Maritime Forum Speakers

Martin Stopford is a graduate of Oxford University and has a PhD in International Economics from London University. During his 45 years in the Maritime Industry he has held positions as Director of Business Development at British Shipbuilders; Global Shipping Economist with Chase Manhattan Bank N.A.; Chief Executive of Lloyds Maritime Information Services and an executive director of Clarksons PLC. He retired from Clarksons in May 2012, served as the non-executive President of Clarkson Research Services Limited (CRSL) up until recently, and is now a Director of MarEcon Ltd, his e-learning business.

Dr Stopford is a visiting Professor at Cass Business School in London, Dalian Maritime University in China and Newcastle University. He has an Honorary Doctorate from Solent University. He has received several awards, including a lifetime achievement award from Lloyds List in 2010; Shipping Personality of the Year at the Seatrade Global Awards Dinner in 2013; the Onassis Prize for Shipping in 2015; and the Capital Link Shipping Leadership Award in New York in 2016.

His publications include “Maritime Economics” 3rd Ed, the widely used shipping text book published in January 2009, and many papers on shipping economics and shipping finance.

Markos Nomikos
CEO
A.M. Nomikos

Markos Nomikos is a second generation shipping executive acting as the CEO of the family business, A.M. Nomikos Transworld Maritime Agencies S.A.
He holds a BSc in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Buckingham, UK and an MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University, London.
He is a Director Member in various Shipping related institutions (ABS/Greece National Committee, Class NK/Greek Committee, RINA/ Hellenic Advisory Committee, The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Ltd., UK DEFENCE CLUB.

Christopher J. Wiernicki
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ABS

Christopher J. Wiernicki is Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Chairman of ABS’ Affiliated Companies. Mr. Wiernicki has over 35 years of extensive commercial, government and international experience in marine and offshore design, operations, infrastructure and safety management, ports and bunkering, digitalization, cybersecurity, and clean energy transition.
He is a serving member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which advises the White House on how to reduce risks and improve the resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors. He is also a member of the International Maritime Hall of Fame, was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and was selected as a member of the Marine Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He also serves on Singapore’s Maritime International Advisory Panel (IAP), which was established by the Singapore Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to seek global perspectives on key trends that will shape the maritime industry.
In April 2023, he was awarded the GREEN4SEA Leadership Award, recognizing his industry leadership and contribution to a more sustainable industry. In October 2023, Wiernicki was selected to receive the first Seatrium Visiting Professorship at the National University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering to attract top talent from the energy transition and sustainability sectors to promote knowledge transfer, capability building and support development of innovative maritime technology. In December 2024, Wiernicki was featured at number 68 in the 2024 Lloyds List Top 100 People in Shipping ranking of the leading individuals of influence in shipping, previously having been recognized at number 82 in 2015.
Mr. Wiernicki holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt, a master’s degree in structural engineering from George Washington University, a master’s degree in ocean engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program. Wiernicki also received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Maine Maritime Academy, Webb Institute and SUNY Maritime College, and an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology.

John McDonald
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ABS

John McDonald is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

Previously, McDonald was the President and Chief Operating Officer for ABS, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization globally. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Global Marine market sector for ABS, responsible for client relationship management and business solution development across the ABS operational hemispheres. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President, Western Hemisphere Survey Operations for ABS.

Earlier in his career, McDonald served as ABS Pacific Division President, responsible for Division operations across 15 countries in Asia. He also served as Regional Vice President of the Central Region for ABS Americas with responsibility for survey operations and client services. Prior to that, McDonald was Vice President of Occupational Health and Safety for ABS Bureau and Group; President and COO of the ABS Europe Division; and Regional Vice President of the ABS Northern Europe and Africa Region.

McDonald graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from Maine Maritime Academy and holds an MBA from Texas A&M University.

Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi
CEO
ADNOC Logistics & Services (DH:ADNOCLS)

Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC Logistics & Services plc, has led the company since 2018, following the merger of ADNOC’s offshore and onshore logistics, shipping and port operations subsidiaries. Under his leadership, ADNOC L&S has delivered a bold growth and transformation agenda that has positioned the company as a global powerhouse in integrated maritime logistics for the energy sector.

Captain Al Masabi led the delivery of several landmark milestones, most notably the company’s listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in 2023, which was oversubscribed by a record 163×, reflecting investor confidence. In just six years, the company’s valuation increased more than tenfold, and from its 2023 listing on ADX through to the end of 2025, its market capitalization grew by over 190%.

During Captain Al Masabi’s tenure, ADNOC L&S also accelerated growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions, notably the acquisition of ZMI Holdings, the world’s largest owner of self-propelled jack-up barges, and an 80% stake of Singapore-based Navig8, a leading global shipping company operating one of the world’s largest tanker fleets. These transactions significantly expanded ADNOC L&S’s fleet, offshore capabilities, and global reach, and contributed strong financial performance.

A master mariner by training, Captain Al Masabi has both a proven operational track-record and extensive executive experience in the maritime industry. Prior to joining ADNOC L&S, he was the Executive Vice President of the Ports Unit at Abu Dhabi Ports and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Terminals, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and drove the ports’ growth, including the development of Khalifa Port. He holds non-executive board memberships in several maritime logistics companies.

Alexandros Exarchou
Chairman & CEO, AKTOR Group of Companies | CEO, ATLANTIC SEE LNG TRADE

Mr. Alexandros Exarchou is the Chairman and CEO of AKTOR Group of Companies, and CEO of ATLANTIC SEE LNG TRADE. Mr. Exarchou has over 25 years’ experience in the construction of public projects in Greece and abroad. Apart from Greece, Mr. Exarchou has worked and managed projects in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. He is also Partner of Thrivest Holding Ltd, which is the majority shareholder of Credia Bank. Mr. Exarchou holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Thessaloniki Law School, a diploma in English Legal Studies and a Master of Law from the School of Law of University of Manchester.

Ms. Dorothea Ioannou
Chief Executive Officer
Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Managers
The American P&I Club

Dorothea Ioannou is the Chief Executive Officer of the Managers of the American P&I Club, the only marine liability not-for-profit mutual domiciled in the United States. The Club being one of only 12 of its kind in the world making up the International Group of P&I Clubs, she is the first female CEO to lead an International Group club in the Group industry’s 168-year history. Holding a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and a B.A. from CUNY, her career spans over 30 years, almost all of it in Marine Insurance. After joining the American Club in 2005 as a Claims Executive she swiftly rose to Claims Manager, Regional Business Development Director, Global Business Development Director, Chief Commercial Officer, then Deputy Chief Operating Officer in 2020 when she was also appointed Secretary of the Club’s Board of Directors. Winner of the 2017 Lloyd’s List Global Next Generation Shipping Award, the 2022 Seatrade Maritime Diversity & Inclusion Award, International Personality of the Year at the 2022 Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards, and 2023 WISTA Personality of the Year Award, Dorothea is active in the maritime industry and has held positions such as VP of WISTA Hellas, Chair of WISTA International Nominations Committee, served on the Piraeus Marine Club Board and the Board of Governors of the International Propeller Club of the United States – Port of Piraeus, member of the Propeller Club Port of NY/NJ and 2nd Vice President of the Board of the International Propeller Club (HQ).

Ms. Maria Angelicoussis
Chief Executive Officer
Angelicoussis Group

Maria Angelicoussis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Angelicoussis Group, a privately owned group of affiliated shipping companies dating back to 1947. Through Athens-based companies, Maran Tankers Management (MTM), Maran Gas Maritime (MGM) and Maran Dry Management (MDM), and Maran Shuttle Tankers (MST), based in Stavanger, Norway, the Group operates a modern, diversified fleet serving the oil, gas and dry cargo markets.

Maria Angelicoussis became CEO of the Group after the sudden passing of her father, the late John Angelicoussis, in April 2021.

Today, with an operating fleet of some 160 vessels, orderbook of 37 vessels and more than 9,500 employees, the Angelicoussis Group is the largest group of affiliated shipping companies owned by Greek interests and one of the world’s largest privately owned fleets.

After graduating with first-class honours in Medicine from Downing College, Cambridge in 2003, Maria Angelicoussis completed her post-graduate clinical medical studies at University College London (UCL) in 2006.

Maria Angelicoussis worked as a medical doctor within the National Health Service in the UK before joining the Angelicoussis Group in 2008.

Maria Angelicoussis serves as a Director of the Committee of the Hellenic War Risks Club and as a Chairperson of the Antonios and Ioannis Angelicoussis Foundation. Financed by endowments from the Angelicoussis family, the Foundation conducts extensive charitable activities, including the stablishment of the Antonios and Ioannis Angelicoussis Fellowship Fund at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Maria Angelicoussis is married to Lawrence Frankopan. Together, they have three children.

Bjorn Hojgaard
Chief Executive Officer
Anglo-Eastern

Bjorn Hojgaard is the CEO of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, one of the world’s foremost ship management companies. Headquartered in Hong Kong, with offices across Asia, Europe and the Americas, Anglo-Eastern has over 750 vessels under full technical management, over 500 under crew management, and more than 1,000 supervised newbuildings and conversions to its credit. The group manages and provides technical services to bulk carriers, container ships, tankers, and heavy-lift, offshore and other specialty vessels.

Bjorn’s appointment at Anglo-Eastern Univan Group follows the 2015 merger with Univan Ship Management, where he was also CEO. Previously, he was Managing Director at Thome Ship Management, Brigantine Group and A.P. Moller Singapore, as well as Manager of Operations, Efficiency & IT for APM Terminals. A keen yachtsman and Master Mariner, Bjorn worked his way up through the ranks, from military service in the Royal Danish Navy to Captain of one of the largest container vessels in the A.P. Moller – Maersk merchant fleet, before moving into shore-side management.

A graduate of A.P. Moller-Maersk’s prestigious MAESTRO programme, Bjorn also trained in executive leadership strategy and organisation at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, USA. He has served two terms on the Singapore Shipping Association’s Council and as Chairman of its Technical Committee (2009-2011), delivering the SSA’s draft proposal on piracy to the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) in New York in June 2011.

Presently, Bjorn is Chairperson of the Marine Environment Committee (MEC) and Maritime Safety & Security Committee (MSSC) under BIMCO and a member of the BIMCO Board of Directors. He is also a council member of INTERTANKO, a board member of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board (HKMPDB) and a member of the HKMPDB’s Maritime Services Development Committee, and a general committee member of The Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong.

Previously, Bjorn was Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (2019-2021), having sat on its Executive Committee from 2013.

Gernot Ruppelt
CEO
Ardmore Shipping Corp.

Gernot Ruppelt is Chief Executive Officer at Ardmore Shipping. Prior to his appointment in 2024, he served Ardmore as Chief Commercial Officer building, leading and developing the company’s global commercial platform since joining in 2013. Mr. Ruppelt has 23 years of experience across multiple sectors in the maritime industry and acquired extensive international exposure having worked in five countries across three continents throughout his career. Before joining Ardmore, Mr Ruppelt was a Tanker Projects Broker with Poten & Partners in New York. Previously, he held various roles up to Trade Manager for AP Moller – Maersk and Maersk Broker in the United States, Europe and Asia. Mr. Ruppelt holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD and later completed their International Directors Program. He also graduated from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in London, Maersk International Shipping Education (MISE) and was accredited Shipping Merchant by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ruppelt previously served on the board of Anglo Ardmore Ship Management, and he was Chairman for INTERTANKO’s Commercial Markets Committee from 2018 until 2024.

Anthony Gurnee
CEO
Ardmore Shipping Corporation

Anthony Gurnee is the founder and CEO of Ardmore Shipping Corporation. Before Ardmore, he was President of Seacove Shipping Partners, a private equity investment vehicle, CEO of Industrial Shipping Enterprises, Inc., a containership and chemical tanker company, and COO of MTMM / Chembulk, a chemical parcel tanker company.

Previously, he was the CFO of Teekay Shipping Corporation, where he led the company’s financial restructuring in 1992 and initial public offering in 1995. In addition to his operational roles, he has held a variety of financial roles in the industry, including President of Nedship International and co-founder of Navigation Finance Corporation, a shipping-focused mezzanine investment fund. He began his career as a shipping banker with Citicorp, and he served for six years as a surface line officer in the US Navy in both deck and engineering, and including a tour with naval intelligence covering the shipping industry. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, is a CFA charter holder, and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Mr Nicolaus Bunnemann
Managing Partner
Atlantic Lloyd GmbH & Co. KG (AL Group)

Nicolaus Bunnemann is managing partner of AL Capital Holding GmbH & Co. KG (AL Group), a family-owned shipowning and asset management company based in Hamburg and Singapore, active in the container, bulk carrier, product tanker and car carrier segments. He founded and directs Atlantic Lloyd GmbH & Co. KG, the group’s German operating arm. Nicolaus serves on multiple maritime boards and committees and holds a Master’s in Shipping, Trade and Finance from Bayes Business School (formerly CASS), London. Prior to joining AL Group in 2008, he worked in various maritime companies in Germany and across Asia, and with the German Navy.

Mohammed Binbattal is the President of Bahri Dry Bulk and a Board Member since March 2021 a Joint Venture between The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri)* and Arabian Agricultural Services Company (ARASCO) which is the premier bulk carrier in Saudi Arabia transporting grains, coal, iron ore, barley, and other essential dry bulk cargoes.

Prior to joining Bahri, he served 18 years in the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in Jubail, Riyadh and Houston, TX spanning varies roles including Production, R&D, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain and Digitalization. His track record encompasses establishing polymers business in the Americas ($300 million USD business size), optimizing container shipping bill by 45% ($120 million USD saving) and developing a unicorn digital venture.

In addition, currently Mr. Binbattal is the Vice Chairman of The National Grain Company (NGC) a Joint Venture between The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co. (SALIC) which is mandated to capture grain value chain from overseas farming land to final customers in the kingdom to participate in the national food security program.

Mr. Binbattal is the Chairman of Bahri Logistics, which is Bahri’s integrated logistics solution arm of Bahri and Board member of National Chemical Carrier which is the largest chemical tankers operated in the Middle East Also, Mr. Binbattal is Vice Chairman of the Saudi- Oceania business council and Executive Member of The Saudi Latin America Business council, that is mandated to foster bilateral trade between these countries and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Binbattal hold a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from King Saud University and attended several Executive leadership programs from London Business School, Cranfield School of Management and Babson College.

*Bahri is a global leader in shipping and logistics of Crude oil, Chemicals, Dry bulk, and break Bulk. It is a publicly traded company in the Saudi Stock Market (Tadawul) with major shareholders being the Saudi sovereign fund (PIF) and the Oil giant (Saudi Aramco) since 1978.

Eng. Ahmed Ali Alsubaey
CEO & Board Member
Bahri Group
An accomplished executive with more than 40 years of local and international leadership
experience, Eng. Ahmed Ali Alsubaey currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Bahri.
Leveraging his extensive knowledge and experience in strategy development, sales and marketing, operations, and business development, Eng. Alsubaey leads the development and execution of strategies for Bahri’s future growth and expansion in the global logistics and transportation sector and allied industries.
As the CEO, Eng. Alsubaey is at the helm of Bahri’s efforts to enhance service offerings, boost capabilities, expand market footprint, and diversify into new business lines, with the aim of cementing the company’s global leadership in the maritime and logistics industries and increasing shareholder value.
He joins Bahri on the strength of a distinguished career journey spanning over four decades at Saudi
Aramco and its affiliates. Most recently, he was Vice President of Marketing, Sales & Supply Planning in the parent company. His progression over the course of his remarkable career demonstrates his commitment to professional and personal growth, which has enabled him to become a leader who drives his company and team towards exceptional success.
Presently, he is the Chairman of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Middle East – an automotive manufacturing JV between PIF and Hyundai Motors, board member of the global automobile major Aston Martin Lagonda Holdings Limited, Korean engineering and construction company POSCO E&C, Golf Saudi Company and the Golf federation of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Bahri and subsidiaries since 2015. In addition, he serves as a member in the advisory committee of ZATCA – Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority of Saudi Arabia.
Previously, Eng. Alsubaey served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company (Luberef) and Saudi Petroleum Overseas Limited (SPOL). He also served in the boards of several other Saudi Aramco subsidiary and joint venture companies, including the Arab Petroleum Pipelines Company (SUMED), President of the Saudi Petroleum Ltd. in Tokyo, President and CEO of Saudi Petroleum International Inc. in New York, and CEO & Representative Director of S-Oil in Seoul.
Alsubaey was awarded the “Most Respected CEO of the Year” honor in 2009 by the Korean CEO Association. An avid golfer, he also enjoys learning new languages. In addition to Arabic and English, he also speaks, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean. Eng. Alsubaey earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Northern
Arizona University and holds an Executive MBA from Stanford University.

