Alex Downie said:

“We are delighted to appoint Dick as Director. He brings a great deal of experience and expertise to the post. We have worked closely together for a number of years so I know he is wholly committed to the success of the ship register and further development of the shipping industry on the Isle of Man. I am particularly pleased that this appointment has been filled by a Manxman who has spent time developing the required qualifications and expertise abroad before returning home to lend his experience to the Island’s ship register”.

Dick was born and raised in the South of the Island and educated at Castle Rushen High School, before pursuing a career as an engineer in the merchant navy. He sailed with T&J Harrisons and Canadian Pacific before coming ashore with the Manx Electricity Authority.

After leaving the Island to further his studies, Dick graduated with a first class degree in Mechanical Engineering and joined Lloyd’s Register as a surveyor, where he trained in Liverpool before moving on to Denmark and China to oversee the building of new ships under construction.

Dick returned home in 1995 to join the Marine Administration’s growing ship register as a Marine Surveyor and latterly Principal Surveyor, before becoming its Deputy Director in 2005. Dick is widely respected by the shipping industry and has the experience and attributes to lead the Marine Administration to further success and to promote the Isle of Man as a shipping centre of excellence in the international arena. Dick said:

“I am delighted to take on the role of Director and with it the mantle of Chief Marine Surveyor. The ship register is one of the Isle of Man’s great success stories. It is highly respected internationally and has been instrumental in the development of the shipping sector on the Island to the level that exists today. In addition, its benefit in terms of promoting the Isle of Man globally should not be under-estimated. Every day, prestigious yachts and merchant ships enter ports and marinas all over the world, each flying an Isle of Man flag and marked with one of our ports on their stern. I take great pride in the achievements of the register thus far and look forward to further growth in the future and the challenges that lay ahead”.

For further information contact:

Alex Downie, DTI Minister, phone +44 1624 682350, email min@dti.gov.im