Captain Soren Ibsen will be retiring on December 31, 2022, after spending the last 13 years as Vice President of Milbros Systems at Q88. Having devoted over 47 years to the maritime industry and the last 33 years specializing in the chemical and product tanker sector, he has decided to slow down and enjoy life.

Capt. Ibsen has long been known as a chemical tanker industry expert, attending and acting as a key contributor to the IMO/ESPH (PPR Technical Group on the Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals) for the past 18 years. He served as a member of the INTERTANKO Chemical Tanker Committee (CTC) and Chemical Tanker Sub-Committee Americas (CTSCA) during the same period. 

Capt. Ibsen has also served on the board of the Dangerous Goods Advisory Council (DGAC) for the last four years, and has been a member and advisor of the council for the past 13 years. In addition, he currently serves as Chair of the National Chemical Transportation Safety Advisory Committee (NCTSAC), a Federal Advisory Committee to the United States Coast Guard, and will continue in this role in his retirement.  

We are so appreciative of Capt. Ibsen’s expertise, partnership, and work ethic over the years, and we reflect on his many accomplishments while at Q88. Looking back on his career, Capt. Ibsen said, “When I was brought onboard at Q88, shortly after Q88 acquired Milbros, the vision was to make the Milbros system the best liquid cargo database and handling and cleaning guide in the industry. I think it’s safe to say that we achieved that vision in the past 13 years.” Some highlights of Capt. Ibsen’s tenure include:

• Converting the original Milbros Commodity Information System (MCIS) to the current web-based platform. Additions included from/to cleaning recommendations and a booking list/stowage program module. 
• Building and releasing an improved Shipboard program, which easily integrates with the web-version via internet or email. Today, this program is used on over 700 ships. 
• Creating a new Q88 Response Center service to assist ships with chemical spills, as well as chemical and medical emergencies. 
• Updating the Milbros system to comply with the major changes to the IBC Code that took effect January 1, 2021. 
• Launching a variety of new tools within Milbros, including the Phosphoric Acid/Stainless Steel Compatibility Calculation Tool, Styrene Monomer Temperature Log, and Inhibitor Depletion Tool. 
• Helping countless Milbros Premium customers with questions and issues related to regulations, cargo classifications, cargo handling, safety, tank cleaning, and more.

The team at Q88 is incredibly grateful for the years of hard work that Capt. Ibsen has dedicated to Milbros and to the industry, and we congratulate him on his retirement. Capt. Ibsen served as a true partner to our customers over the years, remarking, “I had personal relationships with many key Milbros customers during my tenure, which I have enjoyed greatly. I always aimed to provide quick and useful replies to customers’ questions, and was always happy to hear that my advice and guidance had helped them. It has been a true pleasure to serve our loyal customers, as well as to represent the tanker industry at the IMO and other industry groups.” We extend Capt. Ibsen many thanks and warm wishes as he enters this new chapter.

We are also happy to announce Captain Caspar Lavall will take over as Product Manager, Milbros. Capt. Lavall brings 20+ years of industry expertise, and we are thrilled to have him onboard. Speaking on Capt. Lavall’s appointment, Capt. Ibsen said, “We undertook a long and broad search for my replacement, and we hired Capt. Lavall, who joined the Q88 and Veson team this past June. We have been working together closely over the last six months as he transitions into his new role, and I strongly believe that Milbros is being left in very capable hands.”