Stephan has been working with the UK Maritime Authority for the past twenty years, working first in search and rescue co-ordination at the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in the Shetland Islands.
In 2012, he became the Counter Pollution & Salvage Officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland, focusing on pollution preparedness and regulatory compliance by ports and harbours. In that role, Stephan became involved in maritime pollution and salvage response and from 2012 until 2018, he worked on numerous incidents that also involved the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP). In 2017, Stephan took up the role of Deputy to the SOSREP with the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), working with the offshore oil and gas industry on pollution preparedness and response.
In 2018 he was appointed to the role of SOSREP and has since been working closely with all stakeholders involved in maritime casualty response. The SOSREP is the UK Competent Authority for directing wreck removal and for dealing with requests for places of refuge for vessels requiring assistance. Stephan works with national and international partners in administrations and in industry to improve maritime safety and incident response.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency