The mission of the BIC is to promote and support safe, secure and sustainable containerization and intermodal transportation. The BIC Scholarship Awards were created to help support the industry leaders of tomorrow and to encourage continued focus on safety, security, standardization and sustainability in our industry.

Who is eligible:
The award program is open to maritime academy cadets (deck or engine), naval architecture students, and students of supply-chain / logistics programs who are focused on container transportation. The award is available to 2nd, 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students as well as graduate students.

2016 Awards:
Undergraduate scholarships: 3,000 Euros each (3 awards available)
Graduate scholarships: 3,000 Euros each (2 awards available)

How to apply:
Applicants should submit the following documents via e-mail to [email protected]

1. A maximum 1500-word essay on a topic related to safety, security, standardization or sustainability in container transportation. The essay must be written in English. The cover page of the essay must include the applicant’s name and contact details, name of University, major/program of study (please specify undergraduate or graduate), and expected year of graduation. The document must be submitted in Word format.

2. A University transcript or proof of current grade point average.

Deadline:
The deadline for submissions is 15 July 2016.

Selection:
The BIC Scholarship selection committee will make its decisions based on academic excellence as well as on the strength of the essay. The committee will be looking for demonstrated knowledge of one or more of the above-mentioned topics (safety, security, standardization, and sustainability in intermodal container transportation). New and promising ideas related to one or more of these topics will receive special attention.

Announcements and awards:
Announcements will be made by October 15th and the awards will be disbursed via the University of each winning candidate. Depending on location, award winners may be invited to an award ceremony.
Publication: Award winners will be announced in the BIC quarterly magazine (distributed to every container operator in the world) and via the BIC website and social media. The winning essays may also be selected for publication in the BIC quarterly magazine.

Questions:
Contact your financial aid department or the BIC at [email protected]

The BIC is now accepting nominations for the fourth annual BIC Award.

Founded in 1933, the mission of the Bureau International des Containers is to promote the safe, secure and sustainable expansion of containerization and intermodal transportation. The BIC Award honors an organization or individual for a significant contribution to the advancement of these goals.

We will be pleased to receive nominations of individuals, companies or industry organizations that have shown a clear dedication to the advancement of safety, security or sustainability in the fields of containerization and intermodal transportation.

We will consider nominations intended to recognize an important achievement over the past year as well as those that would recognize long-term dedication to one or more of these areas.

Nominations will be accepted through 1 June 2016. The final selection will be made by the BIC Board of Directors and will be announced at one of the key industry conferences or other events later in the year.

To submit a nomination, please send the name of the individual or organization, along with an explanation as to why you feel the nominee should be recognized, to [email protected] or by mail to:

BIC Award Committee
Bureau International des Containers
41 rue Reaumur
75003 Paris

The Bureau International des Containers (BIC) has announced Mr. Stephen L. Caldwell of the United States as the winner of the 2015 BIC Award, in recognition of more than 30 years’ dedication to improving international security, including more than a decade focused on intermodal supply chain security and resilience.

The BIC’s Board of Directors cited Mr. Caldwell’s promotion of strategic, risk-based, and cooperative container security programs on behalf of the US Government and the broader international maritime supply chain system, when making the selection.

Founded in 1933, the mission of the BIC is to promote the safe, secure and sustainable expansion of containerisation and intermodal transportation. The annual BIC Award honours individuals or organisations for significant contributions towards these goals.

For more than a decade Mr. Caldwell has evaluated international security programmes for the United States Congress, including the past decade as Director of Maritime and Supply Chain Security Issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). He worked closely with the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, and various other stakeholders involved in cargo container and intermodal transportation security. Mr. Caldwell has a global understanding of supply chain security issues, having worked seven years overseas and conducted over 50 visits to more than 30 countries as part of his work on maritime supply chain security, and other issues.

In the decade following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Mr. Caldwell provided the U.S. Congress with almost 100 reports and testimonies on maritime and supply chain security, promoting the development and continual improvement of risk management and strategic approaches.

