ABS, a leading provider of classification services to the global marine and offshore industries, has announced the election of ABS Europe and Africa Division President Kirsi Tikka as a Foreign Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
NAE consists of more than 2,000 peer-elected members and foreign members, senior professionals in business, academia, and government. As a Foreign Member, Tikka will provide input and guidance for numerous projects focused on the relationships between engineering and technology.
Tikka and the other Foreign Member inductees will be inaugurated at the NAE Annual Meeting on October 9 in Washington, DC.
As ABS Europe and Africa Division President, Tikka is responsible for day-to-day operations throughout Scandinavia, Northern and Southern Europe, the UK, the Mediterranean region and Africa. Her prior assignment was Vice President and Chief Engineer where she led the ABS Environmental Solutions Group, whose innovative solutions support environmental initiatives and maritime operations in harsh environments.
Before joining ABS in 2001, Tikka was 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 United States National Research Council Marine Board studies on double hull tankers. She also has worked for Chevron Shipping in San Francisco and for Wartsila Shipyards in Finland.
About ABS
Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine and offshore assets.