John W. Dalziel, M.Sc., P.Eng., MRINA, studied Naval Architecture in the United States and Scotland, and Management Science in England. He has sailed through the Northwest Passage with the Canadian Coast Guard and sailed and worked in the fishing industry. Over the past half century, his experience has primarily been in the supervision of ship construction, refits and repair for the Canadian Government and private industry, and in safety inspection and survey on behalf of Flag State and Class.

He has spoken internationally on various aspects of maritime safety and search and rescue response, as far afield as Fiji, Britain and Europe; including at several RINA Conferences and the World Maritime Rescue Congresses in Bremerhaven, Vancouver and Rotterdam. His paper, 'Spotlight on Safety, why accidents are often not accidental' written by Dalhousie and an American Ship's Officers Union, was entered into the Record of the United States Congress.

He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University where his primary interest is the Application of Unmanned Marine Vehicles to Maritime Search and Rescue. He is a supporter of the International Maritime Rescue Federation and a member of the Steering Group for the Global Maritime SAR Forum.