RAdm Nigel Greenwood, RCN (Ret'd)

Associate at Martech Polar Consulting Ltd

Speaker

Rear-Admiral Nigel Greenwood, RCN (Ret’d), is a 37-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy. He holds a BSc in Physics and Oceanography from Royal Roads Military College (1979) and an MA in International Studies (with Distinction) from King’s Colle

Rear-Admiral Nigel Greenwood, RCN (Ret’d), is a 37-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy. He holds a BSc in Physics and Oceanography from Royal Roads Military College (1979) and an MA in International Studies (with Distinction) from King’s College London (2006). He is a graduate of command and staff courses at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto and the Royal College of Defense Studies in London, UK. He also attended the Executive Course of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu (2000).

In the course of his military career, RAdm Greenwood served as a surface warfare officer, specializing in Navigation, Air-Control and Anti-Submarine Warfare. He served in anti-submarine frigates, air-defense destroyers and fleet replenishment ships, and served on exchange with the USN in the Ship ASW Readiness and Effectiveness Measurement (SHAREM) project. He commanded the frigate HMCS OTTAWA (FFH 341) 1999-2001. Following subsequent promotion and command of Canadian Force Base Halifax 2001-03, he served successively as Chief of Staff to Commander Maritime Forces Pacific (2003-05), Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific (2007-09), Deputy Commander/COS to the Commander RCN (2009-10), and finally Commander Maritime Forces Pacific (2010-2012). In the last appointment RAdm Greenwood was responsible for naval readiness and operations of Canada’s western maritime forces, maritime security in partnership with Canadian government agencies and also Commanders USCG PacArea and USN Third Fleet, and also Search and Rescue over BC/Yukon and Canada’s western maritime area of responsibility.

Since retiring from the RCN, RAdm Greenwood has established a successful consultancy in maritime risk assessment, security, and emergency response planning. He holds a current license as a Master Mariner and is a qualified ice navigator, and he has exercised this expertise recently in five voyages to the Arctic as an associate of Martech Polar Consultants Ltd. This experience has included transits of the Northwest Passage in vessels as varied as a super-yacht and British, Finnish and Chinese icebreakers, and voyages from Europe to Baffin Island and return with iron ore in a bulk carrier.

RAdm Greenwood is a licensed Security Consultant and brings the strength of Harmonized Threat and Risk Assessment and other risk assessment methodologies to his varied work. Clients to date include the Pacific Pilotage Authority, the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Hotels Association of Vancouver, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Hydrographic Service. Recently he has also conducted analytical studies for the Centre for Operations Research and Analysis (Department of National Defence) through International Safety Research Inc./Calian Group Ltd.