Barry Shove, a well-known and long-standing face in the world of LPG shipbroking, has died aged 74.
Shove is remembered as “constantly energetic” and “creative”, and as someone who was very fair to his employees, doing his best to empower them.
He started out at gas trader Trafco, working his way up to become chartering manager at shipowner Mundogas Bermuda.
When Marine Service founder Karl-Heinz Kramer and Peter Burbank joined forces to set up AL Burbank Marine Servicesin the early 1970s, Shove was brought in to head up the venture.
In the 1980s, the business became the subject of a management buyout and Burbank Marine Services was born. It was later sold to broker Braemar as Burness Marine in 1999.
Shove retired from active shipbroking in the late 1990s.
Exmar chief executive Nicolas Saverys, who worked as a young trainee under Shove, described him as “one of the pioneers in the development of the LPG, ammonia and chemical gas shipping industry”.
“I had the pleasure and honour to have him as one of my first teachers and guides in my early days and steps in the professional world when he hosted me at Burbank Marine in the very early 80s," he said, expressing his condolences to Christine, Shove’s wife.
Saverys added: “I did a number of deals through Barry in the early days of Exmar and always found him to be a very kind and helpful professional with a keen eye for detail.”
'Boom-boom'
Steve Wilson, the former head of LPG at Braemar ACM, recalled how Shove trained him and the team to look beyond the fixture to what made a customer fix that particular ship.
The retired broker said Shove had “great foresight on the market”, mentioning that he was perhaps the first LPG broker to have a research department.
Wilson also remembered Shove as one of the “fastest two-finger typists", “a great note-taker”, with a “fantastic memory”, an incessant catch-phrase of “boom-boom” and a penchant for Drambuie on the rocks.
“He had one of the most inquisitive minds in the business and his ability to see future opportunities was foresight in a young and growing industry,” said Howe Robinson senior broker Debbie Turner, who worked with Shove at Burness.
“His support and direction provided me with the foundation, which few are given, and without him and his encouragement, I personally would not have achieved so much. He will be sorely missed as a friend and a colleague, and a light that shone brightly providing direction to all.”
Shove’s funeral was held in Hampshire in the UK this week.
