Consultant Fuel Chemist

work London

chris.fisher@brookesbell.com

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Career Summary

Curriculum Vitae

Chris Fisher and his company Bunker Claims International Ltd (BCI) joined Brookes Bell in January 2011.  Chris served as Chief Engineer on Texaco Tankers and later as superintendent engineer with Texaco before starting work as a marine surveyor & consultant specialising in liquid cargo and bunker quality disputes in 1984.

Background

Chris worked as Regional Manager in Europe for DNV Petroleum Services, based in Rotterdam and then became Director of several BSI-Inspectorate companies in Northern Europe. These companies provided independent Inspection and Certification services related to the sale and purchase of Oil and Petrochemical cargoes. In 2003 Chris returned from Northern Europe to the United Kingdom to concentrate on running his own business "Bunker Claims International Ltd" and in 2004 published his latest book on bunkers with his co-author Jonathan Lux of Ince & Co. In 2009 he was elected Chairman of IBIA, The International Bunker Industry Association. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. 

Professional Associations 

• Elected as Fellow of The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (FIMarEST). 
• Elected Vice Chairman of The International Bunker Industry Association. 
• Elected Chairman of The International Bunker Industry Association. 

Previous Employment History 

• Qualified Marine Engineer. 
• Chief Marine Engineer with crude, petroleum products and chemical cargo experience. 
• Marine Superintendent for Texaco with Tanker Fleet Management responsibility. 
• Director of U.K.-based Marine Consultancy Company.  Liquid cargo loss and contamination experts. 
• Expert Witness - marine cargo and bunker disputes. 
• Author of three books on legal and technical aspects of marine fuels.  Latest edition 2004. 
• Director of Marketing, Det Norske Veritas, Europe (Petroleum Services Division). 
• European General Manager, Det Norske Veritas. 
• Northern European Director - The British Standards Institution - Inspection/Testing. 

Surveying and Consultancy Experience 

Marine Period 1967-1979 

• Four years' studies at Marine College London to ONC level in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture. 
• Career at sea as Marine Engineer, promoted to Chief Engineer at age of 28 on VLCCs and product, chemical parcel tankers, owned and managed by Texaco. 

Ship Management Period 1979-1983 

• Fleet Superintendent for Texaco.  Responsible for budgets, expenditure control, maintenance programmes for ocean-going tankers.  Review and selection of shipyard tenders for major vessel refits and on-site price and quality control during refits. 
• Head of tanker lay-up programme.  Selecting suitable sites for lay-up of VLCCs in Far East and Scandinavia and managing rafts of laid-up vessels, budget and technical responsibility. 

Consultancy Period 1983-1987 

• Director and Technical Expert for T.J. Gunner & Sons.  U.K.-based Marine Consultancy Company with laboratory for crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical investigative analyses. 
• Author of book for Lloyd's of London Press on marine fuel, technical & legal aspects. 
• Expert Witness - U.K. Court and Arbitration.  Liquid cargo and bunker fuel disputes. 

Marketing & Management. Det Norske Veritas 1987-1995 

• Director of International Marketing.  During the period 1987-1991 set up an International Network of sales staff and agents to promote DNV marine fuel testing services. 
• Assigned to the Netherlands to build new bunker oil testing laboratory and manage DNV European operations. 
• Published second book on marine fuel, legal and technical. 

Management Period Inspection and Testing 1995-2003 (a Wholly Owned Division of The British Standards Institution) Based in The Netherlands. 

• Appointed N.Europe Director, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany. 
• Formed new Oil & Petrochemical Division in Antwerp with laboratory.  Set up new O&P laboratory in Amsterdam. 
• Designed and commissioned new laboratory and office facility for oil & petrochemical testing in Rotterdam, completed 2003. 
• Provided Bunker Consultancy and Expert Witness services to Law Firms, P&I, Ship Owners and Fuel Suppliers throughout period with BSI, through "Bunker Claims International". 

Bunker Claims International Ltd. 

• December 2003 formed own company Bunker Claims International Ltd. and returned to the United Kingdom to work full time in the Marine Consultancy business. 
• May 2004 - new edition of Book on Bunkers published.  Coauthor being Jonathan Lux of Ince & Co. 
• Throughout 2004 to date - handled bunker claim cases for Law Firms, P&I, Ship Owners, Charterers and Fuel Suppliers.  Gave expert testimony at several arbitrations. 

Summary of Strengths 

• Management of European-based Marine Survey Companies. 
• Marketing in oil and marine sectors. 
• Technical knowledge, marine, liquid cargo and laboratory design & operation. 
• Expert Witness - marine engineering and marine fuels.