Five questions for Jan van Esch, Artium Experts
Who are you and what is your job description?
I am Jan van Esch, director and marine surveyor at Artium Experts, an independent loss adjusting firm in the Rotterdam Region, while working globally with my colleagues and partners.
What does a typical day for you look like?
As a marine surveyor I investigate the cause, nature and extent of loss or damage, primarily to vessels. My day is determined by any emergencies, for example, if an incident has just occurred and immediate action has to be taken. Usually, a new case starts with telephone calls and email correspondence to assess the situation. Things can be quite hectic. If necessary, a colleague or I will go to the site of the incident. This requires travel, in some cases globally. When there are no emergencies, I usually spend time working through any correspondence, making telephone calls, examining information that I have received, sorting out claims and writing reports.
What was the best advice (workwise) someone gave you?
Not to forget the person behind the loss or damage. When I started out in this profession, I thought it was mainly about the technical aspects, but over time it increasingly became clear to me that dealing with a case to the satisfaction of all concerned, is mainly about communication and acting with integrity.
How could you be of help to others in the industry or RMSC?
As a marine surveyor, I can assist insurers and insured parties in investigating, judging and reporting of any damage or loss. If there is a dispute between parties, I can act as a judicial expert and to this end, I am registered with the LRGD (Landelijk Register van Gerechtelijke Deskundigen).
RMSC is important to me for maintaining contact with other professionals within our network.
And lastly: What’s in the news which relates directly to your profession?
Because of the energy transition and associated changes in propulsion technologies, vessels will become more expensive and damage/losses will become more complex and costly. I am also curious about the consequences of autonomous/semi-autonomous sailing. To what extent will this result in incidents?
