Meet our speakers
David was born in the Isle of Man and graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He now lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland where he has been working for TechnipFMC for over 30 years, focused on R&D activities related to pipelay and subsea installation. This has included supporting saturation diving and ROV activities. Focus has included ropes and subsea lifting, although now he has moved into an R&D and consolidation role within rigid pipeline design and installation.
He has been involved in the running of the IMCA Lifting and Rigging technical forums from its creation in 2012.
"I am still amazed how much we learn through each of these forums and how many cross-company discussions are created, which ultimately have led to new technical developments and improved knowledge sharing and safety improvements across the industry."
Anvitha is a Product Manager at Bekaert’s global headquarters in Belgium, where she drives the strategy and roadmap for advanced services in the steel wire rope business. With experience spanning digital program management, digital M&A, and product development, she’s passionate about translating customer insights into solutions that achieve strong product–market fit.
Her work focuses on identifying and shaping innovative service offerings like condition monitoring and AI-enabled diagnostics, along with business models such as pay-per-use, to modernize service delivery and maximize customer value. Anvitha holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s in Marketing and Digital Transformation
Bio coming soon
Jennifer has a strong background in Marine and Dynamic Positioning having worked with a range of prominent organisations in this space including, ABL, Nordic Maritime Solutions, Keelson, JEEV Dynamic Solutions, and DNV, which came after a ten-year career in the Merchant Navy in the UK.
She works in our Marine team, and is currently leading on our Dynamic Positioning (DP) incident reporting.
Sara has in excess of 30 years in the wire rope industry. She was initially with wire rope manufacturer Bridon, including leading their Permanent Mooring technical sales and development, and later their full offshore applications offering. In 2021 she joined Subsea7 as Wire Rope Integrity Management Technical Specialist where this knowledge has been strengthened through practical experience of the use, inspection, and maintenance of ropes offshore in real world scenarios, beyond the wire rope laboratory.
Mark joined in 2012 from Charles Taylor Consulting, where he worked in safety and loss prevention. He carried out ship condition surveys and wrote various technical articles.
Prior to this he worked for more than 25 years on bulk carriers and diving support vessels, ultimately rising to chief engineer. He held roles for a product tanker company working on dry dockings, general repairs, and the daily running of the fleet, and as a consultant marine engineer specialising in FMEAs and retrofit specifications.
Mark leads IMCA’s marine team, our eCMID offering, and our work on integrating quality management systems across the organisation.
Laura is the Managing Director of Usha Martin Italia, global development centre of Usha Martin Group. She has a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and she is an expert in wire rope design and applications.
She has been in involved with IMCA working groups since 2010 and currently chairs the IMCA Lifting and Rigging Management Committee. She is also chair of the working group for the revision of IMCA LR 008, M179 Rev. 1.1 –Code of Practice on The Manufacture and Safe Use of Cable-laid Slings and Grommets and is part of the working group for the revision of LR004 - Guidance on Examination of Steel Wire Rope Through MRT.
M.Sc. Eng. Maciej Martyna is a continuator of Ph.D. Roman Martyna's contribution to the development of the MRT method and technology. He has been an MRT Inspector for more than 20 years as well as an MRT Equipment designer and constructor and educator for MRT Inspectors.
Currently also the owner of LRM-NDE Laboratory, a company that is a provider of professional MRT Services and MRT Equipment.
Roger Øvstetun is Manager Specials EMEA at Kito Crosby, with extensive experience in the design and supply of sheaves and lifting blocks for offshore and industrial applications. He specializes in aligning innovative materials, such as ductile cast iron, with international standards including API and DNV. Roger has also served for 10 years as a board member of the Norwegian Society of Lifting Technology, contributing to the advancement of industry best practices. With a strong technical background, he plays a key role in delivering tailored, cost-effective solutions to clients across global markets.
Alberto has been at Remazel since 2006 and has almost 20 years of experience in the Offshore market. He has an MA degree in Materials Engineering from Polytechnic of Milan.
“My passion for the sea started many years ago, first in yachting market, offshore Oil & Gas and finally in offshore wind. These experiences allowed me to discover the offshore environment and its challenges and led me to deepen the uniqueness of the oceans. In 2006, Remazel Engineering gave me the first real chance to explore my passion by addressing me to offshore lifting and handling equipment and today I am proud to be part of this “success story” as Technical Director. Today Remazel counts about 200 employees and a turnover of 110 Ml€, and works alongside the major players in the offshore energy sector.”
Peter is the Technical and Quality Lead for Bekaert’s Advanced Services, with deep expertise in Magnetic Rope Testing (MRT) and Visual Inspection across both offshore and onshore sectors. He has played a pivotal role in deploying rope condition monitoring technologies, ensuring operational safety and compliance in demanding environments and is committed to driving innovation in rope integrity management.. Peter’s background spans inspection & installation, alongside broader technical support across site services. His hands-on experience and analytical approach help bridge field operations with advanced diagnostics.
Peter is currently the Decommissioning Manager for Saipem Ltd and has been with Saipem for 35 years. He has worked on platform and subsea decommissioning projects in the North Sea and worldwide for the last 20 years and is actively involved in developing decommissioning and repurposing strategies and methods considering the local decommissioning infrastructure and assets available.
Peter previously worked through projects as an Engineer and Project Manager on installation and decommissioning projects. His experience includes Operations Manager and Methods Manager at Saipem Ltd and the training within the company. Prior to joining Saipem he worked in platform design consultancies and for the MOD.
Peter was educated at Newcastle University, CEng with the IMarEST.
Robin has worked for more than 20 years at Huisman Equipment. He started as Mechanical Design Engineer for several types of equipment. The specialisation that required research, testing and development gives him most pleasure and introduced him to the world of wire ropes and multi-layer spooling. From winch designs, rope selections, rope installations, operational and lifetime testing and last but not least troubleshooting in the field he has learned a great deal, which has resulted in a large knowledge base and high standards for Huisman Equipment. In recent years he has been involved in the development of a data mining system, which has given his rope learning curve a new boost.