Mr. Hisham Nasir Alnughaimish
President
Bahri Oil

Hisham Nasir Alnughaimish is the President of Bahri Oil. A seasoned senior executive with over three decades of experience across multiple business sectors, his expertise includes commercial operations, chartering and scheduling, and contract management within maritime logistics. Alnughaimish earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA.

Hisham began his career in 1991 as a Computer Applications System Analyst supporting the financial system at Saudi Aramco and was subsequently sent on various secondment assignments. He was assigned to the contracting department of Vela International Marine Limited in 1999, where he led specialized contracts specific to commercial dry-docking activities and related complex deals, managing contractual compliance in commercial operations. In 2005, he moved to Dubai as a Contracting Head. The following year, he was transferred to Saudi Petroleum Overseas Limited in London as a Crude Chartering and Scheduling Specialist in the transportation department, where he handled all logistics for Saudi Aramco CIF. He returned to Dubai a year later as a Senior Charterer at Vela Dubai.

Hisham joined Bahri in 2014 when he was selected to head Bahri’s chartering function at the company’s Dubai office following the merger between Bahri and Vela International Marine Limited. In 2015, he was appointed Vice President of Commercial and Operations at Bahri Oil. In 2020, he was appointed Head of Commercial and Operations at Bahri Dry Bulk on a special one-year assignment, while continuing to serve as the Senior Vice President of Bahri Oil. He was appointed President of Bahri Oil in 2023. In 2025, Bahri established the gas sector within Bahri Oil and became operational under his leadership, in addition to his responsibilities as President of Bahri Oil .

Mr. Khalid Yousef Alhammad
President
Bahri Ship Management

35-year experience with Saudi Aramco, Vela International Marine Ltd, and Bahri.
Khalid Alhammad joined Saudi Aramco in 1990 as an Instrument Repairman and
was sponsored by the company in 1992 to complete his Electrical & Electronics
engineering degree from Oregon State University. In 1997 he became an Operations
Engineer at Ras Tanura Terminal Department working in the Onshore and Offshore
facilities. In 2002 Khalid left Aramco and joined Vela sailing on its fleet for two years
gaining experience and knowledge in ship’s operations.
In 2004 Khalid moved to South Korea and worked on Vela’s newbuilding projects as
an Inspector, progressing to Site Manager covering the newbuilding of four Product
Tankers and ten VLCC’s.
Khalid returned to Vela’s head office in 2011 as Technical Manager for dry-docking
and projects. In 2014, he became Vela’s Fleet Manager and moved over to the same
position after the merger with Bahri. He progressed through the ranks to become
Fleet Director, subsequently to VP Fleet Management, and now the President of
Bahri Ship Management.
Khalid is a member of the following Committees:
1. ABS MERC Committee Chairman
2. China Classification Society Chairman
3. International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) Board Member

James Marshall
CEO & Founder
Berge Bulk

James Marshall is the founder and CEO of Berge Bulk, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies.

James began his shipping career in offshore supply vessels, before moving into container ships, and then into dry bulk. In 2007, James started Berge Bulk by purchasing 12 vessels and has since grown it to a modern fleet of more than 100 ships with a carrying capacity of over 15 million deadweight tonnes. Last year, Berge Bulk transported over 80 million metric tonnes of cargo.

Berge Bulk is leading an innovative decarbonisation programme, known as the Maritime Marshall Plan. The plan involves optimising efficiency, leveraging the latest technology, converting to new fuels, and capturing carbon. The company has a commitment to launch a zero carbon vessel by 2030 and to convert the entire fleet to zero carbon vessels by 2050. In the meantime, Berge Bulk is offsetting all Scope 1 emissions.

James is Chairman of the Marshall Foundation, which supports philanthropic and impact ventures in Asia and Africa. He is also CEO of Kibo Invest, a private investment office focused on climate tech, impact investing, and private equity.

James sits on the Lloyd’s and DNV Shipowners committees and is a member of the International Advisory Council for Climate Impact X. He lives in Singapore.

Nikolaus H. Schües
President & Chairperson of the Board – BIMCO
CEO – Reederei F. Laeisz

After his high-school diploma in 1985, Mr Schües started an apprenticeship as shipbroker in Hamburg, which he completed in 1987. In 1988 he started his Studies of Economics at the University of Buckingham, England, which he completed 1990. Thereafter, Mr Schües took an MBA course at the Instituto de Empresa, Spain, which he finished in 1992. Subsequently, he worked with shipping companies in Madrid and New York.

In 1993 Mr Schües joined F. Laeisz and is today its Owner and CEO. He is President of BIMCO, Member of the Presidential Committee of the German Shipowners Association, Deputy Chairman of the UK P & I Club, Member of the Norwegian Hull Club Committee and Member of the Board of Directors of the Schutzverein Deutscher Rheder.
Nikolaus H. Schües is married and has 3 children.

Christoph Toepfer
CEO & Founder
Borealis Maritime Ltd

Christoph Toepfer is CEO & Founder of Borealis Maritime, an independent maritime investment and ship management firm based in London. Today Borealis has around $1.2 billion of assets under management, and is managing a fleet of 80 vessels in the container, tanker, dry cargo and offshore supply sectors. In 2018, Borealis expanded its activities by forming Australis Maritime as a debt finance provider for maritime assets, and in 2019 launched Aurora Marine Fuels as a worldwide supplier of marine fuels and lubricants. For the commercial management of its container fleet, Borealis co-established Hanseatic Unity Chartering in 2015, and a year later established its own ship management division based in Istanbul. Prior to Borealis, Christoph was Managing Director of Allocean, a UK and Singapore based diversified shipping group with a fleet of 60 vessels. Christoph holds a Bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, New York, and a Master’s degree from Cass Business School in London.

Wilke Briese
CEO
Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG

Wilke Briese took over the management with CFO Frank Dreyer in 2017 from his father who founded the family-owned company in 1984. Briese Schiffahrt together with their financing partners own a fleet of 120 MPP and Heavy Lift vessels. Briese’s operating arm BBC Chartering has become a major global carrier in this sector. Wilke studied Naval Architecture and Software Engineering at TU Berlin and University of Michigan and started his career with Bernhard Schulte in Hamburg before moving to Brieses’ headquarter in Leer in 2009. He has a daughter and two sons.

Matthieu de Tugny was promoted to Executive Vice President, Industrials and Commodities in 2025.

Matthieu was Chief Operations Officer of the Marine & Offshore Division of Bureau Veritas group in 2017, and President Marine & Offshore Operating Group in Bureau Veritas in 2019.

He graduated from the Ecole Nationale de la Marine Marchande and from the Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité in France, and began his career at Bureau Veritas in 1994, where he successively held different roles both in France and abroad. This enabled him to acquire a rich international experience. From 2007-2012 he was Chief Executive for Marine & Offshore activities in North America, based in Houston, before being promoted to Vice President for the South Asia zone, based in Singapore, a position he held until 2015.
In 2015 Matthieu was promoted to Senior Vice-President in charge of Offshore activities within the Marine & Offshore Division of Bureau Veritas based in head office at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Matthieu is a member of various shipping and offshore associations such as SNAME and IADC, and is also a advisor on international trade for Singapore.

Andreas Sohmen-Pao
Chairman
BW Group

Andreas Sohmen-Pao is Chairman of BW Group and listed affiliates BW Offshore, BW LPG, Hafnia, BW Epic Kosan, BW Energy and Cadeler. He is also Chairman of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, a director of Navigator Holdings and a trustee of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

Mr Sohmen-Pao was previously Chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation and has served as a non-executive director of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd, London P&I Club, Singapore Symphonia Company, National Parks Board Singapore, Sport Singapore and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore amongst others.

Mr Sohmen-Pao graduated from Oxford University in England with an honours degree in Oriental Studies and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jerry Kalogiratos
CEO 
Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: CCEC)

Jerry Kalogiratos is CEO of NASDAQ listed Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp., an international shipping company, is one of the world’s leading platforms of gas carriage solutions with a focus on energy transition. CCEC currently owns 20 high-specification vessels, including 12 latest-generation LNG carriers (LNG/Cs) and eight legacy Neo-Panamax container vessels. In addition, CCEC has agreed to acquire six additional latest generation LNG/Cs, six dual fuel medium gas carriers and four handy liquid CO2/multi-gas carriers, to be delivered between the first quarter of 2026 and the third quarter of 2027. CCEC has a clear vision, aiming to play a significant role in driving the transition to cleaner and more sustainable shipping.

Mr. Kalogiratos completed his Masters at the Humboldt University in Berlin and holds a B.A. degree from the University of Oxford and an Executive Finance degree from the London Business School.

CEO 
Capital Tankers Corp. (EGO:CAPT)

Jerry Kalogiratos is CEO of Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: CCEC) and Capital Tankers Corp. (Euronext Growth Oslo: CAPT), both part of the Piraeus-based Capital Maritime Group. He has led CCEC’s strategic shift toward LNG and clean energy shipping and brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial projects, capital markets and corporate finance across all key shipping segments.  

Mr. Evangelos Marinakis
Founder & Chairman
Capital Maritime & Trading Corp.

Evangelos Marinakis is an international businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He initially established his reputation in the shipping industry, and has since diversified investments into sectors including sports, media and entertainment, consumer services, energy, and real estate.

Mr. Marinakis is the founder and chairman of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp. The Capital Maritime Group currently controls a fleet of 177 vessels with a total capacity of 20 million dwt, approximately, spanning the tanker, container, LNG, LPG/Ammonia, LCO2, offshore, and dry bulk segments. The fleet under management includes the vessels of Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: CCEC) and Capital Tankers Corp. (Euronext Growth: CAPT).

Mr. Marinakis is the founder and majority shareholder of Alter Ego Media, the largest media and entertainment group in Greece and one of the fastest-growing integrated media platforms in Southern Europe. Listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, Alter Ego Media has undergone a remarkable transformation and expansion in recent years, building a fully diversified ecosystem across publishing, broadcasting, digital media, content creation and live entertainment. The Group owns and operates leading news media, major TV assets, premium digital platforms, and is rapidly expanding in live entertainment.

Mr. Marinakis is the owner of Olympiacos FC, the most popular football club in Greece; Nottingham Forest FC in the English Premier League; and Rio Ave FC in Portugal. Under his guidance, Olympiacos FC secured 19 major trophies and made history in the 2023–24 season by becoming the first Greek club to win a European title, and the first in UEFA history to win both the UEFA Europa Conference League and the UEFA Youth League in the same season. As owner of Nottingham Forest FC, he led the club back to the Premier League in 2022 after a 23-year absence and oversaw its subsequent qualification for European competition via the UEFA Europa League.

Mr. Marinakis actively supports various charitable and cultural causes globally. Key initiatives include the “Miltiadis Marinakis Endowed Professorship for Modern Greek Language and Culture” at Ohio State University, the Kazantzakis Museum in Crete, and partnerships with UNICEF. His philanthropic efforts focus on improving societal well-being, advancing education, and preserving cultural heritage.

Jan Dieleman
President – Cargill Ocean Transportation; 
Chairman – Global Maritime Forum

Jan Dieleman is the President of Cargill Ocean Transportation and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. He has spent more than 20 years at Cargill and has successfully managed businesses in the U.S. and Europe.

Jan first joined the company in 1999 as a management trainee in Amsterdam. He spent the next 10 years gaining experience as a trading manager in the freight, grain and energy markets, before being appointed head of Cargill’s coal trading business in 2012.

He went on to lead Cargill’s North America power and gas unit in Houston, Texas, before returning to Geneva in 2016 as president of Cargill Ocean Transportation. At the same time, he was invited to join Cargill’s global corporate risk committee.

Across the maritime sector, Jan is a respected advocate for sustainable shipping, actively supporting reduced emissions, better vessel environmental performance, safer working conditions, and a more diverse workforce. He is chair of the Global Maritime Forum, chair of the board of RightShip and advisory board member of Lloyds Register, and chair of the Sea Cargo Charter Association. In addition, Jan is on the Board of Advisors for London International Shipping Week 2023.

Jan graduated from the University of Maastricht with a master’s degree in economics, marketing and organization.

Mr. Wang Yongxin
President
China Merchants Energy Shipping Limited

Mr. Wang Yongxin has been serving as President of China Merchants Energy Shipping since January 2019. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Nankai University and a qualification certificate of Senior Economist. Mr. Wang also serves as the President of Shanghai International Shipping Research Center, Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Shipowners Association, Director of China Shipowners’ Association, Director and Executive Committee Member of BIMCO. Prior to his current position, Mr. Wang served a variety of management positions in COSCO Bulk, including General Manager of President’s Office, Deputy General Manager of Shipping Department, Director of Legal Department and General Manager of Integrated Business Department. Joining COSCO (HK) Group in December 2012, Mr. Wang served as the Group’s Assistant President and General Counsel. He joined China Merchants Group in January 2017 as Deputy Director of Infrastructure and Equipment Manufacturing Department/International Business Department, and later as Deputy Director of Human Resources Department.

Michael Parker
Chairman, Global Shipping Logistics & Offshore
Citi

Michael Parker joined Citibank N.A. in London in September 1977. Michael Parker was recently appointed Chairman of Citi’s Global Shipping, Logistics and Offshore business having been Global Industry Head since 1997 until now. Vice Chairman of Corporate & Investment Banking (EMEA) and Chairman Corporate Banking EMEA.

During his 36 years involvement with shipping finance Mr. Parker has been a regular conference chairman, speaker or panellist. Under his leadership Citi receives recognised industry awards across the different areas of shipping finance and he was named Marine Money’s Dealmaker of the Year in 2012. In March 2015 in New York : Capital Link Leadership Award “in recognition of Michael Parker’s unique and extensive contribution to the shipping industry”. Mr. Parker chaired the London Committee of Intercargo for a number of years and is involved in UK maritime matters as they pertain to finance and served on the Expert Panel advising the UK Department for Transport on the UK 2050 Maritime Strategy. In 2015, 2017 and 2019 he served on the Advisory Board of London International Shipping Week. In 2017 he was appointed to the Board of The Global Maritime Forum. Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Poseidon Principles launched in New York June 2019 and elected first Chairman of the Poseidon Principles Association in 2020.

Alexander Saverys – Chief Executive Officer at CMB an Euronav
Born in Ghent (Belgium) on 17 June 1978
He received his Master of laws from the University of Leuven and the Complutense University of Madrid, he holds an MBA from the Fachhochschule für Wirtschaft Berlin.
He is the founder of Delphis N.V. (2004) which is a short sea container shipping company.
He became Chief Executive Officer of CMB in 2014 and Chief Executive Officer of Euronav in 2024

Andreas Hadjipetrou
CEO
Columbia Group

Andreas Hadjipetrou is Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Group, bringing nearly three decades of experience within the organisation and deep expertise in the global ship management industry.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, Andreas served as Chief Commercial Officer, where he was responsible for shaping the Group’s commercial strategy. In this role, he oversaw customer relationships, strategic partnerships and product development across a fleet of more than 500 vessels under management. His leadership played a key role in strengthening Columbia Group’s service offering while fostering long‑term, trusted relationships with clients.

As CEO, Andreas is focused on driving operational excellence, enhancing customer value and supporting the continued development and wellbeing of both office-based teams and seafarers across the Group’s global operations. He places strong emphasis on collaboration, capability building and ensuring that Columbia Group remains a reliable, people‑centred partner for its clients and crews alike.

Andreas holds a BSc in Economics from University College London and an MBA specialising in Total Quality Management.

