Tom was one of the founders of Compass Maritime in May 2000. He has been involved in the sale of tankers, bulk carriers, container vessels, tug boats, cement carriers, cruise and fast ferries since beginning his career as a ship sales and purchase broker in 1978. He completes hundreds of valuations each year and has extensive contacts in the ship finance community.
Tom was the President in 2010-2011 and served for 12 years as a Board Member of The Association of Ship Brokers and Agents, USA (ASBA). Tom was elected as a Member of the American Bureau of Shipping in 2012. (Tom at ABS Annual Meeting.) He is a member of the Baltic Exchange in London, the Connecticut Maritime Association, and he is an Associate Member of the Marine Society of the City of New York (chartered in 1770). Tom founded the Chappaqua Shipping Group in 2002.
In 2010 the Harvard Business School prepared a case study based on the process of valuing ships titled “Compass Maritime Services, LLC: Valuing Ships” using Tom as one of the case protagonists.
Tom has testified as an expert witness (ship appraiser) before the United States Bankruptcy Court (Southern District of New York), the United States District Court (Eastern District of Louisiana) and performed valuations for cases before the United States Tax Court. Tom has valued ships of all types.
Tom graduated from Indiana University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Transportation Management. After completing his undergraduate studies, Tom attended a student exchange program in Rotterdam and participated in a training program at a major Dutch ship owning company. He then worked for Farrell Lines in New York while working on his Masters of Science degree in Ocean Transportation Management at State University of New York Maritime College. His career in sale & purchase commenced in New York City with shipbrokerage firm Simpson, Spence, and Young (founded 1880) followed by Jacq. Pierot Jr. and Sons (founded 1894), and A.L. Burbank (Shipbrokers) Ltd. (founded 1927).