Capt. Herman Broers has been a Rotterdam pilot since 2003, after his seagoing career as a deck officer with Stolt Parcel Tankers, worldwide. In 2009 he was elected president of the Rotterdam maritime pilots association, a position which he held until 2013. During this time, an innovative fleet replacement scheme was put in place, of which the 82 meter long P-class pilot station vessel class is the backbone of the fleet today. After 2013 he resumed full time sailing as a pilot, and he attained the unlimited Eurochannel licence, as well as his VTS-operator licence. In June 2022, he was elected managing director of Nederlands Loodswezen B.V., the company which supports all Dutch pilots in their profession. He is the author of www.pilotladdersafety.com, a website showing good practice in the safe use of pilot ladders.