Dr. John Coustas
Chairman, President & CEO
Danaos Corporation

Dr. John Coustas serves as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Danaos Corporation (NYSE: DAC), one of the world’s largest independent owners of containerships. With over three decades of experience in the shipping industry, Dr. Coustas assumed leadership of Danaos in 1987, building upon the foundation established by his father, Dimitris Coustas, who founded Danaos Shipping in 1972. Under his stewardship, Danaos has grown into a global maritime enterprise with a fleet of 85 vessels and a contracted revenue backlog of $4.3 billion.

Dr. Coustas holds several distinguished positions within the international maritime community, including Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Swedish Club, member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Chairman of the DNV Greek National Committee, member of the DNV Council, and Chairman of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association.

He holds a degree in Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, a Master’s degree in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Computer Control, both from Imperial College London.

Mike Kane MP was appointed Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister at the Department for Transport on 9 July 2024. He has been MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East since February 2014.

Mr. Svein Moxnes Harfjeld
President & Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors
DHT Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DHT)

Mr. Harfjeld joined DHT on September 1, 2010. Mr. Harfjeld has more than 35 years of experience in the shipping industry. Prior to joining DHT, he was with the BW Group, where he held senior management positions including Group Executive Director, CEO of BW Offshore, Director of Bergesen dy and Director of World-Wide Shipping. Previously he held senior management positions at Andhika Maritime, Coeclerici and Mitsui O.S.K. He started his shipping career with The Torvald Klaveness Group. Mr. Harfjeld is a citizen of Norway and resident of Monaco.

Ms. Semiramis Paliou
Director & CEO
Diana Shipping Inc.
Chairperson
HELMEPA & INTERMEPA

Semiramis Paliou has served as a Director of Diana Shipping Inc. since March 2015, and as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chairperson of the Executive Committee and member of the Sustainability Committee since March 2021. Ms. Paliou has been the Chief Executive Officer of Diana Shipping Services S.A. since March 2021. Ms. Paliou is the Chairperson of the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), a position she has held since June 2020, while she joined its board of directors in March 2018. As of July 2023, she serves as Chairperson of INTERMEPA. She is also a member of the board of directors of the UK P&I Club since November 2020, member of the Union of Greek Shipowners since February 2022 and member of the Global Maritime Forum since April 2022. She is Vice-Chairperson of the Greek committee of Det Norske Veritas, a member of the Greek committee of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping and Hellenic War Risks. She also served as a Director of OceanPal Inc. (NASDAQ: SVRN) from April 2021 until October 2025 and as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee of OceanPal Inc. from November 2021 until October 2025.

Ms. Paliou has over 20 years of experience in shipping operations, technical management and crewing. She began her career at Lloyd’s Register of Shipping where she worked as a trainee ship surveyor from 1996 to 1998. She was then employed by Diana Shipping Agencies S.A. From 2007 to 2010 she was employed as a Director and President of Alpha Sigma Shipping Corp. From February 2010 to November 2015, she was the Head of the Operations, Technical and Crew department of Diana Shipping Services S.A. From November 2015 to October 2016, she served as Vice-President of the same company. From November 2016 to the end of July 2018, she served as Managing Director and Head of the Technical, Operations, Crew and Supply department of Unitized Ocean Transport Limited. From November 2018 to February 2020, she worked as Chief Operating Officer of Performance Shipping Inc. (ex. Diana Containerships Inc.)  (NASDAQ: PSHG). From October 2019 until February 2021, Ms. Paliou served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Diana Shipping Inc. She also served as member of the Executive Committee and the Chief Operating Officer of the Company from August 2018 until February 2021.

Ms. Paliou obtained her BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London and her MSc in Naval Architecture from University College, London. She completed courses in “Finance for Senior Executives”, in “Authentic Leader Development” and a certificate program on “Sustainable Business Strategy” all at Harvard Business School. Ms. Paliou is also the daughter of Simeon Palios, the Company’s Chairman.

Christos Tsakonas
Global Head of Shipping
DNB Bank

Christos Tsakonas took over as Global Head of Shipping for DNB Bank in September 2017.
Prior to that he held the position of CEO and General Manager for DNB Bank’s operations in Asia.
Christos joined DNB Bank in October 2008 and set up DNB’s Athens office which he headed until February 2014 focusing on providing financing and advisory services to the Bank’s Greek Shipping clients. In March 2014, he moved to Singapore to head the Bank’s Shipping, Offshore and Logistics operations in Asia and in September 2016 he became CEO and General Manager for the Bank’s overall operations in Asia.
Prior to DNB he worked for JPMorgan in London for 10 years where he held positions in the Special Situations and Restructuring Groups as well as the Corporate Finance team focusing on Transportation and Media & Telecommunications.
Before joining JPMorgan, he worked as a Teaching Associate at the London School of Economics and as a Research Associate at STICERD.
Christos holds a BSc and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Mr. Theodore Jadick, Jr.
President and CEO

DNB Carnegie

Ted Jadick is currently the President and CEO of DNB Markets, Inc., a registered broker dealer in the U.S. and a wholly owned subsidiary of DNB Bank ASA, Oslo, Norway. Ted has held this position since 2010.

DNB Markets, Inc. provides a full range of investment banking and securities sales and trading products and services to corporate clients within the Shipping, Oilfield Service and integrated Energy sectors and to major U.S. and Canadian institutional investors. The firm is headquartered in New York, NY and maintains branch offices in Houston and London. 

Prior to his current role, Ted spent 20 years as a shipping finance banker in DNB Bank’s Shipping, Offshore & Logistics Division including stints in New York, Athens, Oslo and London. His last role in the Bank prior to joining the broker dealer was that of head of all international shipping finance activities based in London.

Ms. Cristina Saenz de Santa Maria
CEO Maritime
DNV 

Based in Singapore, Cristina Saenz de Santa María was appointed CEO Maritime as of February 2026 and is responsible for maritime operations globally. Cristina joined DNV Maritime in 2005, and most recently served as its Chief Operating Officer from January 2025 to February 2026.

Cristina has held a wide range of technical and leadership positions across Europe, Africa, and Asia throughout her tenure at DNV. Her career has spanned ship newbuilding and operations as a surveyor and project manager in Spain, Portugal, South Korea, and Norway, followed by senior management roles in Norway, Africa, and Singapore.

A native of Madrid, Cristina holds a Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an MBA from IE Business School.

Mr. Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen
Group President & CEO
DNV

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen currently serves as DNV’s Group President and CEO. Prior to this role, he led DNV Maritime, where he was appointed Maritime CEO in August 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was awarded a First-Class Honour’s Degree in Civil Engineering in 1990.

Remi Eriksen
Group President and CEO
DNV

Remi Eriksen is the Group President and CEO of DNV Group since 2015. He has extensive management and technical experience from his more than 30 years in DNV within the maritime, oil and gas and renewable energy sectors in Asia, Europe and Americas. Remi is also Chair of the Board at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Remi is acknowledged for his leadership skills in capturing growth opportunities in a complex and ever-changing global business environment. He has a keen interest in building resilient and sustainable business, transformative technologies and to the accelerated application of data-driven and digital solutions. He is a technology optimist and strongly believes business has to make a bigger impact on the journey towards a sustainable future.

John C. Lycouris
Head Of Energy Transition, Director
Dorian LPG Ltd.

John C. Lycouris serves as Head of Energy Transition and is a director of Dorian LPG Ltd. Mr. Lycouris has served as Chief Executive Officer of Dorian LPG (USA) LLC and a director of the Dorian LPG Ltd. since its inception in July 2013. Previously, Mr. Lycouris was a Director and VP/Treasurer of Eagle Ocean, Inc. beginning in 1993 and of Eagle Ocean Transport, Inc. beginning in 2004, where he attended to pre- and post-delivery financings of newbuilding and second-hand vessels in the tanker, LPG, and dry bulk sectors, including execution of a multitude of sale and purchase contracts. Mr. Lycouris’ responsibilities also included operational and technical matters as well as investment strategy for a number of portfolios of foreign principals represented by the Companies. Before joining Eagle Ocean, Inc., Mr. Lycouris served as Director of Peninsular Maritime Ltd. a ship brokerage firm in London, UK, which he joined in 1974, and managed the Finance and Accounts departments. Mr. Lycouris holds a BS in Business Administration from Ithaca College and an MBA in Finance from Cornell University.

John C. Hadjipateras
President & CEO
Dorian LPG Ltd. (NYSE: LPG)

John C. Hadjipateras has served as Chairman of the Board and as our President and Chief
Executive Officer and as President of Dorian LPG (USA) LLC since our inception in July 2013.
Mr. Hadjipateras has been actively involved in the management of shipping companies since
1972. From 1972 to 1992, Mr. Hadjipateras was the Managing Director of Peninsular Maritime
Ltd. in London and subsequently served as President of Eagle Ocean, which provides
chartering, sale and purchase, protection and indemnity insurance and shipping finance
services. Mr. Hadjipateras has served as a member of the boards of the Greek Shipping Co-
operation Committee and of the Council of INTERTANKO, and has been a member of the
Baltic Exchange since 1972 and of the American Bureau of Shipping since 2011 and of Det
Norske Veritas since 2025 Mr. Hadjipateras also served on the Board of Advisors of the
Faculty of Languages and Linguistics of Georgetown University, and is currently a Trustee of
the Hellenic American Cultural Foundation. He served as trustee of Kidscape, a leading U.K.
charity organization for forty years until its mission was taken over by Coram, the first and
longest serving children’s charity in the UK. Mr. Hadjipateras was a director of SEACOR
Holdings Inc., a global provider of marine transportation equipment and logistics services,
from 2000 to 2013. In 1998, Mr. Hadjipateras was awarded The Golden Cross of The Order of
the Phoenix by The Republic of Greece. We believe that Mr. Hadjipateras’ expertise in the
maritime and shipping industries provides him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a
member of the Board of Directors.

Costas Delaportas
CEO
DryDel Shipping

Costas Delaportas is the CEO of DryDel Shipping Inc., a leading shipowning and operating company based in Voula, Greece. With over 25 years of experience in the maritime industry, he has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and expansion.
Since 2000, Mr. Delaportas has served as the Commercial & Chartering Director at DryDel Shipping (formerly Meadway Shipping), and in 2021, he assumed the role of CEO, guiding the company into a new era of development. He established DryDel Shipping Singapore in 2010, followed by DryDel Shipping DMCC in Dubai in 2018. Under his leadership, DryDel expanded further with new offices in São Paulo and Houston in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Mr. Delaportas has successfully secured contracts for over 20 newbuilding vessels with leading Japanese shipyards and arranged key financing deals, strengthening DryDel’s relationships with global partners and international banks. He holds a degree in Commercial Operation of Shipping from London Guildhall University and is a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Mr. George Procopiou
Founder
Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd. / Dynagas Ltd. / Sea Traders S.A.

George Procopiou has founded Sea Traders S.A. in 1974, Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd in 1991 and Dynagas Ltd. in 2004. Holding a degree in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), he has managed over the years a shipping fleet of more than 500 vessels, since first entering the shipping business in 1971 by purchasing one-third of a vessel. Since 2002, he has built more than 200 vessels in collaboration with Shipyards in Japan, South Korea, and China.

In 2005 Dynacom was awarded the “Tanker Company of the Year” award by Lloyd’s List. In 2012 Dynagas made history when the company’s LNG carrier OB RIVER became the world’s first LNG Carrier to transit and carry cargo through the Northern Sea Route. In 2013 George Procopiou was named “Greek Shipping Personality of the Year” by Lloyd’s List. In 2015 Dynagas received Statoil’s “Working Safely With Suppliers” operator award for safety performance above industry standards. In June 2017 George Procopiou was presented with Seatrade’s “Lifetime Achievement Award”. In July 2023 he was presented with the “Overall Contribution to Shipping Award” from Efkranti Awards. In December 2023 he was named “Greek Shipping Personality of the Year” for a historic second time.

George Procopiou has served as Chairman of the North of England P&I Association and is currently Chairman of the Greek Committee of Bureau Veritas, Chairman of the Mediterranean Committee of China Classification Society (CCS), Chairman of the Yacht Club of Greece (YCG), member of the Board of Directors of the HellenicAmerican Educational Foundation (HAEF), as well as member of the Greek Committees of DNV, Lloyd’s Register, RINA and ABS.

George Procopiou is married, father of four daughters and has 10 grandchildren.

Tony Lauritzen
Chief Executive Officer 
Dynagas LNG Partners

Mr. Tony Lauritzen has served as Chief Executive Officer of Dynagas LNG Partners since the inception. He has also served on the Board of Directors since the inception. Mr. Lauritzen has been managing the Sponsor’s LNG activities from 2007 to date. He worked for the shipowner and shipmanager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement Ltd. from 2004 until 2007 where he was project manager with a focus on the gas shipping segment. Prior to that, he worked for Westshore Shipbrokers AS in the offshore shipbroking segment. 

Mr. Lauritzen holds a Master of Science in Shipping Trade and Finance from Cass Business School, London from 2003 and a Master of Arts in Business and Finance from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh from 2002.

Gary Vogel
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.

Mr. Vogel serves as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc., a Stamford,
Connecticut-based drybulk ship-owner/operator focused exclusively on the Supramax/Ultramax
asset class. The Company currently owns a fleet of 53 vessels, making it one of the largest
owners within this segment. In addition, more than 95% of the Company’s vessels are fitted
with exhaust gas cleaning systems, making Eagle the largest owner of scrubber fitted
Supramax/Ultramax vessels globally. All vessel management, inclusive of strategic, commercial,
and technical, is conducted in-house from the Company’s offices in Stamford, Singapore, and
Copenhagen.

Prior to joining Eagle in September 2015, Mr. Vogel served as Chief Executive Officer and was a Director of Clipper Group, Ltd. Before Clipper, Mr. Vogel was President of Van Ommeren Bulk Shipping (USA), Inc.

Mr. Vogel graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation, as well as a U.S. Coast Guard Unlimited Tonnage 3rd Officers License. Subsequently, he served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Mr. Vogel currently serves on the Board of Directors of SFL Corporation, Ltd. and the Lloyd’s Register North America Advisory Committee. He is also a former Board Member of the American Institute for International Steel.

Mr. Thanasis Martinos
Managing Director
Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited

Born in 1950, and a graduate from Athens University – School of Economics (POE), Mr. Thanasis Martinos worked at the family shipping business “Thenamaris” from 1968 to 1990.

In 1991 he established in Glyfada his own shipping company “Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited (Eastmed).

He is also Archon of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople – Archon of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt – Governor of Mount Athos.

He is married to Marina and they have two daughters and two grandchildren. They both support social benevolent causes mainly in Greece through their family foundations “AEGEAS Non-Profit Civil Company” and “The Athanasios and Marina Martinou Foundation”.

Mr. John Su
President & CEO
Erasmus Shipinvest Group

Mr. Su is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Erasmus Shipinvest Group companies, which
involve with ship-owning, ship-management and operating activities in all domains of ocean-going dry-bulk, LPG Gas Carriers and Feeder Containerships etc, with major officespresences in Greece, Japan, China, Singapore, Vietnam and Denmark etc. Mr. Su has more than 25‐years extensive experience in ship‐owning, operating, management and investment fields throughout Asia and Europe. Mr. Su is a Committee Member of The London P&I Club, Vice Chairman of China Classification Society (CCS) Mediterranean Committee, a Committee Member of Class NK, a Visiting Professor of Dalian Maritime University (DMU) and a member of Int’l Advisory Board at the Center of Maritime Economics & Logistics at Erasmus University Rotterdam of the Netherlands. Mr. Su is a Dual EMBA holder from IMD Business School of Lausanne, Switzerland and CKGSB of China. Mr. Su has a Master degree of Maritime Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Mr. Su is a frequent conference chairman and speaker to a few international shipping conferences. He speaks fluently Chinese, English and French.

Eleni Polychronopoulou
President
ERMA FIRST GROUP
BoD Member

HELMEPA
Ms. Eleni Polychronopoulou is a distinguished leader in the maritime sector, heading a group of leading companies focused on environmental protection, compliance, and decarbonization solutions.
As President of ERMA FIRST GROUP, a world-leading provider of sustainable maritime environmental solutions, she oversees a comprehensive range of sustainable maritime environmental solutions, including the industry-benchmark Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) and a robust Decarbonisation Solutions portfolio, featuring Energy Saving Devices (ESDs), Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), and Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) solutions.
In her role as Executive Vice President of Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE), Eleni leads a pioneering Greek company dedicated to the development of advanced environmental protection technologies. She also serves as the Director of RWO, a world-renowned German provider of marine water treatment solutions, and as President of Metis, a leader in data acquisition, performance monitoring, and intelligent analytics for the maritime industry.
Eleni’s influence extends beyond her companies; she is the President of HEMEXPO (Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers & Exporters), an association that represents Greek maritime technology specialists globally since its formation, 2014. HEMEXPO offers a unified platform for members to collaborate with shipowners/operators, class societies and shipyards worldwide. Her leadership at HEMEXPO has helped position Greece as a leading force in maritime innovation. Additionally, she has served as Vice Chair of SEA EUROPE since June 2021, representing European shipbuilding and marine equipment associations across 16 countries.
Eleni’s latest business venture involves acquiring Ecochlor, a company based in the United States, which specializes in ballast water management systems and is dedicated to providing environmentally friendly solutions for the shipping industry.
Eleni is a member of the Board of Directors at HELMEPA, the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association. The organization plays a critical role in safeguarding the seas from pollution generated by ships, a cause that Eleni passionately supports. Moreover, she is a member of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, a charitable organization focused on promoting education, culture, and maritime tradition.
Eleni is also an active member of WISTA (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) and the Piraeus Propeller Club, contributing to industry discourse and supporting the advancement of women in maritime.
With a solid background in R&D and project management, Eleni Polychronopoulou is at the forefront of innovation in maritime environmental solutions, driving both technological advancement and sustainability in the industry.

Hugo De Stoop
Former CEO
Euronav

Hugo De Stoop joined Euronav in September 2004 and was appointed Deputy CFO and Head of Investor Relations and has been nominated CFO as of 1 January 2008. In May 2019, he assumed the position of CEO.
Hugo started his career with Mustad International Group, an industrial group with over 30 companies located in five continents where he worked as a Project Manager on various assignment in the U.S., Europe and Latin America, in order to integrate recently acquired subsidiaries.
He founded First Tuesday in America (the world’s largest meeting place for high tech entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and companies), helped develop the network in the U.S. and in Latin America and was appointed member of the Board of Directors of First Tuesday International.
He then joined Davos Financial Corp. London, an external investment manager for UBS, specialized in asset management and private equity, where he became an Associate and later a Vice President. He conducted several transactions, including private placement in public equities (PIPE) and investments in real estate.
Hugo De Stoop (1973) studied in Oxford, Madrid and Brussels and graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (ULB) with a Master of Science in Engineering. He also holds an MBA from INSEAD (France and Singapore).

Mr. Mathieu Caron
Group Head of Primary Markets, Member of the Executive Committee
Euronext

Mathieu Caron is a senior executive with over 20 years of experience and is currently the Group Head of Primary Markets in Euronext, appointed to this position in November 2023, where he is responsible for 4 business lines – equity and debt listings across all Euronext’s markets, and also funds, Elite, and Corporate Services. This involves managing P&L, driving innovation in high-growth environments and delivering strategic transformational projects.
He leads a team of 250+ people and is also a member of the Euronext Executive Committee.
Since joining Euronext back in 2010, Mathieu has developed extensive knowledge of capital markets and particularly in the area of primary markets given his current and previous roles including Head of Listing and Corporate Services from February 2021 – November 2023, when he was responsible for managing P&L, designing service offerings, product strategy and prioritization of commercial efforts, and also Head of Corporate Services prior to that since 2019 with responsibility for a high-growth suite of leading digital solutions and Investor Relation advisory services for listed companies. With these roles he has developed significant expertise in listing with extensive engagement with listed issuers and prospective issuers, while monitoring key developments impacting primary markets and participating in high-profile capital market events discussing priority themes of listing and CMU.
Before joining Euronext in 2010, Mathieu was working for a number of large fast-paced international companies within Finance, Solution Services, Consulting and Media (Dell, Vivendi and Accenture). He holds a Master of IGS in Paris, attended executive leadership programs at INSEAD, and is a board member of iBabs, Company Webcast and ComplyLog.

Mr. Yianos Kontopoulos
CEO
Euronext Athens

Yianos Kontopoulos is the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Euronext Athens and its subsidiaries, which operate the organized Greek cash, derivatives and corporate bond markets, and carry out trade  clearing,  settlement  and registration  of securities.

Before joining Athens Exchange Group (now Euronext Athens) in March 2022, Kontopoulos held a succession of executive positions at major financial institutions in New York, London, and Athens.

He began his career on Wall Street as an Economist at Salomon Brothers. From 1997 and for the following nine years, he worked at Merrill Lynch where he also run Global FX Strategy. Subsequently, he took on the role of Principal at fxCube, before returning to Greece in 2010, where he served as Chief Investment Officer at Eurobank and Chief Executive Officer at Eurobank Asset Management until 2015. Continuing his global career, Kontopoulos held the position of Global Head of Macro Strategy at UBS in London until 2019, when he joined CQS as Partner and Chief Macro Strategist until 2022.

Yianos Kontopoulos earned his AB in Economics, Magna cum Laude, from Harvard College and holds an MA, MPhil and a PhD from Columbia University.

Aristides J. Pittas
Chairman & CEO
Euroseas Ltd. 
EuroDry Ltd. Euroholdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: EHLD)

Aristides J. Pittas has been a member of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Nasdaq listed Euroseas since its inception in 2005, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Nasdaq listed Eurodry since its inception in 2018 and Chairman of the Board and CEO of Nasdaq listed Euroholdings since its inception in 2025. He is also the founder and President of Eurobulk ltd, a ship management company, since January 1995 and the founder and President of Eurochart S.A., a shipbroking company specializing in chartering and selling and purchasing ships, since 1997. Since 2016 he is also director of Arimanios (Cyprus) Ltd, a private investment Company.

He is also a member of the Board of Pyxis Tankers, a Nasdaq listed tanker company, a member of the board of Union of Greek Shipowners.
Mr. Pittas holds a B.Sc. in Marine Engineering from University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and a MSc in both Ocean Systems Management and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mr. Rikard Vabo
Head of Investment Banking
Fearnley Securities

15 years of investment banking experience
Prior to joining the investment banking team in 2013 as MD, Rikard ranked among the leading shipping research analyst globally
Holds an MSc from BI
Rikard Vabo joined Fearnley Securities in 2004 as a shipping analyst. From 2004-2013 he consistently ranked among the leading shipping analysts globally. In 2013 he ranked the top 2 US overall stock picker in the StarMine / Wall Street Journal awards. In 2013 Rikard assumed the position as Head of Investment Banking. He holds a Master of Science in Business from BI Norwegian Business School, and a Master of Science in Finance from Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Daniel B. Maffei, of New York, was designated by President Joseph Biden as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on March 29, 2021. He was first nominated to serve on the FMC by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 2016. He was then nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate on January 2, 2019. Commissioner Maffei was subsequently nominated by President Biden to serve another term on the Commission and was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 14, 2024.

As a Commissioner, Mr. Maffei has shown a particular interest in addressing the vulnerability of the global transportation system to industry-wide financial and security risks. He has spoken at national and international conferences on the changing nature of the economics of international shipping due to technological advances and the pressures that newer and larger carriers have placed on U.S. transportation infrastructure.

A native of Syracuse, New York, Commissioner Maffei’s career in government spans more than twenty years. He was elected to two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011 and from 2013 to 2015. Immediately prior to his initial appointment to the FMC, Mr. Maffei was a Senior Advisor at the United States Department of Commerce.

Commissioner Maffei’s time in Congress included service on the House Armed Services Committee, House Financial Services Committee, and House Judiciary Committee. His priority on the Armed Services Committee was to improve the military’s capacity to defend the country from terrorist and cyber threats. He worked on several provisions in the 2013 and 2014 armed services authorization bills to support and promote new and better technologies. On the Financial Services Committee, he focused on consumer protection and helped improve and pass, with increased bipartisan support, the Credit Cardholder’s Bill of Rights of 2009, a law that took important steps to level the playing field between customers and card issuers. Commissioner Maffei also served on the House Committee on Science and Technology and was Ranking Member of its Oversight Subcommittee.

While serving in Congress, Commissioner Maffei’s Central New York district included the Port of Oswego, the first U.S. port of call and deepwater port on the Great Lakes. Working closely with Representative Richard L. Hanna and New York’s Senators, he was able to secure vital funding to improve the port’s rail link and the resources to better dredge the port.

Commissioner Maffei has substantial experience teaching and researching at universities and think tanks. In 2018, Mr. Maffei spent six months away as a Professor of Practice at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management before returning to the FMC. He has taught on the faculty of the New York State College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) and has been a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Third Way. For several years, he served on the American Board of Advisors for Global Panel, a Prague-based organization that works primarily behind the scenes to facilitate solutions to various international conflicts and crises.

Commissioner Maffei’s private sector experience includes time as an independent consultant, a Senior Policy Advisor at Manatt, Phelps, Phillips LLP, and an executive at Pinnacle Capital Management, LLC (Syracuse, NY).

From 1998 to 2005, Commissioner Maffei worked on the Democratic staff of the House Ways and Means Committee. Previously, he had been Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan from 1997 to 1998 and Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley in 1996.

Commissioner Maffei received his bachelor’s degree in History and American Civilization from Brown University and holds master’s degrees from the Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Evan Cohen
Managing Director & Group Head of Maritime Finance
First Citizens Bank 

Evan Cohen has served as managing director and group head for First Citizens’ Maritime Finance business since October 2018. In this position, he leads a team of underwriting and business development professionals in building new client relationships and generating and closing loans secured by vessels and other maritime assets.

Prior to joining First Citizens, Cohen served as CEO at Amsterdam-based DC Maritime Partners, an international maritime corporate finance and advisory company. Earlier in his career, he spent 14 years at DVB Bank, a specialist in international transportation finance headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, where he had origination, management and risk responsibilities.

Evan earned a B.S. in Finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University Business School

Mr. Lars H. Barstad
CEO
Frontline (NYSE: FRO)

Mr. Lars H. Barstad has served as Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Management AS since October 2020, and as Commercial Director since 2015. Mr. Barstad has close to 17 years experience in the wider shipping and oil trading industry, firstly as Director of Imarex Pte Ltd in Singapore. He joined Glencore Ltd in 2007 as head of FFA trading, working in London. In 2012 he moved to Noble Group Ltd, continuing to work as derivatives trader, with a cross commodities mandate.

Mr. Barstad holds a BSc in Financial Economics from BI Norwegian Business School.

John C. Wobensmith
President & CEO, Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd.

John C. Wobensmith has served as Genco’ s President since December 19, 2014, and was given the additional title of Chief Executive Officer on March 23, 2017. From April 2005 until his appointment as President, he served as our Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer. From 2010 until Baltic Trading’ s merger with our Company on July 17, 2015, Mr. Wobensmith served as President, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of Baltic Trading. Mr. Wobensmith has over 20 years of commercial, financial, operational and consolidation experience in the shipping industry.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Wobensmith served as a Senior Vice President with American Marine Advisors, Inc., an investment bank focused on the shipping industry. While at American Marine Advisors, Inc., Mr. Wobensmith was involved in mergers and acquisitions, equity fund management, debt placement and equity placement in the shipping industry. From 1993 through 2000, he worked in the international maritime lending group of The First National Bank of Maryland, serving as a Vice President from 1998. He has a bachelor’ s degree in economics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Dr. Gaby Bornheim
President
German Shipowners’ Association (VDR)
Managing Director
Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG

Gaby Bornheim is the first women to hold the position of president of the VDR in the association’s 114-year history.

Bornheim is a lawyer with a doctorate in law. As a managing director, she has been jointly re-sponsible for successfully managing Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, one of the largest German shipping companies, for many years.

Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Hamburg, the company has roughly 5,000 employees worldwide at sea and on land. A fleet of approxi-mately 500 vessels – including 400 container ships as well as bulk carriers and multi-purpose vessels – is under its commercial management, and 120 of these are also under its technical management.

Dr. Anil Sharma
Founder and CEO
GMS

Dr. Anil Sharma is the Founder and CEO of Global Marketing Systems (GMS)—the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore assets for recycling. Originally from India, Dr. Sharma moved to the USA, where he earned both a Master’s and a Doctorate in Business Administration. He spent the first ten years of his career in academia—as a professor and then chairman of the business department at a state university—before creating GMS in 1992 and becoming a leader in the global ship recycling community.

Dr. Sharma has been invited to speak at major international conferences every year, has served as a judge at various industry awards, and has been published in several shipping and mainstream publications. In recognition of his contributions to the maritime community, Lloyd’s List has ranked Dr. Sharma among the 100 most influential people in shipping for 11 consecutive years. He currently resides in Dubai, where he continues to positively transform ship recycling standards and lead the movement towards responsible ship recycling worldwide.

Mr. John Dragnis
Chief Executive Officer
Goldenport Group

John Dragnis was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Goldenport Holdings Inc. in 2012. He also co-founded Oceangold Tankers Inc. a product and chemical tankers specialist that focuses on LR2, LR1 and MR2 type vessels and he was actively involved in setting up and running Golden Yachts, a super yachts construction, management and chartering business. In 2016, he successfully managed to de-list and re-capitalize Goldenport Holdings Inc. which was absorbed by the Goldenport Group. 

Today, among other activities, the Group operates a fleet of forty-six ocean-going vessels, ten new Oil and Gas Tankers and Container vessels under construction, eleven mega-yachts, three mega-yacht building and refit shipyards in Perama, Greece and one of the largest commercial yacht management platforms in the Mediterranean.  John is a Member of the American Bureau of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, Lloyd’s Register and Bureau Veritas Committees. He is a Member of the Skuld P&I Club Committee. He is also a member of SYBAss, Superyacht Builders Association. He holds a BSc in Business Administration and an MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance from CASS Business School, London.

Martyn Wade 
CEO
Grindrod Shipping

Martyn has over 42 years of international shipping experience and has worked for shipowners, operators and shipbrokers in London, Johannesburg, New York and now Singapore. The companies he has worked for include Van Ommeren UK, Simpson Spence and Young Johannesburg, Clipper Bulk USA and HSBC London. Martyn joined Grindrod Limited in 2008, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary Island View Shipping in 2010, and became Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Limited’s Shipping Division in 2011. He was appointed to the Grindrod Limited board in 2011 as an executive director where he served until the listing of the Shipping division on the NASDAQ in June 2018.

Martyn is a director of the UK Freight Demurrage & Defense Association (UK), a director of BIMCO representing Singapore, a member of the advisory panel to the Singapore Maritime Foundation and is a member of the Baltic Exchange, having been first elected in 1979.

Mikael Skov

CEO
Hafnia Ltd. (NYSE: HAFN) (OSLO: HAFNI)

Mikael Skov is the CEO of Hafnia, a newly established company created through a merger between Hafnia Tankers and BW Tankers. He was the co-founder and the CEO of Hafnia Tankers, a global shipping company involved in the transportation of refined oil products. He has more than 35 years of experience in the shipping industry. He is a board member of Clipper Group Ltd and was an industry representative of the Danish Maritime Strategy Team established by the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs.

Prior to establishing Hafnia Tankers, Mikael worked 25 years in Torm, an international product tanker and bulk carrier company, of which he served two years as the CEO.

Mikael graduated in Economics and Language from Copenhagen Business School and has attended the International Executive Programme at Insead.

Mikael Skov

Former CEO
Hafnia Ltd. (NYSE: HAFN) (OSLO: HAFNI)

Mikael Skov is the former CEO of Hafnia, a newly established company created through a merger between Hafnia Tankers and BW Tankers. He was the co-founder and the CEO of Hafnia Tankers, a global shipping company involved in the transportation of refined oil products. He has more than 35 years of experience in the shipping industry. He is a board member of Clipper Group Ltd and was an industry representative of the Danish Maritime Strategy Team established by the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs.

