Director, Maritime Safety Division
International Maritime Organization
Heike Deggim is the Director of the Maritime Safety Division (MSD) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. In this function she is also acting as the Secretary of the Maritime Safety Committee, IMO’s senior technical body for ship safety related matters. The Maritime Safety Division deals with operational ship safety and the human element; marine technology and cargoes; and maritime security and facilitation of maritime traffic.
Since joining IMO in 1993, Heike has been in charge of IMO’s Sub-Committees on Flag State Implementation and on Ship Design and Equipment, before being appointed as Head of Marine Technology, with overall responsibility for the technical sub-committees dealing with ship design and equipment; stability, load lines and fishing vessels safety; and fire protection; as well as taking a leading role in the development and implementation of the goal-based ship construction standards for bulk carriers and oil tankers and the associated verification scheme. Before being promoted to the Director position she also worked for some years as Senior Deputy Director in IMO’s Marine Environment Division, dealing with matters related to MARPOL, air pollution and energy efficiency of ships, reduction of GHG emissions, ballast water management, ship recycling, anti-fouling and biofouling, evaluation of chemicals; as well as being majorly involved with the running of the Marine Environment Protection Committee and the Sub‑Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response.
Prior to her career at IMO, Heike worked as Senior Researcher at the Shipbuilding Faculty of Rostock University, resulting in a PhD in fishing technology, followed by several years in the naval shipbuilding industry and later in various positions in the German Maritime Administration dealing with tonnage measurement of ships.
Heike graduated in 1983 with a Masters degree in marine engineering from Rostock University. She is a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA).