Retired maritime veteran Rear Admiral Peter Brady has called it quits on his illustrious maritime having exited as director general of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ).

Brady has served in this role since the MAJ’s inception in 1999. As director general, he was primarily responsible for elevating Jamaica’s maritime status regionally and globally. 

The rear admiral spearheaded several major initiatives by the MAJ including the development of Jamaica as a shipping hub with attendant services such as bunkering and drydocking, as well as the implementation of the ISPS Code, which came into force in 2004. 

His distinguished service as head of Jamaica’s delegation to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) resulted in his election in 2003, ascChairman of Committee 1 of the 23rd IMO Assembly and chair of the IMO’s Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) sub-committee a position he held for 10 terms.

Distinguished service at MAJ

In June 2010 Admiral Brady presided over the Diplomatic Conference in Manila, Philippines, where the most comprehensive amendments to the STCW Convention, the global treaty regulating the training and certification of seafarers, were adopted.

Brady, a graduate of the London-based Royal Naval Staff College and Dalhousie University in Canada, has played a prominent role in maritime education. He is a visiting lecturer at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden, has been a serving member of its board of governors since 2007, and was the vice-chair in 2015. 

In February 2018, he was appointed to the Police Services Commission of Jamaica, and in February 2020 was appointed as a member of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) council.

Rear Admiral Brady has a passion for maritime education and administration and was not only a visiting lecturer at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden, and his alma mater, Dalhousie University in Canada but he also served up to his retirement as vice-chair of the Board of Governors of WMU and since February 2020 has been as a member of the CMU Council. 

Professional achievements 

For his service to maritime education Rear Admiral Brady was the 2015 SEATRADE recipient of the IMO themed Award for Maritime Education and Training.

Prior to being appointed as Director of the MAJ, Brady was the chief of defence staff of the Jamaica Defence Force and during his military career, he was the recipient of the Order of Distinction, commander class, Jamaica; Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, CVO (UK and Commonwealth); Legion of Merit (Commander USA); Medal of Honour for Meritorious Service (Jamaica Military).

He has handed over the helm of the MAJ to Bertrand Smith, former director of legal affairs within the authority whose tenure started on April 2.

Smith is an attorney-at-law with over 25 years of experience in the shipping industry with expertise in maritime and international law and is a member of the authority’s senior executive team.