Michael is Chairman of Michael Else and Company Limited. Michael went to sea in 1955 as an apprentice with  Elder Dempster Lines and after service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary he obtained his Masters ticket in 1965. He served as a seaman officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. In 1967 Michael went ashore and joined a major P&I Club. He  was instrumental in establishing Transmarine in 1974, and in 1986  orchestrated the foundation of the Charterers P&I Club, the only P&I Club dedicated exclusively to chartered tonnage. Michael is a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.

 

Christopher Else

 

After leaving school Christopher spent two years undertaking practical training with ship operators based in Germany and then in Denmark. He joined Michael Else and Co as a trainee in 1986 and spent the first three years understudying the senior Transmarine claims manager. The practical experience he gained working in the shipping industry gave him a natural interest in the underwriting of the two brands, particularly the Charterers P&I Club, which was then in its infancy. In the late 1980s he was instrumental in redesigning and placing a new reinsurance programme for the Club and in 1990 he took over as the Club's class underwriter. In 1994 he was appointed Managing Director of Michael Else and Co and also assumed the role of Underwriting Director, with responsibility for both brands. He negotiated the structure and terms of a multi-year ART deal for the Charterers P&I Club, which was to become the cornerstone of its successful de-mutualisation four years later. Together with Michael he helped pioneer the development of Transmarine's maritime trade disruption concept. Christopher devised and negotiated the de-mutualisation of both Transmarine in 1996 and the Charterers P&I Club in 1999. Since 2000 his primary focus has been on running the business, developing the relationships with the two key partners and their respective reinsurers and generating sustained and profitable growth in the two brands.

 

  Richard Bokszczanin    B.Sc. (Hons) LLB (Hons) MNI
 

Richard began his career at sea as a Navigating Cadet with a major tanker company, progressing to 2nd Officer and serving on reefers and bulk carriers. After obtaining a B.Sc. in Nautical Studies from Plymouth and a 1st Officers Certificate Richard then spent 14 years with a major London P&I club where he was a Deputy Group Leader and Associate in the claims department. Having obtained an L.L.B from London University he was called to the Bar in 1995. Richard joined the Company in 1997 as Claims Director and is in charge of it’s Claims Department.

 

  Gavin Ritchie

After leaving college Gavin joined Sun Alliance International in their Overseas Marine Department, where he worked with cargo, hull and yacht underwriters and also developed various internal systems for the Department. He joined Michael Else and Company Limited in 1993 to assist with underwriting duties and is now the class underwriter for The Charterers Club.

Gavin is responsible for the day to day running of the Club and along with other senior management duties is responsible for the publication of The Charterers Club newsletter which he edits along with Ken Norman. 

 

 

Charlie Barnes

Charlie joined Michael Else and Company in October 2003, as the Class underwriter for Transmarine. He has over 20 years experience as a marine broker in the London market, working for large and small insurance brokers, where he has specialised in marine Hull and Loss of Hire business.

His working knowledge of the London market will enable him to assist brokers in their efforts to secure business, as well as continue the development of the TDI concept.

 

  Lee Wilson
 

Lee Wilson is a Chartered Accountant who spent five years in practice before joining Zurich Financial Services and then moving on to Toronto Dominion. Lee is the Finance Director and having joined Michael Else and Company in 2001, his responsibilities include the maintenance and integrity of the company's systems, financial management, regulatory reporting, the production of management information, IT and the on-going review of operational efficiency.

 

  Andrew Goodyear   FICS
 

Andrew began his career in 1968 in the offices of the British Railways Eastern Regional Shipping Services at the port of Harwich. Moving in 1974 to the ship management department of the British Rail Shipping & International Services Division, which subsequently became the privatised Sealink fleet, he took responsibility for handling the Hull and Machinery and Admiralty P&I claims for the entire Sealink fleet. Andrew joined Michael Else and Company Limited as a Claims Executive in 1991, handling claims for The Charterers P&I Club and Transmarine.

 

  Marta de Leon       LLM
 

Marta joined Michael Else and Company Limited as a Claims Executive in 1997. Marta is a Spanish lawyer. She previously worked for Estudio International Law firm in Madrid and in 1992 obtained an LLM in Legal Aspects of Marine Affairs from the University of South Wales in Cardiff. Marta gained experience with Lawrence Graham, Norton Rose and Velos before joining the claims team of The Charterers Club

 

 

  John Price
 

John joined the Club’s claims team in April 2001. John was admitted as a solicitor in 1981 and for the 25 years had worked for Constant and Constant and was appointed a partner in 1984. John’s primary responsibility was in the commercial litigation department where he dealt with a number of high profile cases. John is primarily involved in handling claims for the Charterers P&I Club.

 

 

  Anne-Marie Castle
 

Anne-Marie joined the company in July 2000. She previously worked for a leading London P & I club where for more than twelve years she gained extensive experience in all aspects of P& I and Defence claims. Anne-Marie for a number of years, was the special areas representative for Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt and was one of the first to visit Lebanon and Syria after the civil war in Lebanon in 1991. Anne-Marie also has a working knowledge of French and Arabic. 

 

  Stephen Grainger

Stephen qualified as a solicitor with Norton Rose. He then worked as a senior claims handler at a leading International Group P&I Club handling P&I and FD&D claims for owner and charterer members.

Stephen then returned to private practice working for a niche shipping practice for a number of years where he gained further experience in contentious shipping matters in the High Court and London arbitration, acting primarily for charterers. Stephen joined the claims department in April 2004 and deals with P&I and FD&D claims for the Charterers Club and claims for Transmarine.

 

 

Emma Rios-Ternero

 

Was educated at Facultad de Derecho de Malaga and the London School of Economics (L.S.E.) where she read law and gained a Master of Laws. Emma is dually qualified in Spain (1994) and England & Wales (1999).

Emma joined Michael Else and Company in 2007 from a London firm of Solicitors where she specialised in all types of shipping litigation including shipbuilding disputes, charter party and cargo claims, insurance and commodity work.

 

  Arneaz Nordin
 

Arneaz joined the Company in October 2002 following four years with a Lloyd’s syndicate. During this time he assisted the War team in all core underwriting aspects and specialised in terrorism and political risks.

Arneaz is an Assistant Underwriter and is working closely with Gavin and Charlie on Transmarine and The Charterers P & I Club underwriting.

 

  Ken Norman (Marketing Consultant)
 

Ken joined a major London P&I Club straight from school where he progressed from junior clerk to head of the Claims Settling Department. In the mid seventies he became Special Areas Representative for Vietnam where he was one of the first Europeans to visit the country following Unification. 

Ken for many years was responsible for publications, marketing and club correspondents and for seventeen years served as Chairman of the International Group Sub-committee for Correspondents. Ken contributes regularly to various Maritime publications and is also a fellow of The British Institute of Management. Ken joined the Company as a consultant in January 1998.