His recommendations have been adopted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of container and intermodal security programmes and he has developed and maintained relationships with international organisations, trade associations, private companies, and other supply chain stakeholders.

“For decades Mr. Caldwell has brought passion and dedication to supply chain security and we are pleased to show him some well-deserved appreciation,” said BIC Board Chairman, Giordano Guerrini. The award will be presented to Mr. Caldwell in person at the Maritime Security 2016 East conference, hosted by Homeland Security Outlook, which takes place from 21-23 March in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

Mr. Caldwell earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science (1980) and Master’s degree in public policy (1983), both from the University of California at Berkeley, where he specialised in national security affairs. He also earned a diploma from the U.S. Naval War College (1996), where he received the Director's Award for Academic Excellence. He has received numerous other honors, including GAO’s Distinguished Service Award, Client Service Award, Meritorious Service Award, Big Picture Award and several others. Mr. Caldwell has made more than 50 appearances and presentations before the media, professionals at conferences, and students at top universities.

He continues to show dedication to global supply chain security through written articles, presentations, and serving on the US National Maritime Security Advisory Committee. This independent committee advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Commandant of the US Coast Guard, and Mr. Caldwell chairs its Cyber Working Group, remaining at the cutting edge of container security issues.
For more information about the BIC, visit www.bic-code.org.

The BIC announced today the election of its new Chairman of the Board, following the unanimous election of Mr. Giordano Bruno Guerrini by the BIC’s Board of Directors. Mr. Guerrini has volunteered his time as a member of the Board since 2000 and has served as Vice Chairman since 2014.

Mr. Guerrini brings over 40 years experience in the container transportation field. He began his career with a number of forwarding, leasing and agency operations roles both in Italy and abroad. In 1980 he was instrumental in forming Hapag Lloyd (Italy) in Genoa, ultimately becoming President and Managing Director of the new subsidiary. In this role, Mr. Guerrini set-up the first intermodal rail links to the North Continent and participated in the merger of CP Ships into Hapag Lloyd Group in 2006.

He later served Hapag Lloyd AG as Senior Vice President and Director Operations for Region South, one of the company’s four global divisions, with full responsibility for operations in the Med, Middle East and Africa.

A licensed ship’s agent, Mr. Guerrini has also run a family-owned agency business and participated in various terminal and logistics companies as shareholder and director. He has served as Secretary General of the Council of Intermodal Shipping Consultants (C.I.S.Co) since 2004 and has been on the Board of Assiterminal since 2010.

Stepping down after 12 years as Chairman, Mr. Michel Hennemand will remain on the Board as Vice Chairman. Bertrand Geoffray, Secretary General of the BIC, was joined by his colleagues and the entire Board in expressing profound thanks to Mr. Hennemand for his many years of support and dedication to the BIC. He then welcomed Mr. Guerrini to the role, stating “the BIC is blessed to have active board members who generously volunteer their time and expertise to the organization. We couldn’t be more pleased that Giordano has accepted to continue his support of the BIC, now as Chairman of the Board.”

The winners of the 2015 BIC Scholarships have been announced. The scholarship program was inaugurated this year to help support the container industry’s leaders of tomorrow and to encourage continued focus on safety, security, standardization and sustainability in the intermodal container industry.

Eligibility extends to university and maritime academy students enrolled in a program related to intermodal or marine transportation. Naval architecture and engineering students focusing on container technology are also eligible.

Candidates were judged on the basis of academic achievement as well as an essay related to container safety, security, standardization or sustainability. Seven awards (five undergraduate and two graduate) were available for 2015.

The undergraduate winners for 2015 were:

Mr. Kam Wei Jie of Singapore
Mr. Ngai Chin Pang of Singapore
Mr. Goh Qing Sheng of Singapore
Mr. Alexander Gilmore of the United States
Mr. Conley Schroepfer of the United States
The graduate winners for 2015 were:
Ms. Fatoumatta Cassama of Gambia
Mr. Usman Saroni of Indonesia

Messrs. Kam and Ngai are majoring in Maritime Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; Mr. Goh studies Mechanical Engineering at the same school. Messrs. Gilmore and Schroepfer are cadets at the California Maritime Academy. Ms. Cassama is completing a MSc. in Maritime Safety and Environmental Administration at the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden. Mr. Usman is completing a MSc in Shipping Management and Logistics at World Maritime University.

