Alex Gregg-Smith elected IACS Chair to lead 2026 maritime shift

He is the third elected IACS Council chair following reforms.

The Council of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has elected Alex Gregg-Smith as its chairperson, effective from 1 July 2026 until 31 December 2027.

Gregg-Smith becomes the third elected IACS Council Chair following governance changes introduced in 2020, which created the elected General Policy Group (GPG) Chair role co-located in London with the IACS Secretariat.

During the transition, the Secretary General and the GPG Chair will ensure the association’s extensive work programme continues to be delivered in line with its strategic plan.

Gregg-Smith has more than 20 years’ experience with Bureau Veritas and has held senior leadership roles in shipyards and shipowning companies. He has also recently assumed the position of President, Marine & Offshore, at Bureau Veritas, and is a dual UK-French national.

“The election of Alex by the IACS Council reflects the collective desire of our twelve Member Societies to ensure IACS engages at the highest level and continues to provide regulators and industry with the impartial, non-commercial, expert technical input necessary to support our shared goal of safer, cleaner shipping,” said Robert Ashdown, IACS Secretary General.