Edward Heerema

Edward Heerema was born in 1947 to Pieter Schelte Heerema and Erna Heerema. He has four brothers and one sister. He spent his childhood in Venezuela where his father, after service in the Waffen-SS, had exiled himself after World War II and worked as an engineer in Maracaibo. He had a close relationship to his father, with whom he worked at his father's company Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) for eight years. During his stay at the HMC company, he was put in charge of the research and development department. After his father died in 1981, he and his brothers took care of HMC for some years, until in 1985 he decided to found Allseas.

Allseas scam trial

Edward Heerema was also targeted by the fraudster Paul Sultana, who persuaded him to agree to deliver £88m through Allseas, which would be placed in an investment which promised very high returns. Heerema initiated a private prosecution after the British courts initially refused to condemn Paul Sultana due to lack of evidence. Paul Sultana was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment in June 2018.

Controversies

He was the target of repeated criticism for naming the largest ship in the off shore oil business in memory of his father Pieter Schelte, offshore oil industry pioneer and member of the Waffen-SS during World War II At first he defended his decision as it was his company who developed and built the ship and he seemed to be convinced his father should be remembered in this way. But as he became aware what an impact it had for the victims of nazi actions, he agreed to rename it Pioneering Spirit.