West of England’s 50 years in Greece
(Posted on 18/09/19)
The West of England, a leading mutual marine insurer, has celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its Greek office.
To mark the event, a reception was held at Balux, Glyfada and was attended by current and previous Club Members along with representatives from the West of England Board of Directors.
From relatively small beginnings, the Greek office grew steadily and began offering claims handling services in the late 1970s. Today, under the leadership of Ian Clarke, Head of Claims & Regional Director (Hellas), the office employs 15 members of staff and handles claims for approximately one quarter of the Club’s Membership. It is now regional claims service centre for Greece, Cyprus and UAE.
In fact, the Club’s association with the Greek shipping community goes back many more than 50 years - the Los family, for example, has been with the Club for over 100 years! Dealing with all types of ships, the Club is proud to have worked with some of Greece’s leading shipping companies. Over the years the office has been involved with large claims such as the Express Samina and Norman Atlantic and has broken new legal ground with the Aquafaith and Griffon cases.
Following on from a tradition of having Board Directors from Greece, today the country is represented on the West of England Board by Stelios Ioannou, Vassilis Bacolitsas, Thanassis Mazarakis and Dimitra Dandolos.
Explained Ian Clarke: “It is a great pleasure to work with the team here in Greece, a number of whom have been with the Club for many years. Together we, and previous employees of the Club, have built a thriving regional office which is determined that our members will always receive a first class service.”
Latest News
AtoB@C Shipping takes delivery of Fleximar
(Posted on 23/12/25)AtoB@C Shipping, a subsidiary of ESL Shipping, has announced the successful delivery of Fleximar, the... Read more
Western Bulk re-enters ship ownership with selected partners
(Posted on 18/12/25)Western Bulk, together with reputable Norwegian partners A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Premium Maritime... Read more
Pacific Basin announces formation of a Sustainable Energy Solutions team
(Posted on 18/12/25)Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies, has announced... Read more
Columbia expects significant growth as more owners shift operations to the UAE
(Posted on 09/12/25)Columbia Group anticipates a period of strong expansion as an increasing number of international shipowners... Read more
Norse Ship Management emerges as digital leader among new-generation ship managers
(Posted on 09/12/25)Norse?Ship Management has expanded its use of Smart Ship Hub’s high frequency sensor data and... Read more
Maritime health experts welcome STCW amendments, but urge against checkbox compliance
(Posted on 09/12/25)As the maritime industry gears up to welcome the IMO’s STCW bullying and harassment training amendments... Read more
NORDEN acquires Southern African cargo activities of Taylor Maritime
(Posted on 02/12/25)NORDEN has acquired the cargo activities of Taylor Maritime in Southern Africa (previously operated... Read more
IMO delay could spark fragmentation risks, warns EmissionLink
(Posted on 02/12/25)Philippos Ioulianou, Managing Director of EmissionLink, has warned the IMO’s decision to delay... Read more
VIKAND highlights bullying and harassment as major mental health concern
(Posted on 02/12/25)VIKAND has highlighted the need for cultural change in the maritime sector as reports of bullying, harassment... Read more
DNV and WMMF guide to support shipowners' path to net-zero
(Posted on 24/11/25)The maritime industry is experiencing a period of significant transformation, driven by rapidly evolving... Read more
