AIS Vessel Tracking Data

Subject Matter Expert

I am a recognised subject-matter expert (SME) in AIS (Automatic Identification System) vessel-tracking data, with more than 30 years’ experience delivering enterprise maritime data services and 20 years specialising in global AIS networks, satellite AIS, and large-scale maritime data platforms.

My career spans the full lifecycle of AIS data products:
data acquisition → processing → quality assurance → analytics → API delivery → commercialisation, supporting both government and enterprise customers worldwide.

I combine deep technical understanding with commercial pragmatism—bridging satellite operations, data engineering, product management, and customer outcomes.

Areas of Specialisation

AIS Data Systems & Coverage

Terrestrial and satellite AIS (S-AIS) data acquisition
Satellite constellation performance and payload monitoring
Global coverage analysis, latency distributions, and message density
Ground station networks and downlink optimisation
Multi-provider AIS ingestion and redundancy strategies

Data Quality, Reliability & SLAs

AIS message validation, deduplication, and enrichment
Coverage gaps, collision zones, and RF interference analysis
Data completeness, latency, and availability KPIs
SLA definition, monitoring, and reporting for enterprise contracts
Service forecasting and operational risk management

Maritime Intelligence & Enrichment

Vessel identity, technical characteristics, and historical records
Ownership structures, beneficial ownership, and fleet hierarchies
Behavioural analytics and vessel activity patterns
Risk profiling (dark activity, AIS anomalies, compliance signals)

Enterprise Delivery & Commercial Use

API and bulk data delivery models
Customer-driven data requirements and product design
Government maritime domain awareness (MDA) services
Pre-sales technical consulting and solution architecture
Product migrations at scale with minimal service disruption

Professional Experience Snapshot

Over the last two decades, I have held management roles across the maritime data ecosystem, including:

Director, Maritime Data Operations — Spire Maritime (Luxembourg)
Managing global AIS data services supporting 400+ enterprise customers, ingesting 350M+ AIS messages per day, and overseeing multi-million-dollar government contracts. Led service migrations, SLA frameworks, and satellite AIS performance analytics.
Director, Maritime Data — VesselTracker (now part of Wood Mackenzie)
Commercial and technical owner of vessel reference and AIS-driven intelligence products; frequent industry speaker and customer advisor.
Head of Data Projects - Clarksons Platou. Establishing a new team to support additional tracking and market data across all teams of brokers and analysts.
Head of Data Projects / Data Operations Leadership — Lloyd’s List Intelligence / Informa Maritime
Project lead for the creation and scaling of global AIS networks, operational support, and data-driven maritime intelligence platforms. Manager responsible for B2B data services.

Across these roles, I have acted as the internal and external SME for AIS data—supporting engineering teams, product managers, sales organisations, and customers alike CV Mark Deverill .