Offshore staff
Houston -- ABS has promoted Dr. Kirsi Tikka to the position of vice president global technology and business development. Tikka previously was vice president, special projects. She also serves as the ABS representative on the Council of the International Association of Classification Societies.
In her new role, Tikka will report to Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS president and COO, and will assume direct oversight of the worldwide network of technology and business development executives within ABS. According to ABS, this network of employees is at the forefront in establishing and maintaining relationships with the society's shipowner and shipyard clients and provides leadership in implementing new products and value added services.
Prior to joining ABS in 2001, Tikka was a professor of naval architecture at Webb Institute in New York. In addition to teaching, she carried out research on structural strength of tankers and risk analysis and was actively involved in the US National Research Council Marine Board studies on double hull tankers. Tikka has also worked for Chevron Shipping in San Francisco and for Wartsila Shipyards in Finland.
A native of Finland, Tikka has a PhD in naval architecture and offshore engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in mechanical engineering and naval architecture from the University of Technology in Helsinki. She is Member of SNAME and a fellow of RINA.
3/5/2007