Prior to establishing Hafnia Tankers, Mikael worked 25 years in Torm, an international product tanker and bulk carrier company, of which he served two years as the CEO.

Mikael graduated in Economics and Language from Copenhagen Business School and has attended the International Executive Programme at Insead.

Chief Executive Officer
Chairman of Executive Board                                                   

Jens Meier has been Managing Director of the HPA since April 2008.
After studying computer science with a supplementary subject in economics, he started his professional career at Software Design & Management AG (Ernst & Young Group), where he was responsible for the Hamburg and Hanover offices as a member of the management board since 1997. In 2000, he became divisional director of Systematics AG (later EDS). Since July 2002, Jens Meier has been managing director of tts Holding GmbH & Co. KG. With the sale of the tts Group to the Fiege Group, he was appointed to the Management Board of Fiege Holding Stiftung & Co. KG, Greven.

Rolf Habben Jansen was born on 27 August 1966 in Spijkenisse near Rotterdam.

He graduated in Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam in 1991. In the same year, he embarked on his career as a trainee at the former Dutch shipping company Royal Nedlloyd. He held a number of different positions both there and at the Swiss logistics firm Danzas, before the latter merged with DHL, the subsidiary of Deutsche Post AG.

From 2001, he was responsible at DHL for contract logistics for large parts of Europe, and from 2006 he was in charge of the services group’s 100 most important customers as Head of Global Customer Solutions. As Chief Executive Officer from 2009, he spent five years heading up the global logistics company Damco.

Rolf Habben Jansen was appointed member of the Hapag-Lloyd AG Executive Board in April 2014. He has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hapag-Lloyd AG since July 2014.

Alongside his native language, Rolf Habben Jansen speaks German and English fluently.

Capt. Alfred Hartmann
Founder & Chairman
Hartmann Group
President
Gernamn Shipowners’ Association (VDR) (2015-2021)

A trained shipbroker and shipping merchant, Alfred Hartmann started his seafaring time as a cadet with Norddeutscher Lloyd. At the University of Science in Leer he graduated in Industrial Engineering & Management and attained his Master’s license for deep-sea vessels of any size and any type. Alfred Hartmann gained maritime experience as Nautical Officer and Captain in worldwide trade and worked as newbuilding supervisor and head of seafaring personnel. In 1981, he established his own shipping company: Hartmann Reederei. Expanding the business over three decades, the Hartmann Group became one of Germany’s largest shipping companies, with a fleet of about 150 vessels and more than 5,000 employees on board and ashore.

Alfred Hartmann held the post of CEO of Hartmann AG until June 2008, when he passed the baton to his son and assumed the position of Chairman of the Supervisory Board. He is the President of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) and member of the Advisory Committees of NORD/LB and classification society DNV GL. Alfred Hartmann is also Honorary Senator of the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer and a member of the Strategic Council “Maritime Industry of the Weser-Ems Region”.

Pankaj Khanna
CEO
Heidmar Maritime Holdings Corp.

Pankaj Khanna has served as Chief Executive Officer of Heidmar since 2019 and has over 35 years of experience in maritime transportation, offshore oil & gas asset owning and service businesses and has held executive positions in various publicly listed entities. Prior to joining Heidmar, Mr. Khanna was the Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (formerly NYSE: ORIG), an Athens-based operator of semi-submersible oil platforms and underwater drillships, and Pioneer Marine Inc. (OSLO-OTC: PNRM), an Oslo-listed, Athens-based dry bulk company specializing in geared tonnage. He also served as Chief Operating Officer at Dry Ships Inc. (formerly NYSE: DRYS), an Athens-based owner and operator of dry bulk, tanker and gas carrier vessels, and as Vice President of Strategic Development at Teekay Shipping (NYSE: TK), a Bermuda-headquartered owner and operator of crude and product tankers. Mr. Khanna graduated from Blackpool and the Fylde College, Fleetwood Nautical Campus and also received a postgraduate diploma in International Trade and Transport from London Metropolitan University.

Minister Vasilis Kikilias
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy
Hellenic Republic

Vasilis Kikilias was born in 1974 in Athens. He is a graduate of Leonteios School of Nea Smyrni. He studied at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, pursued postgraduate studies at the National School of Public Health and subsequently earned a PhD in Medicine (Magna cum Laude) by the Faculty of Medicine in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He is a surgeon specializing in orthopaedics.

Alongside his studies, he built a notable career in sports, particularly in basketball, playing for teams such as AEK, Panionios, Ionikos, and Apollon Patras, with his participation in the Hellenic National Basketball Team being a particularly distinguished honor.

His political career began in 2006 when he was elected as a Municipal Councilor of the City of Athens. From 2007 to 2010, he served as President of the Organization for Youth and Sports of the Municipality of Athens.

In November 2010, he ran for Regional Governor of Attica in the local elections and emerged as the leader of the major opposition party. That same year, he was appointed Secretary of Sports for the Nea Democratia political party, and the following year, he was designated as a Deputy Secretary of Program Planning.

The year 2012 marked a milestone in his political career, as he was elected Member of the Hellenic Parliament for the Athens 1st constituency with the Nea Democratia political party, a position he holds still continuously for the past twelve years. Throughout this period, he has participated in various parliamentary committees, including those on National Defense and Foreign affairs, Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, Social Affairs, and Gender Equality, among others.

In June 2014, he was sworn in as Minister of Public Order for six months, during which he achieved significant progress in combating terrorism.

In 2016, he was appointed as the spokesperson for Nea Democratia, and in 2017, he assumed the role of Head of the National Defense Sector for the Nea Democratia political party,.

In July 2019, he was appointed Minister of Health, successfully managing the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure, he played a key role in strengthening the Greek healthcare system, overseeing the expansion of intensive care units, securing large-scale vaccine procurement and distribution, and implementing public health measures that contributed to controlling the spread of the virus.

In 2021, he was sworn in as Minister of Tourism, serving for two years. During this period, he focused on extending the tourist season, attracting high-value investments, and promoting Greece as a top global destination. His tenure saw record-breaking increases in tourist arrivals and revenues, reinforcing tourism as a key pillar of the Greek economy.

From 2023 until March 2025, he served as Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, effectively addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Till today, he has implemented major reforms to enhance Greece’s preparedness and response mechanism to natural disasters. He has overseen the modernization of the country’s civil protection mechanisms, including the expansion of aerial firefighting capabilities and the reinforcement of emergency response teams. Additionally, he has introduced a more proactive approach to disaster prevention, with an emphasis on climate adaptation measures, improved early warning systems, and the coordination of European resources to combat extreme weather events. His leadership has been focused in strengthening Greece’s resilience against natural disasters like wildfires, flash floods, and other climate-related crises.

A key project under his leadership is the AEGIS Programme, an ambitious EUR 2,1 billion project fund aimed at upgrading Greece’s civil protection mechanism. The programme includes the procurement of state-of-the-art firefighting aircraft, the incorporation of new technologies to emergency response, and the enhancement of disaster preparedness at both the national and local levels. AEGIS focuses on leveraging advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence and real-time monitoring systems, to improve early warning capabilities and crisis response and management. By implementing AEGIS, the Ministry seeks to establish a comprehensive and modern framework for addressing climate-related threats, ensuring preparedness against natural disasters in the years to come by building resilient communities and reducing the human and economic toll of these catastrophic events.

Since March 2025, he is serving as Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.

His involvement in politics stems from a personal need to contribute with faith, persistence, and seriousness to any effort that can create better conditions for all of us and for future generations. In such a challenging period, we all owe it to ourselves to have an active role in the public matters of our country. It is the least we can do. We have a responsibility and duty towards our children, fellow citizens and our nation.

He is married to Jenny Balatsinou, and they have one son.

He was born in 1968 in Athens. He studied Biochemical Engineering at the University of Wales and holds two master degrees, from the University of London and City University Business School, specialising in Biochemical Engineering and Business Administration accordingly. He worked at the transnational European Agency for Eurocontrol which oversees air traffic and flight safety across Europe. Upon his return in Greece, he ran a family business. He speaks English and French. He is a member of the Alumni Association of Biochemical Engineering University of London and the City University Business School. He is married to Cypriot businesswoman Aphrodite Doritis.
In the elections of 2004, he was for the first time elected in Lasithi electoral district as a Member of Parliament with New Democracy Party. He was re-elected in the 2007, 2009, May and June 2012 elections, the January and September 2015 elections, as well as in the July 2019 elections.
He was Deputy Minister of National Defense (2007-2009) and Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security and Welfare (2014-2015). From the 23rd of November 2015 until the 10th of January 2016 he assumed the duties of President of New Democracy Party.
In 9 July 2019, he was appointed Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.

Ms. Diana Syziu
Partner, Corporate & Ship Finance
Hill Dickinson LLP

Diana is an English solicitor of Senior Courts of England & Wales qualified for over ten years. She advises clients on a variety of corporate related matters, including commercial contracts, project finance, structure finance, ship finance, onshore and offshore vessels and rigs sale and acquisitions, cruise vessels, joint venture agreements, joint development agreements, finance related agreements and private equity. Diana also works very closely with the international shipping and commodities team, providing corporate and commercial support in cross-jurisdiction related matters which take up the majority of her practice.

Diana is also a qualified Notary Public appointed by royal authority through the Faculty Office (England&Wales) in practice for over ten years. Diana completed her notarial qualification at the University of Cambridge.

Diana notarises documents (private and commercial) for use in foreign jurisdictions, registered with the Faculty Office and the Notaries Society, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and various foreign embassies in the UK. She has assisted national and international clients (shipping, yacht, aviation, transactional, mergers, acquisitions, investments etc.) in over 3,000 matters during the last ten years.

Diana advises on a variety of non-contentious corporate and corporate finance matters including but not limited to asset finance, corporate acquisitions, ship sale and purchases, ship finance and re-finance, commercial agreements, company reorganisations, commercial IP contracts, franchising (franchisor and franchisee), joint venture and partnerships, commodities contracts and related security (corporate support).

Ms. Caroline Yang
CEO
Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd
Former President
Singapore Shipping Association (2019-2025)
Board Member
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)

Ms Caroline Yang started her career with Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd as their in-house counsel in 1991 and was appointed as Executive Director in 2002. In her current role as Chief Executive, she also directly oversees the Legal and Human Resources functions.

Ms Yang graduated with L.L.B. Honours (University of London) and B.A. Honours (National University of Singapore) both in 1990. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1992. She subsequently passed Bar Exams of Singapore in 1992 and called to the Bar of Singapore in 1995. She is a member of the Singapore Academy of Law.

Ms Yang has close to 30 years of experience in the shipping industry. In 2019, Ms Yang was elected as the President of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), becoming the first female to helm the Association since its inception in 1985. Currently serving as the President of the SSA for a second term. She is also a board member of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Maritime Foundation.

Mr. John Xylas
Chairman
INTERCARGO
President and CEO
Ariston Navigation Corp.

John A. Xylas is the President and CEO of Ariston Navigation Corp.

He graduated from Athens College in 1982 and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986, where he also attended a number of courses at Wharton School. In 1987 he completed, a 9-month Executive Account Officers’ program at Citicorp in New York.

Following his father’s sudden passing, in 1987 he returned to Greece assuming the running of Astron Maritime SA, a family business managing 20 bulk-carriers.

In 2002 he founded Ariston Navigation Corp., specializing in dry bulk-carriers and in 2003 Melissa Shipping Company, specializing in Pneumatic Cement Carriers. Today Ariston manages a fleet of 11 modern bulk carrier vessels. He is also co-founder of TMA Bulk Pool (Inc) headquartered in Hamburg, a company specializing in the commercial management of over 30 modern handy bulk carriers.

He is a member of the ABS, LR’s Hellenic National Committee, Treasurer of the Union of Greek Shipowners and Syn-Enosis, member of the board of Helmepa, member of the Management Committee of Intercargo and has served two terms as President of the Piraeus Marine Club.

Sebastian von Hardenberg
President
InterManager
Chief Executive Officer
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement

Sebastian von Hardenberg joined the Schulte Group in 2005. He served Bernhard Schulte as Head of Controlling from 2006 to 2009 before joining BSM Germany as Financial Director. Moving to Hong Kong in 2012, Singapore in 2014, Cyprus in 2015 and back to Singapore in 2018, Sebastian served as Executive Assistant of the CEO and Director Business Risk before being appointed to Chief Financial Officer of BSM in 2015 and Chief Executive Officer in 2025. Prior to this, Sebastian graduated as a lawyer in Germany and gained financial and risk management experience while working for an audit company.

Mr. Esben Poulsson
Non-Executive Board Chairman, Board Member, Corporate Advisor;
Former Chairman
International Chamber of Shipping
(2016-2022)

Esben Poulsson was Executive Chairman of Enesel Pte. Ltd., a Singapore based ship owning entity of a fleet of container vessels under the Singapore Flag. He has worked in the maritime industry for over 50 years and has held a variety of senior management positions in Hong Kong, London, Copenhagen and Singapore.

Aside from his Enesel duties, he is non-executive Chairman of Cambiaso Risso Asia Pte. Ltd., Singapore, of Tamar Shipmanagement Ltd., Hong Kong and of Keppel Smit Towage Pte. Ltd., Singapore.

Additionally, he is a board member of BW Epic Kosan Gas Ltd, Singapore, of Finnlines PLc., Helsinki, of Abu Dhabi Ports Group (Maritime Cluster), Abu Dhabi and of Enesel Bulk Logistics DMCC, Dubai. He also acts as Senior Advisor to the Chairman of X-Press Feeders Ltd., Singapore.

He has been a member of the Board of the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) since 2015.

He is immediate past Chairman (2022) of the London-based International Chamber of Shipping and immediate past President (2019) of the Singapore Shipping Association and is an Advisory Panel member of the Singapore Maritime Foundation. In 2019, he was appointed Vice President of the London-based charity, The Mission of Seafarers.

He was awarded the Public Service Star by the President of Singapore in 2019, and in 2021, the Seatrade Awards – in association with Lloyd’s List – Lifetime Achievement Award.

Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco
Secretary General
IMO

Mr. Arsenio Dominguez was elected Secretary-General of the Organization by the 129th session of the IMO Council in July 2023 for a four-year period beginning 1 January 2024. The election was endorsed by the IMO’s Assembly at its 33rd session in December 2023.

Mr. Arsenio Dominguez (Republic of Panama) is the tenth elected Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.

Mr. Kitack Lim (Republic of Korea) is the Former Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). 

Born in Masan, Mr Lim graduated from the Korea Maritime and Ocean University (KMOU), Busan, and worked on ships before joining the Korea Maritime and Port Administration in 1985. From 1986, Mr. Lim participated in the Republic of Korea delegation to IMO meetings. In 2006, he was appointed as Maritime Attaché, minister-counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in London and served as Alternate Permanent Representative to IMO until August 2009. Mr Lim was then appointed Director General for Maritime Safety Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM).  In 2011, Mr. Lim was appointed Commissioner of the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST).  In 2012, he became President of Busan Port Authority, until January 2016 when he took up his appointment as Secretary-General of IMO. Mr Lim holds master’s degrees from Yonsei University, and the World Maritime University (WMU).

Lois K. Zabrocky
President & Chief Executive Officer
International Seaways, Inc.

Lois K. Zabrocky is the President and Chief Executive Officer of International Seaways, one of the largest tanker companies worldwide. The Company owns and operates a fleet of 94 vessels including 13 VLCCs, 15 Suezmaxes, 5 Aframaxes/LR2s, 11 Panamaxes/LR1s, 42 MR tankers and six Handy tankers. Through joint ventures, it has ownership interests in 4 LNG carriers and 2 Floating Storage and Offloading Service vessels.

Before assuming leadership for International Seaways, Lois served as Senior Vice President for OSG’S International Flag strategic business unit, with responsibility for commercial management and oversight of fleet operations. Previously she was Chief Commercial Officer, with responsibility for OSG’s international flag crude, products and gas businesses.

Ms. Zabrocky began her maritime career sailing as third mate aboard a U.S. flag chemical tanker. Ms. Zabrocky holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and holds a Third Mate’s license.

