Welcome from Harry Gilbert - Chairman of ITIC

I am delighted to introduce this latest edition of The Intermediary. It is designed, as ever, to be informative and practical on the one hand, while remaining straightforward and readable on the other. It also seeks to provide you with information about the continuing development of the Club and details of those within the Managers’ offices that you may have cause to contact.

Your Club has had another excellent year, and now serves nearly 1800 Members from around the world. Our financial position is strong, and we have once again been able to announce a “mutual dividend” in the form of a continuity credit. It is your Board’s hope that this trend will continue, but we all understand that it cannot be taken for granted and will always depend on the Club’s strategic and financial development.

ITIC insures many different professions within the transport industry and it is impossible to write articles that will touch on every member’s professional life. However, the thread that runs throughout this publication is that care must be taken throughout our working careers, and that ITIC can help you if something goes wrong. This edition of The Intermediary includes articles on signing indemnities as a surveyor, ship management in Germany and how intermediaries should sign off documents, how agents should word pro-forma disbursement accounts and loss prevention for naval architects.

You will also find details of changes within the Managers’ office following recent retirements and new appointments. These changes are highlighted at page XX and are also set out on the Club’s recently revised website. The Managers continue to provide a seamless 24-hour service for us all, and when things do go wrong we know we can look to them for assistance in the expectation that the service we receive will be consistently first class.

Finally, I would like to thank you, the Members, for the support and enthusiasm you give to your Club. It is my intention that it should always be an organisation run for the benefit of us, its Members.