About.

Our Founder

Philippe Hermes, Esq. is a Brussels-based advocate and consultant.

Philippe is the leading expert in #BlueSecurity, focusing on maritime security, ocean governance, international law and human rights.

With a background as a naval staff officer (res.) and extensive experience as a legal advisor in various international military headquarters, Philippe went on to establish a distinguished legal career in ship finance and the maritime industry, founding BHM Penlaw. At Téthys Naval, he draws on his diverse expertise as an international security consultant, advising both public organisations and private enterprises on security strategies, emerging technologies, and the integration of human rights considerations into business development and investment initiatives within the #BlueEconomy and #BlueTech sectors.

He serves as appointed expert of the International Law Association’s Committee on Protection of People at Sea and as qualified expert in the BlueInvest Community of the European Union, and further as advisor to international governmental and non-governmental organisations, e.g. the Danube Commission, Human Rights at Sea Charity or Aquapol. He is committed to the Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organisation and the Maritime Security Working Group of the International Code of Conduct Association for private security.

Before accepting the appointment to the Board of Director of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War in October 2024, where he is responsible for the Documentation Centre, Philippe chaired the Executive Committee of the World Ocean Council from 2019 to 2024.

Philippe graduated from the German Naval Academy in 1999 and holds the rank of Commander (res). He is a veteran of operations under NATO Mission Iraq, European Forces ALTHEA in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Allied Standing Naval Forces Med for Kosovo. Philippe was one of the main architects of NATO’s civil-military environment picture for strategic naval plans and maritime operations, established in 2021.

Téthys Naval as expertise provider and security consultant is organised in different offices to support our staff and employees, and to smoothen our clients’ business activities. On this site you learn more about the modus operandi of Téthys Naval and the objectives of each office, subordinated divisions and branches in specialised bureaus:

The central organ of Téthys Naval is the Directorate where senior staff discuss, decide, and delegate the matters of daily and not-so-daily businesses of the headquarters in Brussels and the detachments in overseas.

The Directorate is composed by the directors of the three operational offices and the three principal offices. It is chaired by the Director General and involves the directors of the Office for Plans and Operations, the Monitoring and Fusion Office, the Research and Training Office, the Central Services Office, the Reachback Office and the Directorate’s Office.

Meet the team.

Téthys Naval staff and employees value face-to-face contact with business partners and talking directly to clients, anytime in Brussel and en route.