Speakers
Amongst the Speakers for 2024
He is actively engaged in the continued consolidation of Malta’s standing at various bilateral and multilateral levels, forging successful relationships with other countries and with multilateral organisations. Minister Borg chaired the UN Security Council in February 2023 and April 2024. He is also the 2024 Chair-in-Office of the OSCE.
A young and dynamic leader, Minister Borg was included in the “Top 40 Under 40” by the European Voice in 2017, and the 2013 Forbes list of 30 under 30 policy makers.
A lawyer by profession, he also served as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects (2013-2017), as Parliamentary Secretary for the 2017 EU Presidency and EU Funds (2013-2017) and as mayor of his hometown Dingli (2005-2013).
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.
On a national side, after been elected in the Chamber of Deputies from February to June 2010, Edoardo Rixi rose to political prominence in 2018 when he was appointed as Undersecretary of State, and later Deputy Minister, in the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. After leaving the governmental office in 2019, in 2022 he returned to hold the former position of Deputy Minister of Infrastructure in the Government led by Giorgia Meloni.
Commerce with “summa cum laude” in December 1980. He is married and has 2 sons and 1 daughter.
In 2018 he was awarded as Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland.
After his studies he immediately started working at the Grimaldi Group’s companies, founded by his father Guido and uncles in the late 40’s. Throughout his professional career, he has covered various
top managerial positions, both in Italy and abroad.
Within the Group’s organigram, Emanuele Grimaldi has gradually taken the helm of the Euro-Mediterranean short sea services and motorways of the sea network, thus heavily contributing to
their remarkable development over the last 20 years.
Emanuele Grimaldi is currently President & Managing Director of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, Managing Director of Grimaldi Group SpA and Board Member of Grimaldi Deepsea SpA, Chairman of Finnlines
Plc, President of Minoan Lines and Malta Motorways of the Sea and Board Member of ACL. He is also Chairman of ICS (International Chamber of Shipping) Past President of Confitarma (Italian
Shipowners’ Association) as well as Board Member and Past President of ECSA (European Community Shipowners’ Associations), Board Member of Interferry Inc. and Board Member of Rina
SpA.
Currently based in London, Aakash serves as the Regional Business Development Director. In this role, he actively supports the sales organization and collaborates with clients to navigate challenges and drive innovative solutions within the maritime industry.
Prof Vella chairs the University of Malta Maritime Platform which aims at strengthening all previous efforts to line-up diverse measures useful for progress in marine conservation and maritime industry sustainability. This University Maritime Platform has a diverse membership of numerous experts in marine and maritimeresearch, technology, monitoring, informatics, assessment for mitigation and strategy planning targeting various needs, including the Blue economy, EU Green Deal and Marine Strategy Framework Directive’s Good Environmental Status. This platform is organising an international conference on marine and maritime innovations in research and applications between the 7 th and 9 th of May 2025. An event aimed at sharing latest advancements and cultivating dialogue toward best scientific, environmental and socio-economic targets.
Author of articles and essays on national and international scientific and specialized journals. Lecturer in training courses and masters. Member and Director of the International Propeller Club of Naples, member of GEI (Group of Business Economists). Member of the Scientific Committee of the Association for Sustainable Logistics (SOSLOG) and IRGIT (Research Institute on the Geography of Territorial Innovation) which is part of the University Federico II of Naples.
Speaker at numerous national and international conferences, seminars and meetings on the topics of ports, logistics, maritime transport, intermodal and shipping. From February 2019 he is also coordinator of the new Observatory on Energy in the Mediterranean of SRM. Since 2017 he has been included as an expert in the Desk SEZ-Special Economic Zones of Intesa Sanpaolo that follows and monitors the evolution of these areas in the country
Professor Merikas has been recognized for his significant contributions to both academia and the maritime industry. Notably, he received the prestigious Lloyd’s Award for Achievement in Education & Training in 2011. He has served as a Guest Editor for a special issue on Maritime Financial Management for the Journal of Transportation Research Part E and was honored with a Highly Commended Award for his research on stock market reactions, published in the Journal of Risk Finance.
Throughout his career, he has combined his academic prowess with hands-on industry experience. Since 2014, he has been the Managing Director of GMS Hellas, Athens, part of the GMS Shipping Corporate Group. Previously, he held key roles in prominent financial institutions such as the National Bank of Greece's Shipping Division and First Business Bank S.A., where he managed a shipping portfolio of $700 million.
As a professional consultant, Professor Merikas has provided expertise in areas such as maritime financial management, corporate finance, IPOs, risk management, and asset management. His academic career includes over two decades of teaching, with positions at the University of Piraeus, Mississippi State University, and the University of Oklahoma. Since 2004, he has been a Professor of Finance at the University of Piraeus, where he continues to mentor the next generation of finance professionals.
Since inception in 2004 as the first ever digital only publication in Italy in the field (producing daily articles, newsletters and an illustrated weekly magazine, with news both in Italian and English) Ship2Shore (S2S) is the main national reference source of classified information for the sector, dealing with all modes of transport and activities related to the mobility of freight and passengers.
With an academic background too, Angelo Scorza has also a long-standing track as organiser and moderator of conferences, workshops, events gathering hundreds of operators; he has made several appearances on TV and in webinars as an acknowledged specialised opinion leader and influencer.
Throughout the years he has been actively involved and has constructively contributed in all spheres of shipping, ranging from safety and security, protection of the marine environment, legal and administrative issues. He has served as Chairman of the Design and Equipment Subcommittee of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) (UN Agency) and for the decade 2003-2013 has served as Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), one of the main Committees of IMO. Beyond his work with the IMO he has worked with other UN agencies such as the International Mobile Satellite Organization where he was elected Chairman of its Assembly twice consecutively. Furthermore, he served as member of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University (WMU) and he is one of the Past Presidents of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMAREST).
During his carrier hold a number of Diplomatic and Executive positions such as been the Director of the maritime Authority of Cyprus and Act. Secretary General of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – Europe. Since May 2018, Mr. Chrysostomou holds the position of Chief Strategy officer at Tototheo Maritime and in 2019 was also appointed as CEO of Marinefields Holding Ltd and in 2021 was also appointed Executive Director of the Clean Shipping Alliance.
Finally, Andreas Chrysostomou has been awarded in 2011 the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Shipping. In November 2011 he has also been presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award by the United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, for his invaluable service to International Shipping and in 2013 the GST Award - Leading Shipping Personality of the Decade 2003 - 2013. Furthermore Mr. Andreas Chrysostomou was awarded The Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Award - “International Personality of the Year” 2015. In 2019 was awarded the Honorary Award of Young Ship Cyprus and in 2020 the Leadership Award of Green4Sea.
He is a chartered Civil and Transport Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens, (M.Eng.) He continued his studies (Μ.Β.Α) at the Nottingham Business School, (UK) and he did his Ph.D. at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge in Modeling and Measuring Quality aspects on transport companies’ performance.
He spends more than twenty-five years at the industry realm and in all levels of managerial positions –from plant supervisor to CEO and Chairman of the BoD- at the professional arena in Greece and abroad.
He has extensive experience on managing and consulting profit and non-for-profit corporations and projects and advising governmental agencies (Ministries and Governments) in Quality, Human Resource and quality issues, Business Process re-engineering, innovative methods of managing people, marketing orientation and optimal sizing etc.
He has published extensively in many outlets, identified as among the top 2% more influential scientists in the field of Transport from Stanford University/ Elsevier on 2023 while his work has been awarded and recognized many times from top Academic Editors like Elsevier, Springer and Emerald as well as Professional Bodies (Lloyds List, Piraeus Chamber of Commerce, Hellenic Shipbrokers Associations etc) for his academic and professional rigor.
She is the head of the marine litigation department at Fenech & Fenech Advocates and past Managing Partner 2008 to 2020. She qualified in 1986 and joined HFW in London. From there she moved to Chaffe McCall Phillips Toler and Sarpy in New Orleans. On joining Fenech & Fenech in 1992, she created the marine litigation department. She has dealt exclusively with maritime issues for the past 37 years. She lectures extensively world wide on maritime law and particularly at the University of Malta and the International Maritime Law Institute. She is the immediate Past President of the Malta Maritime Law Association, founding member of the Malta Maritime Forum and a board member of the European Maritime Law Organisation since 2008. She is co-Chair of the CMI international working group on the Ratification of the Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships and was the CMI Co-Ordinator of the project at UNCITRAL leading to the approval by the Commission of the Draft Convention on the international effects of judicial sales of ships in June 2022 and its adoption by the General Assembly in December 2022. She was heavily involved in the organisation of the 2nd signing ceremony of the Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales held in Malta in June 2024. She has been involved in drafting a number of shipping laws including amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act. The Pilotage Regulations and the articles on actions in rem in the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure.
She has been listed in the Lloyds List Top 100 People – The Shipping Industry’s most influential people in 2022 and 2023
Antonis joined RINA In October 2020 as Technical Director, Marine Greece, after working 27 years in shipping companies
Antonios has extensive experience with the regular and irregular matters involved with the technical operations of a shipping company, as well as with new building projects, sea trials and factory testing of engines. He has studied extensively the challenges and benefits associated with the application of natural gas as fuel.
He has managed government relations campaigns for the oil and gas, nuclear, and other industries. As an accredited expert to the United Nations, he participated in the negotiations of the UN Convention on Climate Change for more than 15 years. Currently, Christophe serves as the CEO of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA).
Dr. Christos Sigalas was also a business executive with more than 20 years of management, finance and accounting working experience in maritime shipping, investment banking, telecommunication, and management consulting industries. He has significant experience in public equity offerings on U.S. capital markets, debt financings, debt restructurings as well shipping investments. For 14 years he had served as Finance Executive at Seanergy Maritime Holding Corp. (Seanergy), a maritime shipping holdings company listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. During his employment at Seanergy he had served as member of the Board of Directors in 44 ship-owning companies, ship-management companies, and shipbroking companies, which were subsidiaries of Seanergy.
Lehtovaara represents ABB in an array of national, EU and global maritime agencies and NGOs. He is ABB delegate to the IMO Green Voyage 2050 Global Industry Alliance, the Chairman of the Board of Waterborne Technology Platform, a major EU research and development forum, and the designated Vice President Digitalization at the Board of CIMAC, the International Council on Combustion Engines. In addition, he acts as the ABB representative in a number of classification societies committees like ABS, DNV and Lloyds Register.
As a Master Mariner, Lehtovaara takes a special interest in ship management and operating technology, including energy efficiency, bridge operations, navigation and autonomous ships.
I was born in Zejtun and for the past 45 years been living at Zabbar.
Although for the past 7 years I have been involved in maritime work, I have been moulded in a financial institution. In 1984 I joined Mid-Med Bank as a clerk and ended up as a Bank Manager with HSBC in 2013.
My first school was St. Francis School at Cospicua, followed by Paola Technical School and New Lyceum Msida. My favourite subjects were always Maltese and European History. In 2004 I graduated in Social Studies.
I consider myself a “doer” and fanatic about time frames. My day commences with getting around the administration offices to discuss issues, problems and progress made.
The main accomplishments I had in my working experience vary from the banking sector to my present position. I was part of the Team that set up the first Financial Contact Centre in Malta. We started with 8 people and ended up with 77 employees. At the Malta Freeport Corporation, I have overseen the rebranding of the Corporation, the introduction of SOP’s, the realization of the Car Park Project, the introduction of Double Glazing schemes for the Birzebbugia community and, most recently, the ambitious OPS Phase 1 project.
My hobbies are reading biographies, gardening, following football especially Liverpool FC and meeting positive people.
As for professional accomplishment, my main focus is to guide the Malta Freeport to be a centre of excellence in the middle of the Mediterranean and a hub of connectivity between continents and peoples.
He eventually moved to the public sector and joined the Malta Maritime Authority in 1998 as Deputy Harbour Master and was later promoted to Harbour Master. In January 2010, Government, through an Act of Parliament, established a new agency responsible for all modes of transport, the Authority for Transport in Malta (Transport Malta). Capt Bugeja was appointed as the first Chief Officer for the Ports and Yachting Directorate within Transport Malta. The Directorate carries out the functions of Port Authority and Harbour Master.
Since May 2023, Capt Bugeja occupies a more strategic role as Chief Officer – Maritime Affairs within the Office of the Chairman & CEO of Transport Malta by providing his input and advice on maritime policy and overseeing several maritime related initiatives.
He is a member of the European Seaports Organisation (ESPO) Executive Committee and General Assembly and was the Chairman of the ESPO Marine Affairs and Security Committee for several years. Capt Bugeja is also the nominated representative for Malta in several European Commission Committees that deal with maritime affairs. He is also Malta’s representative on the EMSA Administrative Board.
Capt Bugeja is also a visiting lecturer at IMLI and at the Sea-EU Universities initiative.
After having obtained a diploma in 2004 at the post graduate Law School M. De André, Genoa, he has spent a trainee period in a London international shipping law firm.
In 2010 he has got a second degree (J.D.) at UCAM – Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia and, in the same year, has been admitted at the Bar of Barcelona (ICAB).
In 2011 Enrico Molisani has been awarded a diploma by the Institute of Maritime Law at the University o Southampton.
Admitted at the Bar of Malta in 2015.
Founding partner of M&C Studio Legale Internazionale in 2008 and, when such firm merged with Riccomagno Lawfirm, co-founder of MR InternationalLawyers (2016). To date Managing Partner at WEGAL Law Firm and Legal and Credit Risk Manager at Rudder SAM.
Wide experience both in domestic and international litigation as well as in advisory work in the matters of insurance, maritime and transport law, logistics with particular concern to shippers and carrier’s liability, cargo loss or damage, average adjustments, air, land and maritime claims, insurance, arrests of ships, liens of cargoes and interim orders in general.
The work is often extended to the connected issues regarding private international law, conflicts of jurisdiction and insolvency law.
The customary clients of Enrico Molisani are cargo and H&M insurers, P&I Clubs, Shipowners, charterers, MTOs, freight forwarders, terminal operators and ship agents.
He deals also with company law issues in the marine and non-marine sector and sits in some supervisory bodies set up in compliance with the Italian Legislative Decree n. 231/2001 disciplining the corporate legal liability.
Between 2055-2008 she worked as Legal Officer at the Ministry of Transport of Albania where she was in charge of drafting national maritime legislation. In August 2008, Ms. Kazara-Belja joined the Institute as an Assistant Lecturer in International Maritime Law. In 2010, Ms. Kazara-Belja was promoted as Lecturer in International Maritime Law. In 2019, she was appointed a Senior Lecturer in International Maritime Law.
She lectures, inter alia, in Law of the Sea, International Trade Law, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Proprietary Interests in Ships, Law of Salvage, General Average, Law of Maritime Safety, Law of Marine Insurance, Enforcement of Maritime Claims and Maritime Legislation Drafting.
She has participated in several international conferences and workshops where she has delivered presentations on issues of law of the sea, shipping law, marine environmental law, and migration at sea. Ms. Kazara-Belja joined the International Maritime Organization’s Roster of Experts in 2012 and the FAO’s Roster of Experts in 2018.
She has published chapters in books and articles in peer reviewed journals.
In addition to her academic position, Ms. Kazara-Belja is also the Head of Administration of the Institute.
It has consolidated and recognized experience in the market. In particular, it has acquired recognized know-how in the shipping sector, in which it has carried out some of the most important operations on the market as an advisor, as an equity investor and in the creation of subordinated financing. He was one of the founders of Venice Shipping and Logistics S.p.A. and is the founder and General Director of VSL Club.
He is a practising lawyer for the last 32 years specialising in private law, civil law, real estate law and tourism law.
He was a Local Councillor at Haz-Zebbug, his hometown in 1993 - 1995.
He was then elected to the Malta House of Representatives in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2021.
In 1996 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Self-Employed and then Minister of Justice in 1998. Post 1998 he served as Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Shadow Minister for the Economy and Shadow Minister for Tourism.
During his tenure as Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) since May 2013, a position he still holds today, Dr Gulia assumed various other positions within MTA including that of Executive Chairman of the MTA from 2018 to 2020.
Dr Gulia is the Honarary President of the St Philip Band Club at his hometown Zebbug, and Honorary President of the Zebbug Rangers Football Club.
profession who acquired a Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta and a warrant to practice in the Maltese Courts. She also read a Masters Degree in European Studies and
Comparative Law.
Dr. Spiteri Lucas started her career with a leading local law firm, advising local and international clients on civil, commercial, corporate, shipping and aviation law. This resulted in representing
various clients in litigation procedures before Tribunals and local courts. Then she moved to the Registry of Companies as Legal Officer and, previously to her appointment as CEO, she used to
Head the Legal and Enforcement Unit of the said entity and oversaw its overall function. She sits as member and representative of the European Region on the executive committee of
the Corporate Registries Forum, which brings together registries from all across the globe. She is also the Chairperson of the CRF’s Beneficial Ownership Working group and the Chairperson of
the National Foreign Direct Investment Screening Office. Dr Spiteri Lucas is also a visiting lecturer and a member of the board of examiners for the Department of Commercial Law at the
University of Malta.
He is a former Director of the New York Chapter of the Federal Bar Association Admiralty Section; past President of the Propeller Club of NY/NJ; a member of the Board of the International Propeller Club; and a Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States; the Connecticut Maritime Association; New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association; Houston Mariner's Club; and the North American Maritime Ministry Association's (NAMMA). In addition, Mr. Chalos has authored numerous scholarly articles, is a contributing member and author for the Shiparrested.com network, an international network of lawyers who specialize in handling ship arrests and attachments around the world, and is regularly called upon to speak at industry events and conferences throughout the world.
Mr. Chalos is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, Eleventh, and District of Columbia Circuits, and the following U.S. Federal District courts: the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the Northern District of New York; the District of Connecticut; the Southern District of Texas; the Eastern District of Texas; the Central District of Illinois; the District of Columbia, the Central District of Utah; and the Northern District of Florida. In addition, he is a member of the Bar of the States of New York, Texas, and Utah, and is admitted to practice law before all trial and appellate courts sitting in the States of New York, Texas, and Utah.
Author of books and articles in various fields of law (e.g. Ship Security Rights, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Law of the Sea, Marine Insurance, Conflict of Laws), invited lecturer at Universities and speaker in international conferences. His published research work in international referred periodicals has received numerous citations from courts and legal theory (Heidelberg Report).
He is holder of an LL.M. degree from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Ph.D. from Aristotle University (Greece).
Master in International Management - ESADE Business School in Barcelona.
Graduate in Senior Management for Companies and Leading Institutions - San Telmo Business School.
Private banking Vice-president serving at Banco Español de Crédito (BANESTO) international area in Miami and New York. In 1996 he joined the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay (APBA) undertaking responsibilities in the strategy, business development, commercial and communication fields. Before being appointed as APBA Chairman in 2019, he has served as Development and Commercial Director, member of the Board of Directors and of the Algeciras Bay Navigation and Port Council.
Representative of the Spanish Port System in the Sea Ports Organization (ESPO)
Governance and Port Management Committee.
MEDPORTS Association Vice-president.
SUNCRUISE Andalucía Association President.
Collaborator Teacher in the Port Administration Master of Cádiz University and in the Intermodal and Port Planning & Administration Master of the Spanish Port Board Port University Campus.
He takes part in international conferences and seminars within the maritime, port and logistics sectors at national and international level.
Sailor, he has 5 world medals and an Italian championship in the 470 master class. For several years he was National Councilor of the Olympic Class 470.
From 2016 to 2019 he was President of the Teatro Stabile di Genova, which during his tenure became the National Theater. Married to Agnese, he is the father of Giovanni and Margherita aged 7 and 5.
Having studied maritime law, with an MBA focused on change management and ethical leadership, Gina has worked with organisations such as the Hartmann Shipowning Group, MSC Cruises, acted as a communications consultant to the United Nations International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and as stakeholder engagement advisor to the Greek Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, of the US State Department led Our Ocean Conference.
Gina has been appointed Seatrade Maritime Club for the UK, Philanthropy Advocate of the National Oceanography Centre, sits on the Board of WISTA UK as Secretary, Co-Chairs the WISTA International Environmental Committee and is the G100 UK Chair for Sustainable Brand Creation. She is also an Lecturer at MLA College.
Furthermore, Gina is a speaker at the largest indsutry conferences, hosts her own podcast, featured among the “Top Maritime Influencers you should follow” by Marine Traffic, made the Seatrade 20under40 list, the “Top 25 Sustainability Champion of the Year” list, AntwerpXL’s 40 under 40 list and shortlisted for the Inspirational Influencer Awards, Global Impact category. She is also a Legal 500, GC Powerlist ranked lawyer and has featured in the Top 100 Women in Shipping list for 5 consecutive years.
He joined the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry (CISR), forerunner to the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI), in March 2003 as a Marine Surveyor. In January 2004 he was promoted to Senior Marine Surveyor and in July 2005 became Deputy Director - Safety, Survey and Inspection, based at the European Regional Headquarters in Southampton, U.K. In May 2006, he became Divisional Director - Safety Survey and Inspection.
Mr. Evans was educated in the United Kingdom and upon leaving secondary education served an engineering apprenticeship. He later joined Cunard Line in 1987 and sailed on their fleet of passenger ships before joining Stena Line UK in 1995 where he sailed on ro-ro passenger vessels as a Senior Marine Engineering and Chief Engineer Officer.
Upon leaving Stena Line in 1997, he took up the position of Engineer Surveyor with Lloyd’s Register of Shipping in the Edinburgh office and later transferred to the Passenger Ship Safety Section. In 2001, he was promoted to Senior Marine Surveyor and worked as a Passenger Ship Safety Specialist, project managing all safety aspects of newly built passenger ships at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone and Marghera Shipyards in Italy.
In 2001, Mr. Evans obtained the status of Chartered Marine Engineer from Liverpool John Moores University.
He is a member of the MACI Executive Management Group, the MACI Management Committee, an ex-officio participant of the Cayman Islands Shipowners’ Advisory Committee and a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.
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 6 bulk carriers. In addition to the above Ioanna supervises all activities of Sea Traders S.A. which currently manages 34 bulk carriers. 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 North of England P&I association 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.
Since December 2023, Mr Sammut was appointed as Head of REMPEC.
Jim Lawrence is a founding Partner, along with Patrick Adamson in London, of the MTI Network, the leading global public relations firm specializing in maritime crisis communications. The MTI Network has offices in 23 countries around the world.
MTI provides a round the clock response team to handle media relations in the event of any marine or transport related incident likely to attract unfavorable attention from the press, television, radio or online services. MTI currently provides crisis cover for over 10,000 vessels from 400 shipping companies, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers, container, passenger ships, ports, terminals and aircraft.
Mr. Lawrence began his career in the maritime industry with Lloyd’s of London Press, managing that company’s North American business from New York City. He is on the Board of the Seamen’s Church Institute in New York. He is a long-standing supporter of the Connecticut Maritime Association, its Conference and Trade show, its intern and job assistance programs and is a Board Member of the CMA Education Foundation. He is married with two daughters and now has four grandchildren.
Mr. Walton formerly served in the Cayman Islands Civil Service, which he joined in 1983. He held several posts, including that of Deputy Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands, which he held for 11 years, until May 2004.
Mr. Walton has held appointments on a number of boards and committees in the Cayman Islands public and private sectors including: Chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Board, Cayman Company Sector Consultative Committee, Cayman Turtle Farm Board and Cayman Brac Economic Development Committee; and Deputy Chairman of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority Board, Cayman Islands Public Service Pensions Board and Cayman Islands Stock Exchange Authority Board.
Mr. Walton has also held other board appointments, including with the Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd., a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, and with the Caribbean Development Bank.
He is currently Chairman of the MACI Executive Management Committee and the Maritime Sector Consultative Committee.
He has served as President and Vice President of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) and has been a member of the Board since 1979. He is Chairman of the UGS Foreign Affairs Committee.
He has been President and Vice President of the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA). He has been a member of the Board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) since 1985, Vice-Chairman from 1989 to 1991 and from 2014 to 2017, as well as Chairman of its Shipping Policy Committee from 2003 to 2014.
John C. Lyras is a founder member and ex Board member of Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA) and is a member of the Greek Committee of the American Bureau of Shipping and of Det Norske Veritas GL Greek National Committee.
He is also a founder member and Executive Committee member of the Malta International Shipowners Association (MISA).
Cutajar advocated strongly for an inclusive twin transition across all transport sectors, with a focus on equipping European workers and entrepreneurs with the skills required for the evolving digital and sustainable economy. Additionally, as the Transport Committee’s negotiator on the Artifical Intelligence Act, she emphasised the importance of ethical development and use of Artificial Intelligence, promoting balanced regulatory frameworks that protect human rights while fostering innovation and competitiveness within the EU. She also worked on several other EU digital legislation, underscoring the importance of improved data collection and cybersecurity, as well as the deployment of AI-driven solutions to boost efficiency and sustainability.
Vella served and contributed to the Maltese democratic process for over four decades.He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 and continued to be re-elected in the elections that followed, for nine consecutive times. During his political career he has been appointed Minister for Public Works, Minister for Industry and Minister for Tourism twice. Karmenu Vella vacated his parliamentary seat in 2014, following his nomination as European Commissioner. During his term in office as European Commissioner responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Vella addressed some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time and thus helped improving the well- being of our citizens and our planet. Under his leadership, the European Union adopted and implemented in full the Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted new rules to reduce single-use plastic products, updated the EU’s waste legislation and stepped up action to improve air quality across Europe and made concrete progress in halting the decline of the EU’s biodiversity.
During his mandate, Karmenu Vella also developed a leading international role for the European Union in the field of ocean governance, promoted the blue economy including through increased investment, and worked to improve the environmental, economic and social sustainability of fisheries in Europe and around the world.
After working in the private sector as an Architect, he joined the Malta Tourism Authority in 2001 where he worked in product development and project implementation. In 2015 he was appointed Director - Product Development, overseeing all projects and initiatives related to Heritage, Coastal Zone Management, Tourism Zone Management and Tourism Development. In 2022, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive with the responsibility for Product Development, Licensing, Compliance, Quality Assurance and Eco-certification.
Kevin is also involved in a number of cross-ministerial initiatives related to policy development and sits on various Boards and Committees including the Tourism Regeneration Agency and the Planning Authority.
His responsibilities included the verification of correct implementation of IMO Codes and Regulations on board Malta flagged vessels particularly the SOLAS and MARPOL Conventions. In 2006, he was asked to co-ordinate the implementation of the first Malta Commercial Yacht Code – an area which the Malta flag had not been geared for until that stage.
The subsequent years saw a considerable growth in the registered tonnage, steadily prompting Malta to the prominent regulatory role it holds today. He was also responsible for leading the first revision process of the same Code, a process which brought together various stakeholders in the super yacht industry.
In 2010 Kurt joined the private industry as a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer on various projects including super yacht conversions, yacht and ship certification surveying, and consultancy. His extensive naval academic background has thus been coupled with a thorough indoctrination of the maritime world through his interventions and experiences at Transport Malta, and the private sector alike. Subsequently, Ing. Gutteridge setup Naval Architectural Services Limited (NAS); moving from strength to strength on the levels and complexities of the jobs entrusted to them. NAS is particularly active in the superyacht sector. “We are proud to be associated with some of the most prominent yachts at sea, and which are being built today. We have reached this position of being a top tier quality service provider to the marine industry by delivering a diverse range of services efficiently and sustainably and by re-investing back into the company towards continuous personal development, improvement and innovation,” Kurt explained. Sustainability is a key aspect of this vision. “We have proudly completed the design of the first hybrid power passenger ferries scheduled to operate in Malta.
Supported by an academic background in Maritime Spatial Planning and an MBA, Lisa focuses her work at the WOC on programme management, project acquisition and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and budgeting and financial administration. Lisa’s portfolio spans projects funded by European and global mechanisms, including Interreg, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, EC Maritime and Fisheries Fund, EC Assistance Mechanisms, EEA and Norway Grants, BONUS, ERASMUS, Belmont Forum, Future Earth, World Bank, JPI Oceans, UNDP and GEF/UNESCO IOC.
Before her current role, Lisa served as the European Affairs Advisor at the WOC, where she contributed significantly to advancing Blue Economy initiatives. Prior to that, she was Programme Manager at s. Pro – sustainable projects and Senior Project Manager at the SUBMARINER Network for Blue Growth, where she managed numerous international projects and organized key stakeholder events.
This Department is dealing with the development of EMSA’s maritime and corporate information systems and services in all activity domains of the Agency, including the ICT infrastructure, testing and deployments. The Department is also covering the business responsibility for SafeSeaNet, Integrated Maritime Services (IMS), Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), the Service Level Agreements with Frontex, EFCA and other EU bodies and EU programmes (e.g. EU NAVFOR). Furthermore, the Department is developing the information tools for the new European maritime environmental and safety legislation. In addition, the Department is the entry point for governmental emergency and crisis support requests and is monitoring sea areas where geopolitical turmoil is affecting the EU merchant fleet.
He was previously Head of Department Safety, Security and Surveillance from 1 January 2020 until 1 January 2024 and before that Head of Operations between 2009 and 2019. Within EMSA prior to 2009 he held positions as Head of Unit and Policy Advisor. He was previously Transport Attaché in Brussels for the Permanent Representation of The Netherlands to the European Union and has been working for the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael” and the Utrecht University.
Starting out as a maritime lawyer, she has since gained long-standing experience in the maritime field in both the public and private sector.
Previous to joining EMSA, Ms Maja Markovčić was State Secretary for Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. Her duties entailed developing strategies, policies and legislation in the area of maritime transport, maritime safety, security and environmental protection. Also in this role, she led the Croatian delegation throughout a range of international forums at the UN, IMO and ILO.
While present at Croatia’s Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure in various capacities including Director of the Maritime Policy Directorate, she has also held the position of Director of the Croatian Shipowners’ Association (Mare Nostrum).
Ms Maja Markovčić Kostelac joins EMSA having become increasingly familiar with the work of the Agency, most particularly as a member of the Administrative Board.
He holds a MSc in Process and Systems Engineering & Industrial Management from Åbo Akademi University and also studied Chemical Engineering and Business at Imperial College London. He later undertook a Diploma in Marine Engineering from North Kent College and Lloyd’s Maritime Academy. He resides in Helsinki with his wife and two children.
Matthew also assisted the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate with the drafting of legislation in order to amend the Malta Aircraft Registration Act.
A skilled speaker and moderator, Namrata is known for her high energy and ability to cross polinate information from different sectors and deliver unique insights at confernces and roundtables. She currently chairs the Alternative Fuels Working Group for the World Ports Climate Action Programme (WPCAP), is a communications consultant for the International Maritime Organisation's IMO CARES project and is on the steering group for ISWAN's Personal safety of women seafarers campaign.
She has previously worked as part of the IMO's media team, been a Non Executive Director at Shoreham port (feeding in to the Business Risk and Sustainability committees) and has contributed content to the International Chamber of Shipping's Leadership Insights Newsletter, CEDA's monthly newsletter, Safety at Sea, Fairplay, The Marine Professional, Lloyd’s List, Seatrade magazine, Seatrade Cruise Review, Dredging and Port Construction, Ports and Harbors, and Marine Engineer’s Review.