Mr. Stephen Cotton
General Secretary
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)

Stephen Cotton is the general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), a global union federation of nearly 670 trade unions representing over 18 million workers in 154 countries in the maritime, port, road, rail, aviation and urban transport sectors. He was elected to the position at the 43rd ITF Congress held in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2014, and re-elected at the 44th ITF Congress in Singapore, 2018. 

Under his leadership as general secretary, the ITF has transformed into a proactive campaigning organisation, allowing the ITF and its affiliates to secure industry-leading contracts and protocols with key multinational companies in the transport sector, including aviation, maritime and road transport. 

Cotton joined the ITF in 1993 as head of the agreements unit in the maritime section. He was later promoted to the position of assistant secretary of the special seafarers’ department (SSD), secretary of the SSD and maritime coordinator prior to his appointment as acting general secretary in October 2012. 

During his time as leader of the ITF’s maritime section, significant achievements were made that have positively impacted the maritime industry and bettered the lives of seafarers. The ITF inspectorate expanded from 35 to 147 inspectors and contacts, and ships covered under ITF collective bargaining agreements increased to over 12,000 from less than 2,000. Cotton oversaw major Flags of Convenience (FOC) policy changes and led the introduction of ‘Oslo to Delhi’ and Mexico City policies, which laid the foundation for the landmark 2006 signing of the International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) – establishing  a set of international minimum standards enforceable by international law. 

Throughout his career at the ITF, Cotton has sought to improve the operations of the ITF, focusing on building affiliates’ power and streamlining the operations of the secretariat in order to make a real difference in the lives of transport workers and influence lead industry players in the transport sector.  

He is Chair of the Council of Global Unions (CGU), a trustee of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust and serves on the United Seaman’s Service (USS) governing body.  

In 2021, Cotton has been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to serve as a Member of the Board of the UN Global Compact, an initiative that mobilises industry leaders globally to do business responsibly and improve the state of society.

In 2014, Cotton received the United Seamen’s Service (USS) Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award (AOTOS), the maritime industry’s most prestigious award, in recognition of his work for defending the well-being and fair treatment of seafarers around the world.  

Mr. Paolo d’Amico
Chairman
INTERTANKO (2018-2024)
Chairman
d’Amico International Shipping S.A.
(BIT:DIS; OTCQX: DMCOF)

Paolo d’Amico is an Italian businessman and the President and CEO of d’Amico International Shipping (DIS), a subsidiary of d’Amico Società di Navigazione SpA 12. He is also the Chairman of INTERTANKO, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners 1. Paolo dAmico graduated in 1978 in Economics from Rome University (La Sapienza) 1. He joined d’Amico Società di Navigazione S.p.A. in 1971, with particular focus on the product tanker aspects of the business. In 1983 he joined the Board of Directors of d’Amico Società di Navigazione S.p.A., the holding company of the d’Amico Group. and since 2002 he holds the office of President 1. Cesare d’Amico, CEO of d’Amico Dry Cargo and Paolo d’Amico, President and CEO of d’Amico International Shipping (DIS), the Italian cousins leading the d’Amico Group, will be awarded the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Commodore for the year 2023 in a first-of-its-kind dual award.

Dr. SADAN KAPTANOGLU
CEO
Kaptanoglu Shipping
President
BIMCO (2019-2021)

Şadan Kaptanoglu is a shipowner and a shipyard owner. She is chief executive officer of Kaptanoglu Shipping.

She completed her Phd in De Montfort University after she graduated from Bayes Business School, MSC Shipping,Finance and Trade.

Sadan Kaptanoglu was the first woman President of BIMCO .

Sadan Kaptanoglu is the chairperson of TURMEPA (Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association) .

Sadan is the first winner of Seatrade young person of the year award in 2008.
She is married, has two daughters.

Nick Brown
CEO
Lloyd’s Register

Nick joined Lloyd’s Register in 1996 and was appointed CEO in January 2021.
In an extensive career with LR, he has worked as a ship surveyor in Bahrain, Dubai, Finland and Germany before moving to China to spend seven years leading LR’s activities in the country.
He has since been Director for Business Development and Innovation, Marine Chief Operating Officer and Marine and Offshore Director.
His focus as CEO is to deliver Lloyd’s Register’s vision of ‘working together for a safer world’, improving the performance and sustainability of our customers’ businesses through LR’s trusted advice, insight and expertise.
Nick is a graduate of Nottingham University, a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and a Member of both the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.
Nick sits on the Supervisory Board of the UK Chamber of Shipping and the Advisory Council of the Global Maritime Forum. From July 2021 Nick will take up the additional role as the first elected Chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).

Christian M. Ingerslev
Former Chief Executive Officer
Maersk Tankers

Christian has more than two decades of leadership and industry experience from, among others, positions as Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Business Development at Maersk Tankers. He holds an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School/London Business School.

Mr. Stephen M. Carmel
Administrator
Maritime Administration/MARAD
U.S. Department of Transportation

Stephen M. Carmel is the Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Before joining MARAD, Mr. Carmel was the President of US Marine Management, LLC (USMMI). US Marine Management was formally a division of Maersk Line Limited, where, prior to the spin-off to Maritime Partners, Mr. Carmel was Senior Vice President responsible for the USMMI business unit. USMMI operates a variety of ship types, including tankers, Roll-on / Roll-off vessels, and military special- purpose ships. Prior to this position, Mr. Carmel headed technical operations for MLL.

He previously held positions in operations and finance for U.S. Marine Management, Inc. and Maersk Line, Limited. Mr. Carmel began his career sailing as a deck officer and Master primarily on tankers.

Mr. Carmel graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1979. He also holds an M.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. in International Finance from Old Dominion University and is PhD/ABD in International Studies with an emphasis in International Political Economy and second emphasis in Conflict. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and is also certified in Financial Management (CFM). He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Advanced Management Program. Steve’s research and publishing interests are in maritime security, globalization, trade and conflict, and arctic regional issues.

Mr. Carmel recently rotated off a position with the Naval Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences. He is a former member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel, the Marine Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, and the NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel, and he was a 2009 Senior Fellow at the Homeland Security Policy Institute at The George Washington University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Hampton Roads Global Affairs Council and is a past member of the Board of Visitors at the US Merchant Marine Academy.

Steve was awarded the Meritorious Public Service Award by the Chief of Naval Operations in 2017.

Steve, his wife Alison, and their son John live in Norfolk, Virginia.

Constantin Baack
Co-CEO
MPC Container Ships ASA (OSLO: MPCC)
CEO
MPC Capital AG

Constantin Baack has been a member of the Management Board of MPC Capital AG since April 2015 and was appointed Chairman of the Management Board (CEO) in June 2024. Mr. Baack has 20 years of operational, management and investment experience in shipping, corporate strategy, capital markets, finance and alternative assets. He has worked for MPC Capital in various management positions since 2008 and was responsible, among other things, for the expansion of the maritime services business and the initiation and implementation of numerous investment structures and companies – in particular MPC Container Ships ASA, where he has also been CEO since its foundation in 2017.

Constantin Baack holds a Graduate Diploma and a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Sydney and previously worked at Ernst & Young in Hamburg and Shanghai and at the shipping company Hamburg Süd in Sydney.

Mr. Christian Rychly
Managing Director
MPC Oceanic Group AG
COO
MPC Container Ships ASA (OSLO:MPCC)

Christian Rychly is Managing Director of MPC Oceanic Group, a role he has held since 2018, with responsibility for the group’s shipping activities. In 2023, he was additionally appointed Chief Operating Officer of MPC Container Ships.

Before joining MPC, Christian was a Managing Director at Leonhardt & Blumberg, a Hamburg-based ship owner and ship management company.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and serves on the Board of Directors of the UK Defence Club. Christian holds an MBA from the University of Wales.

Efstratios Desypris has been the Chief Operating Officer of Navios Partners since November 2021. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Navios Partners from 2010 through November 2021. In addition, Mr. Desypris is the Chief Financial Controller of Navios Holdings, Navios Partners’ sponsor, since May 2006 and the Chief Financial Officer of N Shipmanagement Acquisition since September 2019. Mr. Desypris has also been a Director of Navios Containers since November 2018. He also serves as a Director and the SVP-Strategic Planning of Navios South American Logistics Inc. Before joining Navios Holdings, Mr. Desypris worked in the accounting profession, most recently as manager of the audit department at Ernst & Young in Greece. Mr. Desypris started his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1997. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Piraeus.

Ted C. Petrone became Vice Chairman of Navios Corporation in January 2015 having previously served as a director of Navios Holdings from May 2007 to January 2015 and President of Navios Corporation from September 2006 to January 2015. Mr. Petrone has served in the maritime industry for 45 years, 41 of which he has spent with Navios Holdings. After joining Navios Holdings as an assistant vessel operator, Mr. Petrone worked in various operational and commercial positions. Mr. Petrone was previously responsible for all aspects of the daily commercial activity, encompassing the trading of tonnage, derivative hedge positions and cargoes. Mr. Petrone is currently also a director of Navios Acquisition, a New York Stock Exchange listed company, and an affiliate company of Navios Holdings; and has served in such capacity since June 2008. Mr. Petrone graduated from New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler with a Bachelor of Science degree in maritime transportation. He has served aboard U.S. Navy (Military Sealift Command) tankers.

Jeremy Nixon
Global CEO
Ocean Network Express (ONE)

Mr. Jeremy Nixon is Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Network Express (ONE), a role
assumed prior to the company’s formation in 2017.
Mr. Nixon has over 35 years of experience in the container shipping industry and has held
various senior management positions at P&O Nedlloyd, Maersk Line, and NYK Line. Under
Mr. Nixon’s leadership, ONE has grown to become one of the largest liner shipping
companies in the world.
Mr. Nixon is a Board Member of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Global
Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation. He was also Co-Chairman of the World Shipping
Council for two terms from 2020-2024.

Mr. Harald Fotland
Chief Executive Officer
Odfjell

Harald Fotland (1964) became Odfjell’s CEO in May 2022. Prior to this, he served as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 2018. Fotland joined Odfjell in 2010 as Chief of Staff and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Odfjell Tankers in 2015. In 2017, he also took on the role of interim Senior Vice President for Odfjell’s Ship Management. Before joining Odfjell, Fotland was Vice President at Gard AS and held various roles in the Royal Norwegian Navy. He has extensive board experience and is currently president of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and board member of the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA).

Norwegian citizen. Owns 85,715 A-shares and 4,000 B-shares, no options.

Mr. Laurence Odfjell
Chair
Odfjell SE

Laurence Ward Odfjell has been Chair of Odfjell SE since 2010. He is a member of the founding family of the 110-year-old company and holds a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University. The Odfjell Group is one of the world leaders in the global market for seaborne transportation and storage of chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids. The company employs around 2300 people at sea and ashore, and operates 70 advanced chemical tankers. The terminal division consists of four tank terminals located in key chemical storage hubs in the US, Asia and Europe. Odfjell is headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and has 12 offices worldwide, including Singapore.  

Laurence is passionate about shipowners’ responsibility to decarbonize and take actions to lower the industry’s climate footprint. Odfjell has over the past decade reduced the intensity of carbon emissions of its fleet by 53% through a range of initiatives. The company will be one of the first to install suction sails on one of its chemical tankers during 1H25. 

Sam Norton
President and Chief Executive Officer
Overseas Shipholding Group

Mr. Norton was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Overseas Shipholding Group in December 2016. Prior to this appointment, he served as Senior Vice President and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company’s U.S. Flag Strategic Business Unit since July 2016. Mr. Norton served as a non-executive Director on OSG’s Board from August 2014 to July of 2016. Prior to joining OSG, in 2006 Mr. Norton co-founded SeaChange Maritime, LLC, an owner and operator of container ships, and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Norton spent the seventeen-year period ended July 2005 as a senior executive officer at Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. In 1995, Mr. Norton initiated and led the entry of the Sammy Ofer Group into the container segment and acquired and operated the first container vessels in the group’s fleet. While at Tanker Pacific, Mr. Norton also conceived and started a related business, Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals, which owns and operates a fleet of floating, offshore oil storage terminals. Prior to joining the Ofer group, Mr. Norton played a lead role in the Asian distressed assets group of the First National Bank of Boston, a position which acquainted him with the shipping industry and the Ofer family. Mr. Norton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Dartmouth College where he graduated in 1981.

Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez Morales was appointed Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority for a seven-year period starting September 2019.

Dr. Vásquez is a Panamanian economist with an extensive and successful professional career of 50 years in the government sector and in private companies in financial, economic and administrative management.

Within the public administration he has held prominent positions such as: Minister of Finance and Treasury, Minister of Planning and Economic Policy as well as of Economy and Finance in 2004. He was the first non-US Chief Financial Officer for the Panama Canal and later Deputy Administrator and President of the Board of Directors. In the private sector, his experience covers banking at Chase Manhattan Bank, mining development with Rio Tinto Zinc in the development of the Cerro Colorado copper project. More recently at General Electric with regional responsibilities and covering Gas-to-Power initiatives in Latin America, retiring in 2015 to carry out his professional practice with SIGMA Management Advisors Corp.

Ricaurte Vásquez holds a Ph. D. and M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic, a M.E. from North Carolina State University and a B.S. from Villanova University. He has been a professor of Economics and Finance in Panama and abroad. His professional experience is complemented as a university professor of Economics at Florida State University, at its headquarters in Panama

Jonathan Fancher
Chief Commercial Officer
Petredec Group

Mr Jonathan Fancher begin his career in the energy sector at Apex Oil’s Monaco office in 2006 before joining Petredec in 2012 as a trader. He served as Eastern Head of Trading for two years prior to becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2018, Chief Commercial Officer in 2020, and CEO of Petredec Global in July 2022.

Jonathan holds an executive MBA from INSEAD University, a BA in Economics from DePauw University, and is currently based in Singapore.

Allard Castelein is Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority since 1 January 2014.Born in Rotterdam in 1958, Allard graduated in medicine at Erasmus University.He started working with Shell in The Netherlands in 1987. For the first couple of years he held positions in Trading, Sales and Marketing. From 1992 he lived and worked in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom in various positions in Marketing, Strategy, Business Development and General Management. Allard returned to The Netherlands in 2002 to join the Executive Board of the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij, a Shell-Exxon JV. In 2003 he became Commercial Manager for Shell’s EuropeanUpstream business. In this capacity he led a major re-organisation and change management programme. In 2009 Allard was appointed Vice President Environment for Shell. He led the global Environment cluster andwas accountable for strategy, standards, controls and strategic partnerships worldwide.In addition to his position as CEO with the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Allard Castelein is involved in several business and NGO related organisations in a non-executive capacity.

Mr. Marco Fiori
Chief Executive Officer
Premuda SpA

Marco spent more than 20 years in D’ Amico Group, serving in several C-suite roles. As Chief Executive Officer of D’ Amico International Shipping (“DIS”), the tanker arm of the group, he led the company to a successful stock listing in 2017 at Milano Stock Exchange, with 45 modern product tankers. Before to join D’ Amico group, he worked and lived in the USA and his background was in investment banking and finance.

Appointed by PS Navi S.p.A. in late 2018 to lead the transformation of Premuda from a traditional ship-owning company towards a modern shipping operator capable to make market calls and deliver a 3/5 years business plan aimed at listing the entire shipping platform of Pillarstone.

Ms. Ioanna  Procopiou
Managing Director
Prominence Maritime;
President Designate
BIMCO

Ioanna G. Procopiou graduated from Bath University in 2000 with a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. After University she continued her studies gaining an MSc from City University in Shipping Trade and Finance. In 2003 she joined Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd in Glyfada, Greece. In 2010, after heading the Sale and Purchase and Projects activities in Dynacom for 4 years, Ioanna formed Prominence Maritime S.A. a company which manages 12 bulk carriers. In addition to the above Ioanna supervises all activities of Sea Traders S.A. Apart from these shipping activities, Ioanna is also actively involved in real estate development, as well as human resources for Dynacom Tankers Management, Dynagas Ltd and Sea Traders S.A.

