Born and raised in Zeeland, Michel de Pooter carries the sea in his heart. From a young age, his parents took him along on their sailing boat, instilling in him a deep-rooted love for the water and maritime life.

After completing his Maritime Officer training, Michel began his career as a 4th Officer with the cruise ships of Holland America Line. In the following years, he rose through the ranks to Staff Captain, gaining a wealth of experience in leadership and ship operations on board cruise vessels worldwide.

In 2025, Michel chose a new course: a shore-based position that allowed him to spend more time with his family while sharing his extensive hands-on knowledge with others. As Senior Maritime Instructor at DRTC, he delivers a variety of maritime training programs and is also regularly involved in the preparation and development of courses at the office.

Marcel is a true Vlissingen native, deeply connected to the fire service and to firefighting in both the industrial and maritime sectors. After completing his commercial studies, he devoted his career to sharing his knowledge and practical experience at the training center in Vlissingen, DRTC, and the Zeeland Safety Region. To achieve this, he obtained all relevant firefighting diplomas. Since 1999 (initially part-time and later full-time), he has been doing this work with great pleasure and passion. Together with his enthusiastic, skilled, and experienced colleagues, he provides courses in Basic Training/Advanced Fire Fighting as well as refresher courses in firefighting.

In addition, he regularly works on industrial sites to organize and supervise firefighting training sessions. When a client has a gap in their command officer schedule, Marcel steps in there as well. He also works on a project basis with clients to solve more complex issues.

In his free time, Marcel is active as a (core) instructor for the Zeeland Safety Region.

Bas Gloudemans has been active in maritime safety training for many years. What began as a hobby—diving during HUET training—has grown into a passion for the maritime industry. After starting his career as an instructor and completing training as a safety specialist, Bas held various management positions at different training providers.

In addition to his dedication to safety training, the development of training centers both in the Netherlands and abroad has played a central role throughout his career. With experience from the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, Bas ultimately settled in what may well be considered the cradle of maritime education and training in the Netherlands: beautiful Zeeland.

Alongside his directorial responsibilities, Bas is still occasionally active as an instructor. After all, old habits die hard…

Jorian Schut was born and raised in Bergen op Zoom, where he grew up surrounded by water. Through sea scouts and sailing he discovered his passion for the sea and adventure. After completing his Maritime Officer studies at HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen (2016–2020), he started his seafaring career in early 2021 as an officer on heavy lift vessels. For four years he sailed worldwide and gained extensive experience with ice navigation in the Arctic region.

In early 2024, Jorian decided to pursue a shore-based career. Having previously attended his own safety courses at DRTC, he returned with great memories of that time – this time as an Maritime instructor. Since then, he has been delivering nearly the full range of STCW training, simulation training and GWO programs at DRTC. In addition, he is actively involved in the development of new courses, ensuring the training offer remains relevant and of high quality.

His training style is hands-on, approachable and always focused on learning together. Jorian values the stories and experiences of participants, creating an environment where everyone learns from one another. For him, safety courses should never feel like a mandatory exercise, but rather like a meaningful and enjoyable experience.

With certifications such as Firefighting Crew Member (and currently training for Firefighting Commander) and practical experience in challenging maritime environments, Jorian has built a solid foundation. Looking ahead, his ambition is to further expand his role by delivering more courses, developing new programs and taking on greater leadership responsibilities within the organization.