Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore has announced the appointment of Stefano Colonna as its new head of passenger ships and yachts for the North American region.

The company said in a press release that Colonna has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the passenger ships and yachting industries.

In the new role, Colanno will continue strengthening the company’s presence within the cruise and yachting sector.

Colanno will lead initiatives to enhance vessel classification, safety, and regulatory compliance, ensuring that vessels operate at the forefront of innovation, sustainability, and safety standards.

Matthieu de Tugny, president of Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, said: “The passenger ship and yacht sector are key growth areas of BV, and the appointment of Stefano as the strategic lead in North America marks a significant milestone in strengthening BV’s presence in the region.”

Colonna said: “I’m delighted to be joining the BV team. As a leader in global classification, BV plays a vital role as a trusted partner in supporting the highest standards of safety, quality, efficiency and innovation within the maritime industry, and I look forward to building upon their established expertise in the passenger ship and yachts sector, within North America.”

According to the press release, Colanno has also held prominent roles, including vice president of service for North and South America at NAVIM Group, director of marine safety operations at Carnival Cruise Line and director of technical safety operations at The Walt Disney Company.

Specializing in new builds, capital project management, technical safety operations and regulatory compliance, Colanno has overseen the management and operational safety of multi-billion-dollar fleets, including cruise ships, luxury yachts and passenger vessels, the press release added.

Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore said Colanno’s expertise in shipboard systems, regulatory compliance and risk management was pivotal in executing complex projects such as Safe Return to Port certification, major vessel refurbishments and fleet-wide safety enhancements.