About Global Marine

Bruce Neilson-Watts

Chief Executive Officer

Becoming CEO in 2022, Bruce began his career with Global Marine Group at sea in 1989, becoming a Master Mariner and the youngest ever Captain in the fleet, before coming ashore in 2005.  He then spent time in Asia, working in both HMN and VP Service Delivery, and SBSS as Managing Director.  Returning to the UK in 2014, Bruce has held a number of strategic posts within the business and headed the Global Marine business unit as Managing Director from 2017 until transitioning to the role of CEO.  Bruce also sits on SubOptic’s Executive Committee, and has done so since 2019.

Neil Burns

Managing Director of Asset & Operations

Neil started his career with the Royal Navy and trained as a Marine Engineer serving on Nuclear Submarines, before making the move to the Merchant Navy where he served in a number of companies including Global Marine rising to the rank of Chief Engineer.  Neil came ashore in 2004 as Technical Superintendent, followed by Fleet Manager, Fleet Director and Managing Director across the oil, chemical, offshore and gas industries.

Paul Deslandes

Head of Project Delivery

Paul heads up the Global Marine Project Delivery Team and has been with the company since 1998. He is highly experienced in key programme and project delivery in compliance with legislative & company standards, polices, and procedures. The projects that have been delivered by Paul and his team vary across the telecoms, renewable energy along with oil & gas sectors. He also contributes to an implementation of improvement programmes within the business as well as being a member of the quality, safety, and environmental committees.

Stephen Holden

Head of Maintenance – EMEA

With over 40 years’ experience in offshore engineering, Stephen began his career as a Submarine Cable Engineer, gaining vast experience and knowledge about subsea cable infrastructure. A valued member of the Global Marine team for well over a decade, Stephen is responsible for all maintenance customer account issues associated with ACMA and NAZ, including renewal strategy and market/competitor evaluation. Additionally, Stephen assists with SEAIOCMA to meet customer requirements.

Richard Flanders

Head of QHSE/DPA

Richard has 20 years experience as a mariner within Global Marine, including as a cable ship commander and DP master.

He now heads up the businesses QHSE department as well as acting as DPA (Designated Person Ashore)

Bill Ellis

Ship Captain

Bill began his career offshore in 1968 and subsequently joined the cable ship industry in 1975. Since this time, Bill has been involved in numerous cable operations across the globe including the Atlantic, Pacific and Southeast Asian Oceans.

Bill is experienced in both shallow and deep water operations and has an extensive track record of successfully completing cable repair projects for customers world wide.

For the past three years, Bill has been the Master of Cable Retriever, Global Marine’s cable maintenance vessel located in the Philippines, serving the SEAIOCMA zone.

Paul Haines

Ship Captain

Paul Haines joined Global Marine when it was Cable & Wireless, as a deck cadet, and has worked onboard all of the company’s installation and maintenance vessels. In 2006, Paul was involved with the DP2 conversion onboard the C.S. Sovereign, and since then has been the continuity Senior DPO/Chief Mate/Master for wind farm burials and inter-array installations, renewable energy projects and telecoms cable installations.

Alex Jackson

Ship Captain

Alex, who originally joined Cable & Wireless in 1997, was promoted in 2019 to the role of Master after spending the last nine years working as Chief Mate. His career has grown with the company as he has progressed from third officer, to second officer to Chief Officer and now to Master. In that time he has worked has worked on multiple ACMA & NAZ repairs.

Richard Kearns

Ship Captain/OIM

Since joining Global Marine, Richard has been involved in numerous cable repairs, cable installations, offshore renewable energy and oil & gas projects. He has also spent a year seconded to the company’s Portland Depot in Dorset, as a deck superintendent. More recently, Richard has worked as the continuity commander of Wave Sentinel based in Portland on the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement involved in numerous shallow and deep water cable repairs.

Chris Neave

Ship Captain/OIM

Captain Chris Neave started his career as a deck cadet in the Merchant Navy in 1973 before joining Global Marine in 1987. Throughout his service, Chris has been involved in repairs and installations of all kinds world-wide including telecoms, power and scientific research cables in the North Sea, Irish Sea, Mediterranean, Gulf of Guinea, Brazil, Trinidad, Canada, Suriname, Venezuela and more.

Derek Smith

Ship Captain/OIM

Captain Derek Smith started his sea-going career in 1994 as a deck cadet and joined Global Marine just a few years later in 1998. Since then he has sailed as third officer, second officer, chief officer, offshore installation manager and most recently commander. Throughout his career with Global Marine he has been involved in many large cable installations, cable system repairs, deep water salvage operations and renewable projects. He has also spent time in the company head office in Chelmsford working in the solutions design department planning future cable installations.

John Tollady

Ship Captain

Captain Tollady joined the company as a Third Officer in 1983. His first command was ten years later in 1993. During 32 years of service he has undertaken every aspect of marine operations, from working in company offices around the world, to transoceanic installations, cable repairs, route surveys as well as oil, gas and renewables projects.

Kevin Widdowson

Ship Captain

Captain Kevin Widdowson began his cable ship career in 1989, and spent his early years engaged in major Installation work around the Far East and North Pacific Region. A move towards the maintenance side of the business in 2012 has brought about a mix of deep and shallow water repairs, in and around the Pacific & Caribbean, where Kevin’s project management experience and skills as a beach master have been particularly useful. With a thirst for offshore adventure, Kevin was part of a dedicated team that smashed the world powerboat record for circumnavigation of the globe a memorable journey of almost 73 days.