Sail Training International Trustees

Doug Prothero
Chairman

Founding Trustee of Sail Training International with responsibility for the Americas (2002-). Vice Chairman of Sail Training International (2010-2012). Past Chairman of the Canadian Sailing Training Association and former Vice Chairman of Tall Ships America.

He is a partner at Capital Canada Limited (a boutique investment bank) where he focuses on business development, mergers and acquisitions and financings, with particular emphasis on transactions in the commercial marine, oil and gas and leisure sectors.

He also has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, largely in the marine and leisure areas. He has founded and owned a number of small and medium enterprises. His career has included significant experience as a professional captain, shipbuilder (including four tall ships), ship owner, shipbroker, and surveyor. He has worked significantly on regulatory reform matters both domestically and internationally. In addition he acts as a consultant for ship owners and investment firms on transactions related to the marine industry.

Contact Doug Prothero – doug.prothero@sailtraininginternational.org

Ron Dadswell OBE
Ron gained his 1st Mates Certificate in the Merchant Navy before joining the British Army.  He retired as a Colonel in 1992 to become the Sail Training Association's Race Director. He sailed as navigator and chief officer on the schooners Sir Winston Churchill and Malcolm Miller.  He has also sailed on Lord Nelson, Tenacious, Stavros S Niarchos, the Japanese Kaisei, the Polish Henryk Rutowski and the Australian Bark Endeavour. Ron is a trustee of the UK Association of Sail Training Organisations and was its chairman for 10 years until 2010.  He was awarded an OBE in 2007 in recognition of his Services to Sail Training.
Contact Ron Dadswell -  ron.dadswell@sailtraininginternational.org

Terry Davies
Terry Davies has had a career of close to 40 years in education and sail training during which he has developed four independent schools, including the American Foundation for Education Under Sail.  He supervised the construction of the sail training vessel Concordia, launched in 1992 as the campus for West Island College International’s Class Afloat”.  Terry also operates two educational consulting firms and is director of ASTA
Contact Terry Davies –terry.davies@sailtraininginternational.org

Willem de Ruiter
Much of his career was with the European Commission, with a good deal of it related to the shipping industry. He then became the first Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in 2003. His interest in the training of people for a career at sea has given him a good understanding of the issues, the people in the shipping industry most directly involved with it, and the maritime academies in Europe.  

John Richardson
Most of John’s career has been with the European Commission where he had a wide range of roles.  He was Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the UN in New York before spending three years as head of the task force that developed the Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (adopted by the European Council in December 2007).
Contact John Richardson – john.richardson@sailtraininginternational.org 

Keith Robinson
Secretary to the Charity and Legal Advisor to the board of Trustees
Keith is senior partner of the London law firm, DMH Stallard Solicitors. He is a Solicitor and a Director / Company Secretary of a number of public and private companies.
Contact Keith Robinson – keith.robinson@sailtraininginternational.org