Robert Ashdown has been Secretary General of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) since May 2015. He is responsible for directing all activities and initiatives of the association, including relationships with the IMO, Flag Administrations, the EU, as well as other industry associations and media relations.

Before joining IACS, Robert served as Secretary General of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Brussels, where he represented the cruise industry towards the institutions of the European Union on all policy/regulatory issues, and was responsible for transitioning the traditional passenger ship representation model into the European Chapter of the global CLIA organisation.

Robert has also worked for the UK Chamber of Shipping as Head of its Technical Division, where he recalibrated the importance of environmental issues and developed the Chamber policy on GHG emissions. He was also head of the British Rig Owners Association (BROA), representing owners with marine offshore units operating in the North Sea.

He holds a History degree from Queens’ College, Cambridge, enjoys sailing, fishing and cricket and is married with three children.