Each award winner will receive a scholarship amount of 1500 euros to help pay for their studies.

The BIC wishes to congratulate the 2015 winners and to thank all of this year’s candidates for their submissions.

London, UK – The winner of the 2014 BIC Award was announced today at a reception held at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters. The winner of this year’s award is Ms. Olga Lefevre Pestel of France.

A highly respected marine transportation safety expert, Ms. Lefevre Pestel served for nine years as Chairman of the IMO’s Sub-Committee for Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC). She has served as head of the French delegation to numerous IMO Groups and was Chairman of the technical working group responsible for regulations related to dangerous goods from 2002-2011.

Since its founding in 1933, the mission of the Bureau International des Containers has been to promote the safe, secure and sustainable expansion of containerization and intermodal transportation. Each year, the BIC Award honors an individual or organization for a significant contribution to the advancement of these goals.

In announcing the decision, the BIC Board of Directors cited Ms. Lefevre Pestel’s highly effective stewardship of the DSC from 2003 to 2011 and in particularly her important contributions to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code leading to its 2014 adoption as mandatory under the SOLAS convention. Ms. Lefevre Pestel likewise made a major contribution to rendering the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code mandatory under SOLAS in 2011. As president of DSC she contributed significantly to the adoption of important amendments to the Convention for Safe Containers (CSC).

The award was presented by BIC Chairman Michel Hennemand who stated, “Ms. Lefevre Pestel is highly respected not only in France but among the international community as well, for her expertise in the area of dangerous goods, her excellent work as Chairman of the DSC Sub-committee and of the technical working group charged with editing dangerous goods regulations. While presiding over the DSC, Ms. Lefevre Pestel was appreciated by all for her sense of compromise and diplomacy as well as her technical expertise”.

Mr. Hennemand also thanked the Secretariat for the opportunity to present this year’s award at the IMO gathering, thus allowing Ms. Lefevre Pestel the opportunity to receive the well-deserved recognition in the company of her colleagues and friends from around the world.

A chemical engineer by training, Ms. Lefevre Pestel has over 22 years experience in maritime safety. She joined the French maritime ministry in 1992 and has held numerous high-level roles related to cargo safety, in particular related to the transport of dangerous goods. In 2012 she joined the maritime training directorate and this month became Deputy Assistant Director for Seafarers and Maritime Training at the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy – the French Ministry responsible for maritime affairs. Ms. Lefevre Pestel was made a Chevalier in the Ordre du Mérite Maritime in 2013.

The award ceremony was attended by the Secretary General of the IMO, Mr. Koji Sekimizu, distinguished heads of delegations and other representatives attending the opening night reception of the Sub-Committee on the Carriage of Cargoes (CCC), which replaces the DSC. The BIC is a regular participant at the CCC and holds official consultative status at the IMO.

Hamburg, Germany - The Global ACEP Database pilot, operated by the BIC on behalf of the International Maritime Organization, has received the approval of the IMO Sub-committee overseeing all container safety issues.

The initiative received unanimous approval from member states after all five countries participating in the pilot (the U.S., Russia, France, Germany and Italy) expressed strong support for the initiative at the IMO DSC18 in London in September. The project had also benefited from significant industry support, both from individual container operators as well as from the Container Owners Association (COA) and other industry groups.

While the decision at Sub-committee level still requires formal sign-off by the Maritime Safety Committee, this approval has cleared the way for BIC to proceed with a global rollout. Starting January 1st, 2014, the database will be available for all countries to enter their ACEP data, thereby satisfying their CSC* requirement to publish all valid ACEP’s. The database can be viewed at [email protected]

* International Convention for Safe Containers