Media Release

London, Nov 30: Flavian Kamath D'Souza, the elected master of the most Honorable Company of Master Mariners, also known as HCMM celebrated the Lord Mayor's Show on board his ship HQS 'Wellington' in London with his fellow masters, friends and family recently. The celebration was a unique event with the participation of alderman Dr Andrew Parmley, Lord Mayor of the City of London along with an entourage of 200 prominent dignitaries of the City of London. Lord Mayor officially lit the fireworks in the evening. Flavian was formally elected master on April 28 this year.

Captain Flavian Kamath D’Souza is a proud Mangalurean and a thorough product of St Aloysius, the renowned Jesuit institution. As a student, he participated in a vast range of extracurricular activities with a special affinity for the sea. While in college, in 1964, he was selected in a nationwide competition to join the prestigious training ship Dufferin, India’s equivalent of UK's HMS Conway or HMS Worcester. Dufferin was a troopship in the First World War and was subsequently commissioned as a British training ship in 1927.

Flavian completed his apprenticeship and junior officer sea time with the South India Steamship Corporation, a P&O joint venture. Later, to gain broader experience, especially in heavy-lift vessels, he joined the West German merchant navy in 1971 and obtained his master's certificate in 1975. He then served as commodore master with the Iran O Hind shipping company and was in command for 6 years on multi-purpose vessels.

During the Iran-Iraq war, as commodore master of Iran O Hind Shipping Company, he was involved with safety of the crew on board of vessels trading in convoy in the Persian Gulf. The war time safe practices he then developed and instituted at sea resulted in almost nil human casualties and only a few hull losses due to nature of the ‘Exocet’ missile attacks. While with Iran O Hind, he attended Cambridge University to complete the then well-renowned study course on the 'Anatomy of Shipping'. Following that study period, he was promoted to the head office in Tehran as manager in-charge of the commercial aspects of the fleet.

He joined the Foresight Group in 1985 in London at its inception as director of Shipping and acquired its first vessel for its fleet, the twin decker 'Amer Kanti' in January 1986. The Foresight Group was focussed on shipping and offshore drilling operations. In 1990 the Group moved into the offshore drilling industry which became Flavian’s particular focus as managing director for the next 26 years.

More recently, Flavian also took responsibility for the training aspects of the Group and also its involvement with the 'Amer Maritime Training Academy' (AMTA) in Kanpur India where he leads a specific project to obtain the accreditation of the academy and eight of its sea going and offshore courses/certifications bythe International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), Houston, USA.
Flavian has been a member of the Institute Directors since 1978. He chaired the Indian Maritime Association (IMA UK) from 2000 to 2003. In 2016 he was awarded Fellowship of the Nautical Institute for his contributions to the maritime industry and its safety standards.

As part of an amendment to its 1932 Royal Charter, in 2013, the Honourable Company (HCMM) was granted the right to offer Chartered status to appropriately experienced and qualified masters. Flavian is leading that initiative to fruition as it calls for immense negotiations, administration and legal compliance - a work that necessarily encompasses not only the UK Merchant Navy, but also needs to take into account potential worldwide interests.

The Chartered qualification could eventually become available to seafarers of all nations who hold a Master Unlimited qualification (or its international equivalent) and those who are able to meet the criteria of being able to demonstrate superior competence, enhanced personal development and that they have benefitted the maritime industry in a wider sense.

Flavian says this is a new and exciting venture, driven and directed by HMCC in association with its partner, the Nautical Institute, and with the support of a number of several others. Under Flavian’s leadership, the last 9 months have seen the project grow from a conceptual plan into a workable framework that is now nearing completion. One of the key milestones in the project was the launch of the Charter Ship Registration Authority on November 7.

During his term as the elected maser, Flavian is widely seen representing HCMM in the City of London and has attended already a wide range Lunches, Dinners and events in several Livery Halls and venues. A highlight of these important events includes the Queen's Royal Garden Party on May 24 and the most famous Ironbridge roundup where around 100 livery masters with their mistresses and consorts attended along with the Lord Mayor of the City of London.

His beloved and charming wife Yasmin is a strong supporter and a hidden secret of Flavian’s professional success as he marches on to carry the HCMM flag high in the coming months in meeting members of the Royal Family, cities' sherriffs, ad alderman and high-level professionals in the maritime industry and guests on board and at all the outports.