DNV GL, a certification body and classification society, has appointed Transocean’s director of reliability, innovation, and fleet planning, Julian J. Soles, as the chairman of its Rig Owners Committee.
DNV GL hosted the 2017 Annual Rig Owners Committee meeting at its North America headquarters in Houston on April 27.
According to DNV GL, this annual gathering allows owners and managers of mobile offshore units (MOUs) and floating production units to gather in a forum and address the innovation, operations, and services needs across the marketplace.
DNV GL said on Monday that Soles oversees Transocean’s efforts in driving reliability and innovation, as well as managing the company’s long-term asset planning function.
“As an industry, rig owners recognize the importance of continuous improvement, reliability, and safety,” Soles said. “Our committee’s efforts will continue to focus on sustaining and furthering our industry’s achievements in support of safe operations.”
Since joining Transocean in 2001 as a naval architect, Soles held roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, corporate planning, and operations. After returning in 2015 to the U.S. from Australia, where he spent four years as an operations manager, he served as a director within various Transocean functions, including project planning, technical sourcing and engineering, and technical field support.
Remi Eriksen , group president and CEO of DNV GL, said: “The committee’s operational experience and strategic perspectives are critical for prioritizing our improvement efforts and guiding our classification rules development.
“The committee members’ input is important to improve the relevance and quality of our services, as well as strengthen the impact of DNV GL’s research and innovation. We look forward to Julian Soles leading the work of this important industry committee.”