Ioanna is on the directors board of the NorthStandard and is an elected member on the board of the Union of Greek Shipowners Association and the Cypriot Shipowners Association and is an alumna from Harvard Business School.

Julian Proctor
Founder, CEO and Board Member
Purus Marine

Julian Proctor is Chief Executive Officer and a Board Member of Purus Marine, the environmentally focused maritime company launched by EnTrust Global. Before joining EnTrust Global in 2020, Mr. Proctor was Chief Investment Officer at Tiger Group Investments, a ship-owner and operator based in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Prior to that, he was Chief Strategy Officer of BNP Paribas Fortis Asia Pacific and a member of the regional board. He holds an M.St. from the University of Cambridge, where he was the recipient of the Oxford University Press Bryman and

Valentios “Eddie” Valentis
President/Chairman/CEO
Pyxis Tankers Inc. (NASDAQ: PXS)

Valentios (“Eddie”) Valentis, has over 27 years of shipping industry experience, including owning, operating and managing tankers. He has founded Pyxis Tankers Inc. and is serving as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors since inception. Mr. Valentis is also the President of Pyxis Maritime Corp., a company he founded in 2007.
In 2001, Mr. Valentis was appointed President/CEO of Konkar Shipping Agencies S.A., a drybulk operator based in Greece, which is a position he continues to hold. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Valentis was the Commercial Manager for the L.G.Matsas shipping group. From 1996 through 1998, Mr. Valentis worked as a dry cargo chartering broker and from 1989 to 1995 he was involved in the commercial operation of drybulk vessels.

Mr. Valentis holds a MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Mr. Valentis serves as a council member of the Independent Tanker Owners Association (INTERTANKO) and a member of the Greek Committee of NKK Classification Society.

Mr. Nikolaus Oldendorff
Co-Owner & Managing Director
Reederei Nord GmbH

Nikolaus Oldendorff serves as Co-Owner of the Reederei Nord Group. Established in 1964 by Klaus E. Oldendorff, Reederei Nord is a longstanding and internationally active shipping enterprise. The company operates a diversified fleet comprising tankers, container vessels, and bulk carriers, and delivers fully integrated ship management solutions. These services encompass proprietary pools and commercial management platforms, including N2Tankers (Aframax Pool), Hanseatic Unity (Container Pool), and Dry Dot (Handymax Pool).
In addition to its core operations, Reederei Nord provides third-party investors with opportunities in the maritime sector through its dedicated investment arm, OOI. The Group maintains strategic offices in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Limassol, and Singapore, ensuring global reach and operational efficiency.
Mr. Oldendorff holds academic credentials from Cass Business School in London and EBS Oestrich-Winkel in Germany.

Minister Marina Hadjimanolis
Shipping Deputy Minister to the President
Republic of Cyprus

Marina Hadjimanolis was born in Famagusta. After the Turkish invasion of 1974, , she settled in Limassol with her family.

She is a graduate of Lanitio Lyceum B, Limassol.

She studied Law at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, where she was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons).

She was awarded the title Barrister at Law from the Inns of Court School of Law in London, as a member of Lincolns Inn, in England.

She is a member of the Cyprus Bar Association and the Limassol Bar Association. She practiced the law profession for many years, in a law firm, as well as in companies as a legal advisor.

She has been an elected Municipal Councillor in Limassol Municipality from 2016 until 2023. She actively participated in numerous committees of the Municipality and she was a member of the Board of Directors of the Sewerage Board of Limassol.

She was a founding member of the Youth Chamber of Commerce of Limassol, President of the Parents’ Association in Primary Education, Member of the Federation of Parents’ Associations and Guardians of Primary Schools of the city and District of Limassol and she is an active member of public and private charities of the city. She has received honorary awards for her social and charity work.

Her political activity began from her school years as an active member of the Student Movement (MAKI) of NEDISY Limassol, then in Protoporia of England and then in NEDISY and the Democratic Rally.

With her own contribution, a Blockchain application was implemented for the Municipality of Limassol for the first time, for the electronic issuance and authentication of documents of the Municipality, allowing the residents of Limassol to receive quality service in a digital environment.

Since 2021, she has been the first female honorary member of Europa Uomo Cyprus, where she pioneered in the campaign to raise awareness and prevent prostate cancer.

During the 2023 presidential election campaign, she held the position of Director of the Political Office of the President-elect of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides.

On March 1st 2023, she was appointed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, as Shipping Deputy Minister to the President.

In November 2024, she was awarded the Maritime Person of the Year Award of the International Propeller Club of the United States. Ms. Hadjimanoli is the first Cypriot to receive this prestigious award, which has been presented annually since 1984, in recognition of her contribution to the global maritime industry.

She is the mother of three children, Harry, Melanie and Christina.

Dr Chris Bonett was elected in Parliament in March 2022 from the fourth district and was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds. He is currently serving the role of Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public works.

In 2007, he graduated with a Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Malta and in 2014 he graduated with a Master of Law degree in Sports Law from De Montfort University in Leicester.

Minister Chris Bonett served as Vice President and Head of Legal and Football Governance Department of the Malta Football Association (MFA). He also served as UEFA Integrity Officer and as a member of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.

Dr Bonett served as Mayor of Gzira between 2007 and 2012 where he led various significant projects within this locality such as the opening of a Community Centre, the Gzira Public Library, the artificial turf training pitch for Gzira United Football Club, the embellishment of the Council of Europe Gardens, and other infrastructural projects.

He is married to Dr Maxilene Bonett, and they have two children, Matteo and Luca.

Biography not available.

President
Safe Bulkers, Inc.

Dr. Loukas Barmparis is our President and Secretary and has been a member of our board of directors since 2008. Dr. Barmparis also serves as the technical manager of our Manager, which he joined in February 2006. Until 2009 he was the project development manager of the affiliated Alasia Development S.A., responsible for renewable energy projects. Prior to joining our Manager and Alasia Development S.A., from 1999 to 2005 and from 1993 to 1995, Dr. Barmparis was employed at N. Daskalantonakis Group, Grecotel, one of the largest hotel chains in Greece, as technical manager and project development general manager. 

During the interim period between 1995 and 1999, Dr. Barmparis was employed at Exergia S.A. as an energy consultant. Dr. Barmparis holds a master of business administration (“MBA”) from the Athens Laboratory of Business Administration, a doctorate from the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, a master of applied science from the University of Toronto and a diploma in mechanical engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Mr. Polys Hajioannou
Chief Executive Office
Safe Bulkers, Inc.

Polys V. Hajioannou is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Safe Bulkers Inc, since 2008.

Mr. Hajioannou also serves with Safe Bulkers Management Ltd. in Cyprus, which provides technical, commercial and administrative management services to the Company, and prior to that, with its predecessor Alassia Steamship Co., Ltd., which he joined in 1987.

Mr. Hajioannou is a founding member and the President of the Cyprus Union of Shipowners (CUS).

He is also a founding member and the President of the International Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Limassol.

Previously, Mr. Hajioannou sat on the Members Committee (MEMCO) of the UK P&I Club from 2013 until the end of his term in 2025. He has been sitting on the Members Committee (MEMCO) of the Hellenic Mutual War Risks Association since 2016. He is also a board member of the UK Freight Demurrage and Defence Insurance (Europe) Limited (UKDE) since 2021.

On the local level, Mr. Hajioannou is an elected member of the Advisory Committee on Competitiveness and Quality Enhancement of the Cyprus Flag.

Mr. Hajioannou is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) Greek Branch.

Mr. Hajioannou holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nautical Studies from Sunderland University.

Mr. Robert Bugbee
Director & President
Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Robert Bugbee has served as a Director and President since the closing of our initial public offering in April 2010. He has more than 36 years of experience in the shipping industry. Mr. Bugbee also co-founded and served as President and Director of Eneti Inc. from 2013 to 2022. He also served as President and director of Hermitage Offshore Services Ltd. between 2018 and 2021. He joined Scorpio in March 2009 and has continued to serve there in a senior management position. Prior to joining Scorpio, Mr. Bugbee was a partner at Ospraie Management LLP between 2007 and 2008, a company that advises and invests in commodities and basic industries. From 1995 to 2007, he was employed at OMI Corporation, or OMI, an NYSE-listed tanker company that was sold in 2007. While at OMI, Mr. Bugbee served as President from January 2002 until the sale of the company, and before that served as Executive Vice President since January 2001, Chief Operating Officer since March 2000, and Senior Vice President from August 1995 to June 1998. Mr. Bugbee joined OMI in February 1995. Prior to this, he was employed by Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation since 1984. During this time, Mr. Bugbee took a two-year sabbatical beginning in 1987 for the M.I.B. Program at the Norwegian School for Economics and Business Administration in Bergen. He has a B.A. (Honors) from London University.

Ms CHAO Sih Ming Sabrina, BBS, JP

Ms. Sabrina Chao BBS, JP is the Founder and Chairman of SeaKapital Limited and the Chairman of Charterhouse School (Asia) Limited. She graduated from the Imperial College London in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics with Management. Between 2002 to 2018, Ms. Chao ran the family business and developed Wah Kwong Group into one of the best in class shipowner globally.
Ms. Chao is a leader in the global maritime industry with influential power in Hong Kong, Asia and theinternational shipping arena. She was the President of BIMCO from May 2021 to May 2023, the largest shipping organization in the world. She was the past Chairman of Asian Shipowners’ Association and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. She was the former member of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board under the Transport and Housing Bureau of the HKSAR Government.
Ms. Chao is very passionate in promoting the maritime industry to the next generations. She is presently the Chairman of External Advisory Group of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies in Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In November 2022, Ms. Chao is appointed as a member of the Vocational Training Council. Ms. Chao recently stepped down as the Chairman of Maritime Services Training Board under Vocational Training Council. She is also a general committee member of The Sailors and Mission to Seafarers Hong Kong since 2019. With her great contributions in the maritime industry, she was named Honorary President by the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) since 2009 and the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Commodore in 2018.

In addition to above, Ms. Chao is Honorary Consul of Norwegian Honorary Consulate in Hong Kong; a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Jiangsu Province; a member of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK); a member of the Council of Lingnan University; Young Global Leaders 2014 awarded by the World Economic Forum; Executive Vice Chairman of Federation of Jiangsu Community Organization; Permanent Chairman of Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu Youth. In May 2023, Ms. Chao is appointed by The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a member of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development.
Furthermore, in 2022 she is awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star and in October 2020,
she is appointed as a Justice of Peace by The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People’s Republic of China.

Stavros Gyftakis
Chief Financial Officer – Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp.
Chief Financial Officer & Director – United Maritime Corporation

Mr. Stavros Gyftakis is the Chief Financial Officer of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp., an international shipping company publicly listed in the NASDAQ Capital markets (NASDAQ: SHIP) and specializing in the Capesize dry bulk sector.

Stavros has more than 15 years of experience in senior positions in the shipping finance industry. He joined Seanergy in October 2017 as the Company’ s Finance Director and was appointed CFO in October 2018. Through his time with Seanergy, Stavros has been instrumental in the Company’ s capital raising, restructuring, debt financing and refinancing activities. Prior to joining Seanergy, he was a Senior Vice President at DVB Bank SE Greek shipping finance desk with an active role in the origination, structuring and restructuring of numerous shipping finance transactions. He holds a BSc in Mathematics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a MSc in Business Mathematics awarded with Honors, from the Athens University of Economics and Business and a MSc in Shipping, Trade and Finance, awarded with Distinction, from Bayes Business School (formerly known as Cass Business School) of City University in London.

Mr. Stamatis Tsantanis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp.(NASDAQ: SHIP)
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – United Maritime Corporation (NASDAQ: USEA)

Stamatis Tsantanis is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (the “Company” or “Seanergy”) (NASDAQ: SHIP). He has more than 27 years of experience in shipping and finance and has previously held senior management positions in prominent private and public shipping companies and financial institutions. He joined the Company in 2012 and has led its significant growth into a world-renowned pure-play Capesize company listed in the U.S., with a cargo-carrying capacity exceeding 3.6 million dwt.

Stamatis is also the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of United Maritime Corporation (NASDAQ: USEA), an independent, diversified, publicly listed dry bulk shipping company that was initially established as a subsidiary of Seanergy. The group’s fleet exceeds 4.2 million dwt of cargo-carrying capacity.

Stamatis is also a member of the board of directors of Breakwave Advisors LLC, the advisor to ETFMG, which manages the NYSE-listed BDRY and BSEA. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Stamatis holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Shipping, Trade and Finance from Bayes Business School (formerly known as Cass Business School), City University of London, and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Shipping Economics from the University of Piraeus.

Bing Chen
Chairman, President and CEO
Seaspan Corporation

With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years across Asia, Europe, and North America, Mr. Chen has held C-suite positions in multiple industries. His experience encompasses all stages of business development, from startup ventures to enhancing franchise market leadership, to complex corporate restructurings.

Prior to joining Seaspan, Mr. Chen served as Chief Executive Officer of a leading European investment bank’s China operations, where he spearheaded the institution’s growth strategy in the region. As General Manager for a Swiss-based top global commodity trading institution, Mr. Chen led the rapid growth of its domestic and international trading operations.

Mr. Chen’s diverse background includes serving as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for industrial leasing and aviation businesses across East and West European countries, as well as holding strategic leadership roles at prominent financial institutions in North America.

Mr. Chen is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and received a B.S. (Magna Cum Laude and Honors) in Accountancy from Bernard Baruch College and an MBA (Honors) from Columbia Business School.

Executive Vice President Shipping and Maritime
Shell plc

Karrie has a diverse career of over 30 years in the shipping industry. She was appointed Executive Vice President of Shipping and Maritime in June 2025 after serving as Senior Vice President of that same business. Since August 2021, Karrie has been responsible for Shell’s international shipping and maritime activities, including ships, barges, drilling units, floating production facilities and related operations. Her work spans Shell’s entire business across upstream, integrated gas, downstream and renewables, and trading and supply. She is a leading spokesperson on safety and the environment, improving the efficiency of shipping and maritime operations, and driving technology and innovation, including digitalisation and decarbonisation. She is also a passionate advocate and champion of DEI and creating an integrated culture of inclusion in Shell, and beyond.

Karrie joined Shell Shipping & Maritime in 2012, initially as a project manager, followed by GM of their Global Technology and Innovation Group and then GM with responsibility for the Americas Region.
Karrie began her career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy, serving as one of the first group of women assigned in combat ships. After completing her naval service, she joined Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans as the Engineering Manager for R&D, beginning a career in ship design and construction and ultimately had responsibility for running a shipyard, delivering for the US Navy Zumwalt class destroyers.
Karrie is Vice President of the UK Chamber of Shipping, an Excom member of OCIMF, and on the Marine Board of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. She is the Chair of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, an Advisory Council Member of American Bureau of Shipping, and an Advisory Board Member of Lloyds Register of Shipping. She is a former Director of the Greater Houston Port Bureau, SIGTTO, and the UKP&I Club.

Born in the US, Karrie holds Bachelors and Masters engineering degrees from MIT, and an MBA from  Georgetown University. She is living in London with her wife Angela and can often be found hiking,  exploring, or on her road bike.

Ms Tan Beng Tee is the Executive Director of Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and Senior Advisor at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

She holds a degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and a Diploma in Shipping from the Norad Fellowship in Oslo, Norway.

Ms Tan was previously Director (Corporate Group) in International Enterprise Singapore.

In 2008, Ms Tan received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lloyd’s List Asia Awards for her work in the development of Singapore as an IMC. She was also awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997 for her contributions to the development of the transport and logistics industry in Singapore. In August 2012, she attained the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Bar) in recognition of her continued efforts and contribution in developing Singapore as an IMC.

Mr. TS Teo
President
Singapore Shipping Association
Advisor
Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd.

Mr TS Teo is the President of the Singapore Shipping Association, a position he has held since 2025. Prior to his election as President, he served as the Chair of the SSA Digitalisation Committee, which champions for the adoption of technology and digital solutions within the maritime sector in Singapore.

Mr Teo is also an Advisor for Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd (PIL). Prior to this, he headed the information technology, planning, and budgeting functions in PIL as its Executive Director and has over 20 years of experience in the maritime digitalisation sector.

