Chris Goldsworthy is the Chief Executive Officer of the IMarEST, appointed on January 2024. Previously he was a a Fellow of the IMarEST and chair of its Cyprus Branch. He began his maritime career as an engineer cadet with P&O Containers and spent 16 years at sea, achieving the rank of chief engineer officer. He transitioned to shore-based roles in 2005 as a technical superintendent, and his career has included technical, fleet, management and director positions. Throughout, he has overseen diverse fleets, nurtured strong teams, and provided strategic leadership to boards and executives.

The London-headquartered IMarEST is a registered charity and the largest marine professional society of its kind. It is an NGO with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and observer status at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, International Hydrographic Organization, the London Convention/London Protocol (LC/LP) and the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP).

It has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), which facilitates its access to other international intergovernmental meetings where its specialized marine expertise is of particular use, e.g., the United Nations meetings on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).