NorthStandard has appointed Helen Barden Head of External Affairs, underlining its continuing commitment to ensuring policymakers understand the critical role P&I plays in global shipping on behalf of its Members.Previously NorthStandard Director - External Affairs, Barden formally took up the new post on 1st August 2026. She succeeds Mike Salthouse, on his retirement from the Club after 34 years of service.Barden joined the External Affairs team in 2024 soon after its creation, bringing to the post over 11 years of FD&D experience with the Club, where assignments had included a pivotal role in setting up its Navigating Decarbonisation group. She has since worked tirelessly to increase understanding of the contribution P&I makes to keeping global trade moving, to foster collaborative relationships and to drive policy work - including on sanctions.A member of several key industry working groups, Barden contributed to crucial BIMCO efforts to develop viable EEXI Transition, CII Operations and Emission Trading Scheme Allowances clauses. She is also a member of the WISTA UK Board.“Our focus will continue to be shaped by the three major trends affecting shipowners and charterers — sanctions and geopolitics, the maritime energy transition, and the impact of new technology,” said Barden.“The shipping industry operates in an increasingly complex and geopolitical environment, where trusted and credible partnership with policymakers is essential to the development of well-informed regulation. Therefore, in the immediate term, our engagement with key policymakers is a priority to ensure Members’ commercial and operational perspectives are heard before and as policy is developed, particularly in areas such as sanctions and decarbonisation”.“While to date our work in relation to new technologies has been understanding the evolving landscape, looking ahead, I expect our work to become more focused on the policy gaps emerging from new technologies such as autonomous vessels.” Nort