I am sorry to be starting the New Year with sad news, but I have been advised by his family that former Nautilus trustee director Henk Lafèbre died on 21 December after a brave battle with cancer.
Henk's background was as a partner at KPMG from 1984, moving to the firm's London office in 1991. He retired 10 years later in 2001. He was chair of the Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce and became a Nautilus trustee in 2009 when Nautilus UK (NUMAST) and Nautilus NL (FWZ) merged to form Nautilus International.
In 2017 Henk became chair of the trustees, and he remained in that post until he stood down as a trustee director in November 2021.
At his last meeting, the Nautilus International Council acknowledged that Henk had made an invaluable contribution to the Union, providing deep insight and knowledge, and giving careful oversight of our activities by deploying his deep understanding of finance and organisational matters. In recognition of this, the Council awarded him honorary membership.
Henk will be greatly missed by his family and all those at Nautilus International who knew and worked with him.
Mark Dickinson
General secretary
Nautilus International
More letters
Catch up with old Clan Line colleagues
The annual Clan Line reunion will take place this year at the Liner Hotel in Liverpool on Wednesday 1 October 2025.
The latest consequence of shortsighted policy-making
Having read the article about UK defence on your website, I thought it was spot on about needing to secure the future of the Merchant Navy if the government wants a defence capability.
Britain's WW2 government acknowledged Merchant Navy sacrifice
As you will know, this year marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day. I enclose a copy of a transmission, sent by telegraphy in May 1945, from the Admiralty to 'all ships', expressing the victory message to the Merchant Navy, from the minister of war transport.