Dave Keeling has taken over as chief operating officer of Associated Marine, following the resignation of Mike Brews. Wellknown in the marine insurance industry, Keeling was born and educated in Liverpool. He transferred to South Africa in 1977 and has notched up more than 40 years’ experience in the industry. He has played an active role on a number of industry-related bodies, most notably heading up the Association of Marine Underwriters of SA (Amusa) for several years. The biggest issue facing the industry – and one that has been a concern for some time – is the shortage of qualified staff, in Keeling’s view. Amusa has just run a one-day course – the first for some time – and apart from one other educational offering, there are few options, he told FTW. “It’s an issue that needs to be addressed with some urgency to attract new blood to an industry where skills are not being replaced.” Diminishing rates are another long-standing challenge, says Keeling. “There may have been some upward trending in some of the fruit accounts because some of the players got caught with the risks of cold steri cover, but on the whole there has been increased capacity while the size of the pot has remained the same.” CAPTION Dave Keeling
