| July 16, 2008
(Houston, Texas) ABS announces the appointment of Todd Grove to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of the society’s Pacific Division. Previously Chief of Staff at the classification society’s Corporate headquarters in Houston, Grove is relocating to the Pacific Division’s principal office in Singapore. With more than 1,000 employees, the Pacific Division is the largest of the three operational and administrative divisions within ABS.
He assumes day-today administrative and operational responsibility for the society’s activities in more than 20 countries stretching from India to New Zealand, including the important shipping and shipbuilding nations of Japan, Korea and China. ABS currently has the leading share of all newbuilding contracts placed with Chinese shipbuilders and holds the number two spot at both the Korean and Japanese yards.
Grove, an ABS veteran, is familiar with the Pacific region having served as divisional Director of Technology & Business Development in the mid-1990s. Since then he has held a variety of roles within ABS including President of the Americas Division before moving to his most recent role as Chief of Staff.
In addition to his maritime experience, Grove has an extensive background within the offshore sector having served as Director, Energy Project Development, and Manager, Offshore Engineering for the Americas. “Todd’s offshore experience will be of particular benefit in his new position as this is one of the fastest growing areas of activity for ABS in Asia,” said ABS President and COO Chris Wiernicki.
Grove replaces Jim Liebertz who has led the ABS Pacific Division for the last five years, a period resulting in unprecedented growth. Liebertz moves into the role of Vice President, Global Marketing, reporting directly to ABS Chairman Robert D. Somerville and charged with identifying new opportunities for expansion within the Asian region.
Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.
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