Dirk van Wolferen, or Dick as he is better known, started his seagoing career in the world of salvage. From there he joined a gas carrier company based in The Netherlands and had his first command at the age of 26. In total he sailed for almost fifteen years on different types of gas carriers and chemical tankers. At the start of 2000 he began work as a nautical / technical superintendent at a chemical tanker company where he had the responsibility for the day to day management of the nautical / technical department which included safety, quality, auditing, vetting inspections and TMSA audits.
In 2009, he became Managing Director of a new chemical tanker company and instigated the start up of a new management system. Having established the foundations of the company management, in August 2010 he changed direction completely and began training as an OCIMF vetting inspector; he is accredited as a SIRE Category class 1 vetting inspector for all vessels.