Hamish Norton
President
Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

Hamish Norton is President of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Until Dec. 31, 2012, he was Managing Director and Global Head of the Maritime group at Jefferies & Company Inc. He is known for creating Nordic American Tanker Shipping and Knightsbridge Tankers, the first two high dividend yield shipping companies. He advised Arlington Tankers in the merger with General Maritime and has been an advisor to U.S. Shipping Partners. He also advised New Mountain Capital on its investment in Intermarine. In the 1990s, he advised Frontline on the acquisition of London and Overseas Freighters and arranged the sale of Pacific Basin Bulk Shipping. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2007, Mr. Norton ran the shipping practice at Bear Stearns since 2000. 

From 1984-1999 he worked at Lazard Freres & Co., from 1995 onward as general partner and head of shipping.
In addition to his role at Star Bulk, he is also an executive of Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and is Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development of Oceanbulk’s joint ventures with Oaktree Distress Opportunities Funds and with Monarch Alternative Capital. Mr. Norton is a director of Neptune Lines and the Safariland Group. Mr. Norton received an AB in Physics from Harvard and a Ph. D. in Physics from University of Chicago.

Ms. Charis Plakantonaki
CSO
Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: SBLK)

Charis Plakantonaki is Chief Strategy Officer of Star Bulk Carriers Corp., the largest U.S.-listed dry bulk shipping company. Since joining Star Bulk in 2015, she has overseen strategic planning, human resources, information technology, ESG, and public affairs, helping establish the company as a global leader in sustainable dry bulk shipping. Before Star Bulk, Charis spent seven years at Thenamaris (Ships Management), with responsibility for strategy, planning, and corporate communications. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Boston Consulting Group on strategy projects across diverse industries and geographies, at Diageo’s Centre of Excellence, and with the Organizing Committee of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games. Charis holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BSc in International Economics and Politics from the University of Macedonia, where she graduated valedictorian, and has completed the “Leadership for the 21st Century” program at Harvard Kennedy School. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Liberian Shipowners’ Council, the Governance Committee of the Maritime Emissions Reduction Center, and the Advisory Board of the Poseidon Principles. Since 2011, she has been a Trustee of Anatolia College, her alma mater, where she chairs the Long-Range Planning Committee.

Mr. Petros Pappas
CEO & Director
Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: SBLK)

Mr. Petros Pappas is the CEO of Star Bulk Carriers Corp since 2014 and a member of the company’s board of directors. Between 2007 and 2014 he served as the non-executive Chairman of Starbulk’s Board. In the maritime business since 1978, he has founded a number of ship management companies that deal in the dry, tanker and container sectors having been involved in several hundreds of acquisitions and disposals.  Mr. Pappas serves on the Board of Directors of the UK Defense Club and is a member of the Union of Greek Ship Owners. Mr. Pappas received his B.A. in Economics and his MBA from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Founder, CEO and Executive Director of Taylor Maritime Limited
CEO of Grindrod Shipping 

Edward Buttery joined the supramax trading desk at Clarksons shipbrokers in 2005 after attending Oxford University. He went on to be a chartering manager at Pacific Basin between 2006 and 2008. He served as the Deputy COO of dry bulk shipping operator Asia Maritime Pacific from 2008 to 2010. During this time he sat the Institute of Chartered Ship broker’s examinations for which he was awarded prizes including the President’s prize for best overall results globally. Having gained a foundation in chartering he embarked on a Masters degree in Shipping, Trade and Finance at Cass Business School (now Bayes Business School) in London where he graduated with Merit. From there he joined the shipping team at Nordea Bank, lending senior debt to global shipping companies with a presence in Asia. He left Nordea to begin the work to set up what would become Taylor Maritime. Mr Buttery was winner of the Seatrade Asia Young Person of the Year award in 2017.

Mr Buttery was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Grindrod with effect from 1 April 2023

Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Representing the Third Generation of a 100-plus years old family shipping enterprise, Mr. Koo joined the family business “Tai Chong Cheang Steamship Co. (H.K.) Limited” in 1983 after he graduated from the University of San Diego.

Throughout his near 40 years’ career in the shipping industry, Mr. Koo has focused much of his efforts in establishing a strong and reputable fleet management foundation for TCC which included innovative approaches to safety and technical management as well as in the areas of manning and training of seafarers. He has also worked extensively with Chinese and Korean shipyards developing and constructing pioneering proto-type merchant vessels. These technical exploits have earned him a well respected and reputable standing in the shipping industry.  He took over the reins of the TCC Group in 2005 which had recently celebrated its Centenary in 2017.

Mr. Koo has also worked tirelessly in developing a leadership role in the maritime industry.     His work included leading a working group in the HK Shipowners Association developing the first ever set of guidelines for the selection and application of ballast tank coatings in 1994, forming a working group of 12 Mainland China maritime education training institutes to develop unified minimum standards of seafarers training in 1999, developing a proto-type “Yangtzemax” capesize bulk carrier with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard in 2000 and in 2010, established a research and development program with the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering to develop complete combustion efficiency in marine diesel engines in order to address the pressing environmental issues of greenhouse gas emissions from ships. Finally, through his positions as past Chairman of the HK Shipowners Association and Vice Chairmanship of INTERTANKO, Mr. Koo continues to champion a stronger Asian voice in the maritime industry.

Kenneth Hvid
DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
TEEKAY

Kenneth Hvid has served as Teekay’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 2017 and joined the board of directors of Teekay Corporation Ltd. in 2019. He has served as a director of Teekay Tankers Ltd. since 2017, and was appointed as its Chair in 2019 and as its President and Chief Executive Officer in August 2024. He also served as a director of Teekay GP L.L.C., the general partner of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (now known as Seapeak LLC), from September 2018 to January 2022 and from 2011 to 2015, and served as its Chair from May 2019 until January 2022. Mr. Hvid joined Teekay Corporation Ltd. in 2000 and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Teekay Gas Services, in 2004 and to President of the Teekay Navion Shuttle Tankers and Offshore division in 2006. He served as Teekay Corporation Ltd.’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President from 2011 to 2015. He also served as a director of Altera Infrastructure GP L.L.C. (formerly known as Teekay Offshore GP L.L.C.) from 2011 to June 2020, and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Teekay Offshore Group Ltd. from 2015 to 2016. Mr. Hvid has 30 years of global shipping experience, 12 of which were spent with A.P. Moller in Copenhagen, San Francisco and Hong Kong. In 2007, Mr. Hvid joined the board of Gard P. & I. (Bermuda) Ltd.

Dr. Nikolas P. Tsakos
Founder & CEO – TEN LTD. (NYSE: TEN)
Chairman – INTERTANKO (2014-2018)

Nikolas P. Tsakos is the Founder & CEO of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), a pioneering shipping company established in 1993, quoted on the New York Stock Exchange. He comes from a traditional Chios seafaring family and has extensive seagoing experience. Mr Tsakos is Vice-Chairman of the GSCC, London, former Chairman of INTERTANKO (2014 to 2018) and former President of the environmental organization, “HELMEPA”. He sits on the boards of various maritime and finance organizations/associations. He is the co-founder of the Maria Tsakos Educational Foundation, which supports the higher education of young people, both in their native island Chios and abroad. He graduated from Columbia University in New York with a degree in Economics and Political Science and has a Master’s degree in Shipping, Trade and Finance from City University Business School, London. In 2011, City University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his pioneering work in the equity financial markets relating to shipping companies. He is married and has three children.

Mr. George Economou
Founder
TMS Group

George Economou has over 50 years of experience in the global shipping industry. He is a self-made entrepreneur, having grown his company to rank among the top three privately owned shipping companies in Greek shipping, and among the largest privately owned shipping groups globally.
He started his own company with an initial capital $400,000 back in 1986, after having held management role in other shipping companies for 10 years. Since 1986 he has been investing privately and managed numerous vessels and newbuilding projects in several sectors. Companies of his interests currently own more than 170 vessels, inclusive of newbuildings in oil tankers, LNG’s, LPG’s and bulk carriers.

Grahaeme Henderson OBE

Chair of ‘Together in Safety’, a non-regulatory industry consortium working together to improve shipping’s safety performance

Experience
2021 – Present: Chair – Together in Safety
2011 – Present: Board Member – ITOPF
2011 – Present: Supervisory Board – UK Chamber of Shipping
2016 – 2018: President – UK Chamber of Shipping
2011 – Present: Committee Member – UK P&I
2020 – Present: Vice President – The Mission to Seafarers
2011 – 2021: Global Head of Shipping & Maritime – Shell

Mr. Jacob Meldgaard
Chief Executive Officer
TORM plc

Mr. Jacob Meldgaard has been the Chief Executive Officer of TORM since 1 April 2010. 
Mr. Meldgaard has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in International Trade from Copenhagen Business School and has completed a management program at INSEAD in France. He also has different advanced management program, one from Wharton Business School, Philadelphia in 2006 and one from Harvard Business School, Boston in 2009.
Prior to his appointment as CEO of TORM, Mr. Meldgaard was Executive Vice President in Norden A/S until September 2008. Before this, he was Senior Vice President and Head of Dry Cargo Department from 2004 to 2008 and served as General Manager from January 2002 in Norden A/S. He joined Norden in 1997 after he served at J. Lauritzen A/S for two years. He started his career in shipping at A.P. Moller in 1990, where he received his shipping training.

Mr. Ernst Meyer
President & CEO
Torvald Klaveness

Ernst Meyer has been with the Klaveness Group since 2019 starting in the role of Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director for Klaveness Ship Management. In January 2022, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Torvald Klaveness. Prior to joining Klaveness, Meyer worked 20 years for Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in various executive positions. He holds a Master of Sciences in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Mr. Joshua Volz
Special Envoy for Global Energy Integration
U.S. Department of Energy

Joshua Volz is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Europe, Eurasia, Africa and the Middle East in the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. Volz was previously Director for the Office of European and Eurasian Affairs in the Department’s Office of International Affairs. Prior to joining the agency, Mr. Volz led the Eastern Mediterranean team at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and held numerous positions within the U.S. Department of Defense. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Syria.

Mr. Volz holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Kalamazoo College, an M.S. in National Security Strategy and Resourcing from the National Defense University, and lectures at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

Marco Sylvester

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary, Transportation Affairs (TRA)

U.S. Department of State

Marco Sylvester is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs (TRA) at the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he served as Senior Policy Advisor at Venable LLP, where he advised clients across the transportation industry including airlines and emerging transportation technology companies.

Prior to Venable, he served as Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He also served as a Legislative Assistant to Congressman Robert Pittenger (R-NC), where he handled the transportation and foreign affairs portfolio. As part of his portfolio Sylvester organized three Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forums, which brought together members of parliament from dozens of countries to discuss pressing financial security issues.

Originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, Sylvester holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Sylvester is fluent in Spanish

Mr. René Kofod-Olsen
Group CEO
V. Group

René has a wealth of experience gained from almost three decades in the global shipping industry.  

In 2012, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Topaz Energy & Marine, a position he held until the company’s successful divestment in 2019. He stepped down after completing the integration process in 2020, having successfully navigated the business through an unprecedented oil & gas environment, while transforming the company into a global leader.  

Earlier in his career he worked for the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group where he held a variety of executive positions in numerous countries including Chief Executive Officer of SVITZER, Asia, Middle East and Africa. 

René graduated from the University of Southern Denmark, and holds an Advanced Management Program Diploma from Harvard Business School.  

René sits on the Board of BW Offshore as an independent Non-Executive Board Director, independent of the company’s management. 

Hing Chao
Chairman
Wah Kwong Maritime Transport
Co-Founder & Chairman
Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping

Hing Chao is the Chairman of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, Chairman of the China Sub-committee of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) and an Executive Committee member of HKSOA, Chairman of RINA’s Asia Decarbonisation Committee, a trustee of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum and Chairman of the Port Welfare Committee. Hing is also the founder and convener of the Greater Bay Maritime Forum, and the leader of the Greater Bay Area Task Force under the HKSOA China Sub-committee. After graduating from Durham University in 2000, Hing started to gain experience and develop a broad understanding of the maritime industry while working in a number of shipping companies. Hing joined the board of Wah Kwong in 2015 having occupied various positions in the company across the real estate and shipping sectors, and having established a successful career across shipping, culture and heritage. Hing was appointed as Executive Chairman of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings in 2019.

Lasse Kristoffersen
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Wallenius Wilhelmsen

Lasse Kristoffersen (born September 8th 1972) started as President and CEO in Wallenius Wilhelmsen on June 1st, 2022.
Prior to Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Kristoffersen worked in Torvald Klaveness for 15 years – the last 11 years as President and CEO. Kristoffersen was the first company CEO from outside the Klaveness family.

Kristoffersen has been very visible in the maritime industry over the recent years and a frequent speaker at various high-level conferences and seminars.

He was the President of the Norwegian Shipowners Association from 2018 to 2020 and played a major role in developing their new positions and strategies on Decarbonization and Digitization.

Martin Tony Chen
Area Business Development Director
DNV Maritime Hong Kong and Taiwan

Martin Tony Chen has served over 18 years in the classification industry spanning from current 3+ years as Area Business Development Director for DNV Maritime HKG and Taiwan. Prior to that, he worked as South East Asia Regional Business Development Director for CCS for over 6 years and 8+ years with class Germanischer Lloyd.
Throughout a career spanning over 30 years in the maritime industry, Mr. Chen’s experiences comprises management and commercial roles throughout Asia (West and East Asia). As Director for Transma and Shipcare Ship Services, was responsible for commercial deals between repair yards worldwide and Greater China Shipowners. As manager for Wallem Ship Investment, was responsible for financial investment of small bulk carriers owned by Wallem.

During 55 years of investment banking and private equity activity, restructured over $400 billion of assets in the airline, apparel, auto parts, banking, beer, chemical, credit card, electric utility, food service, furniture, gypsum, homebuilding, insurance, marine transport, mortgage origination and servicing, oil and gas, railcar manufacturing and leasing, real estate, restaurants, shipyards, steel, textiles and trucking industries, serving as a Chairman or lead director of more than 100 companies operating in more than 20 different countries. Currently, Chairman of WL Ross & Co. LLC and an economic advisor to the Trump campaign.

Awards include the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver Star from Japan and a medal from Republic of Korea for helping turn around that economy. Served as Honorary Economic Ambassador of Republic of Korea to the Seoul APEC meeting. Served on the International Advisory Board for the Mayor of Seoul, the U.S. Russia Investment Fund and on the U.S. textile and apparel trade mission to China. Currently on the International Board of the British American Board and designated Entrepreneur of the Year by BAB and also by the American Ireland Fund. Named by Bloomberg Markets as one of the 50 most influential people in global finance. Formerly, Privatization advisor to Mayor Giuliani and Member of the Joint Legislative Commission on an Energy Policy for New York State. Currently, Executive Committee Member of the Partnership for New York City. Only person ever elected to both the Private Equity Hall of Fame and the Turnaround Management Hall of Fame. Currently Chairman of the Palm Beach Retirement System and Vice Chairman of its Utility Undergrounding Task Force. Former Member of the Yorktown Bicentennial Commission. Testified before Congressional Committees on trade matters and other commercial topics.

Editorials have been published in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Detroit Free Press, The Youngstown Blade, The Palm Beach Daily News and other publications and on CNBC.com.

I have been a registered investment advisor and a Chartered Financial Analyst and have been approved as a major shareholder and board member of bank and insurance companies in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bermuda, Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as by Lloyd’s of London.

Present nonprofit responsibilities include Chairman of the Japan Society, Trustee of the Brookings Institution and Chairman of its Economic Studies Council, The International Board of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Blenheim Foundation, the Magritte Museum in Brussels and Palm Beach Civic Association. Current Advisory Board Member of Yale University School of Management, former member of Harvard Business School Dean’s Advisory Board, the Yale University Council and former Trustee of Sarah Lawrence College. Formerly the Chairman of the Smithsonian Institute National Board, Chairman of the National Museum of American Art and trustee of the Whitney Museum and other art institutions. Awarded Bachelor of Arts degree by Yale and MBA with Distinction by Harvard.