Michael G.E. Robinson is Executive Vice President and Head of Operations and Engineering for WATER STANDARD and directs all marine operations. His more than 30 years of experience in the international maritime industry includes fleet management, finance, safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, he has been extensively involved in new ship construction and ship refurbishment/conversion, and is an expert in full-ship design of all types of vessels.

After he completed his studies in Nautical Science, Mr. Robinson quickly moved up the shipping ranks from cadet to captain. During that period, he served on a variety of vessels, including cargo, oil/bulk/ore, drill, and heavy lift ships. Then in 1978, he joined Silver Line International Shipping Management, V.Ships Inc., as a second officer. Over the 10-plus years that followed, he would continue to advance, rising to the positions of chief officer and master.

In 1991, Mr. Robinson became safety and marine superintendent for V.Ships (USA Inc.) in New York, with responsibility for cruise ships, oil and chemical tankers, multi-purpose vessels, and bulk carriers. In this role, he implemented and coordinated comprehensive regulatory compliance programs – including those related to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and International Maritime Organisation standards. Four years later, he was named safety and quality superintendent of the company, and helped to plan, develop, and implement its quality management system.

The following year, Mr. Robinson took over as fleet manager of V.Ships Marine Ltd. He had overall responsibility for a large fleet of mixed vessels; supervised the fleet team staff; and reported and coordinated all ship management activities to owners and charterers. He was accountable for a comprehensive scope of activities that ranged from budgets and technical/financial reporting to dry dock preparation and commercial performance monitoring.

In 1998, Mr. Robinson became operations manager for Silver Line USA – now V.Ships Commercial – and assumed responsibility for technical and financial oversight of two ship managers and the operation of their 16-vessel fleet of tankers, bulk carriers, and cargo ships. He also provided technical and marine advice to in-house chartering brokers and financial managers, and technical advice and monitoring related to ship purchases and sales.

Mr. Robinson's extensive background in safety and quality assurance earned him the position of group risk, quality, and safety director of V.Ships in 2001. Based in Glasgow, he worked closely on the integration of V.Ships and Acomarit Management Systems during the merger of the world's two largest ship management companies.

With this integration completed, he was named managing director of Miami-based V.Ships USA, LLC. In that capacity, he expanded the office from managing 12 ships in 2001 to 38 ships in 2007. In addition to leading the Miami team, he also oversaw a purchasing hub in Cyprus, crewing hubs in Odessa and Mumbai, and an accounting hub in Mumbai.

Mr. Robinson left V.Ships in late 2007 to join WATER STANDARD, whose executive offices are located in Houston.