Elizabeth Bouchard Named SNAME Executive Director

The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) announced it has appointed Elizabeth Bouchard as its next Executive Director. She will become the 15th person to serve in this capacity since the organization’s founding in 1893, and she will assume the helm at SNAME Headquarters on July 1, 2024, succeeding Valerie Hutnan.

Bouchard comes to SNAME from International Registries, Inc. (IRI), where she served as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Administration. Bouchard also served as Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs for the RMI Maritime Administrator, representing the RMI at international treaty negotiations.

Bouchard began her career at the Transportation Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes and preserves the US maritime industry, and later went on to serve as a consultant to major energy and shipping companies. She earned a BA in Biology from Kenyon College and a MA in Marine Affairs from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA), the Project Management Institute; and the Rotary Club of Great Falls, Virginia. She is also a guest lecturer at the University of Rhode Island’s Marine Affairs Program.

Bouchard was selected by SNAME's Ad Hoc Executive Director Search Committee consisting of President Rick Spaulding, President Elect Richard Mueller, Past Presidents Suzanne Beckstoffer and Andrew Kendrick, and Vice President of Finance Paul Roden.

Spaulding said, "We are very pleased to welcome a woman of Elizabeth’s professional maritime expertise and accomplishments to SNAME. She brings years of experience and relationships with leaders in vessel operations; regulatory and policy development; business and employee development; and financial management to SNAME. I feel confident that we made the right choice in our selection of Elizabeth for this role and look forward to welcoming her aboard."

Bouchard said, “I am both honored and excited to join this renowned institution. I believe the society serves a central role in furthering the interests of maritime professionals and businesses worldwide, and I look forward to working with the SNAME leadership and administrative team to further our outreach, engagement, and collaboration as we enter our 130th year of operation.”

SNAME is an internationally recognized nonprofit, technical, and professional society serving the maritime and offshore industries and their suppliers. It has more than 4,000 members worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, as well as the Middle East and Asia.