The IMRF is pleased to welcome Roly McKie as the organisation’s representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and search and rescue (SAR) advisor.

Based in Southampton, Roly recently retired from the United Kingdom’s HM Coastguard where he was most recently the Head of Operational Standards. He was part of the organisation for more than 30 years, holding several positions related to promoting high operational standards and providing strategic direction and leadership to the running of the coastguard service for the UK. 

He started his career as a Flight Information Service Officer and operations assistant at an airfield in Essex before joining the UK Royal Air Force in 1982. Following nine years of service, Roly joined MRCC Dover due to his passion for coastal yachting in his spare time.

In his role, Roly will sit on several maritime SAR committees that the IMRF is a part of, and provide in-depth reports for the IMRF’s membership. The IMRF is a non-governmental organisation with consultative status at the IMO, and Roly’s appointment will provide crucial insight into how the working’s and committees of the IMO will impact SAR organisations around the world.

“Being a part of HM Coastguard brought me immense satisfaction over the last 30 years. Although I decided to retire from active service, I still want to remain part of the SAR community and contribute to improving the operations of SAR organisations worldwide. It is a pleasure to join the IMRF in this capacity, and I look forward to working closely with its members over the coming months,” Roly said.

“I am delighted to welcome Roly as the IMRF’s in-house representative to the IMO. Roly brings more than three decades of experience to the maritime SAR sector, and his desire to improve operational standards in our sector throughout his life will be a major benefit to the IMRF members,” said Caroline Jupe, Chief Executive Officer of the IMRF.

In addition to his duties as the IMRF’s IMO representative, Roly will also be providing SAR guidance to the IMRF and its members as part of the organisation’s commitment to developing best practices, sharing resources and learning from the ideas and experiences of others.