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Former Philippine maritime attaché and Maritime Industry Authority senior official Atty Jean Ver Pia has been appointed to a senior post at the International Maritime Organization
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Pia now heads the Asia and Pacific Section, Subdivision for Maritime Development, of the Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division of IMO
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In her new role, Pia will focus on capacity building and strengthening technical cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region, working closely with countries and organizations to develop and implement key initiatives
Former Philippine maritime attaché and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) senior official Atty. Jean Ver Pia has been appointed to a senior post at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) effective November 4.
Pia now heads the Asia and Pacific Section, Subdivision for Maritime Development, of the Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division (TCID) of IMO.
In her new role, Pia will focus on capacity building and strengthening technical cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region, working closely with countries and organizations to develop and implement key initiatives, MARINA said in a statement.
“Transitioning from a labor-providing IMO member state representative of the Philippines, to the IMO, I have come to realize that competent and well-trained people are crucial in implementing and enforcing our obligations to the international maritime community,” Pia said.
She emphasized that despite the region’s diversity, “we must continue capacity building at the center of our efforts.”
Pia’s new role will involve collaborating with Asia Pacific nations on technical cooperation projects and contributing to IMO’s strategies to ensure efficient program implementation. She will also assist in shaping policies aligned with the Technical Cooperation Committee and IMO’s broader international goals.
Through her 30-year career with MARINA, PIA worked extensively with the IMO while she was serving as director of the authority’s Overseas Shipping Service from November 4, 2015 to June 11, 2020, and as MARINA’s maritime attaché to London from December 1, 2021 to October 31, 2024.
Her experience also includes taking on roles as officer-in-charge (OIC) deputy administrator for planning and OIC deputy executive director of the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Office, where she made substantial contributions to the sector’s regulatory and partnership frameworks.
Pia graduated with Law and Juris Doctor degrees from San Beda University, earned a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs specializing in Maritime Administration from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, and completed her Doctor of Philosophy at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom as a Nippon Foundation Scholar and a Seafarers International Research Centre Research Fellow.