Buying his first keelboat in 2002 Michael became very passionate about the cruising and the leisure side of sailing. For many years Michael was the Hon Secretary of the Malta Cruising Club.
In 2013 Michael was elected a director of Creek Developments PLC, operators of Malta’s largest yacht marina. In 2017 he was appointed board secretary to Malta Marittima and was the last board secretary for this agency. Being very passionate about the sport of sailing, especially since he was the parent of two very committed competitive sailors, Michael was elected as President of the Malta Sailing Federation in 2018 and in 2019 was appointed CEO of Yachting Malta Ltd, two positions he still holds to date.
In his role as President of the Member National Authority, Michael holds regular meetings with all local sailing clubs and associations and with his counterparts in Group D of World Sailing and Eurosaf. In 2023 Michael was appointed on the International Regulations Commission of World Sailing and represents World Sailing at IMO meetings related to the Maritime Safety Committee and Sub Committee on Navigation, Communication and Search& Rescue.
In his current role of Chief Executive Officer of Yachting Malta Ltd, Michael has promoted the sporting and financial benefits of sport sailing to Malta as a niche sports tourism destination particularly in shoulder months. On the other hand, his position in Yachting Malta gave the opportunity of working closely with the Yachting Industry to improve and consolidate Malta’s offering. His most recent contribution being a consultative voice toward the drafting of the New Superyacht Policy document launched last November.
He heads the firm’s Shipping and Aviation Department with particular focus on assets management and finance issues. Nicholas has also vast experience in vessels (including super yachts) and aircraft ownership and operational structures. Nicholas also coordinates vessel and aircraft repossession procedures on behalf of international credit institutions.
His articles have appeared in other publications including The European Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, Media International, and Kathimerini and numerous shipping and business periodicals including Lloyd’s Shipping Economist (UK), the International Transport Journal (Switzerland), and Lloyd Anversois /De Lloyd (Belgium). Nigel wrote the book Onassis and his Legacy, published by the Onassis Foundation in 2003, reprinted from a serialisation in Lloyd’s List.
Nigel has been event director of Lloyd’s List’s Greek Shipping Awards since its launch in 2004, and he is the only non-Greek serving on the industry panel adjudicating the awards. He has participated in numerous maritime industry events and broadcast programmes as chairman, moderator or guest speaker.
In 2015 and 2016 Yachting Events successfully operated and managed two editions of the RC44 Valletta Cup as part of the International circuit of the RC44 World Championship.
In 2016 Niki spearheaded an international consortium that was successful in the awarding of a 270 berth marina concession in Malta. Niki has since held the position of General Manager at Marina di Valletta which is now at capacity and has just been finalized its €8.5m investment plan and its Landmark Capitanerie in mid-2021
Since 2018 Niki has held the position of CEO at AB Finance Plc offering yacht finance to the Azimut Yachts Dealer Network clients across the Mediterranean
Niki currently holds the position of Vice Chair of the Yachting Services Section at the Malta Chamber where he has been an active member of the committee for the past 8 years.
Paris began his career in 2003 at a traditional Greek ship management company, where he quickly became a pivotal figure in the maritime industry. He is renowned for developing advanced crew management practices and preventive HSQE inspection protocols, with a particular focus on improving operational efficiency and optimizing OPEX.
In 2019, Paris took on the role of Director of the Greek office for ECM Maritime Services, a position he held until 2023, when ECM merged with Gallagher Marine Systems. Concurrently, he was appointed Managing Director at Thalpis, a role he continues to hold today. Under his leadership, Thalpis transformed into a multinational crewing company with a significant presence in key seafaring countries.
In his free time, Paris enjoys spending quality time with his wonderful wife and their three lovely daughters. He is also actively involved in volunteer and donation efforts within his local community, contributing to causes that are close to his heart.
Through his personal and professional endeavors, Paris continues to make a positive impact both in the maritime industry and in his community.
Paul returned with MICS in 2001 after having worked with DnV and GL as a newbuilding, and ships in operation Surveyor and Project Manager. At MICS he has been involved in numerous projects of significance where he held key technical responsibilities including being part of MICS’s team who contributed to the development of Transport Malta’s Commercial Yacht Code, and recently the Small Commercial Yacht Code.
As of 2021, he was appointed Director of MICS Ltd, yet has remained hands-on and is regularly found onboard vessels of all types or in yards and on-site and continues to hold various appointments by Flag States and local Maltese Authorities within the Maritime and Energy Sectors.
As of February 2024, Paul was elected as Council Member of the Superyacht Industry Network Malta, where he was assigned responsibility for Technical Affairs.
Married to Eleanor, and is father to David, Hannah and Anya.
Previously served as President of the Port Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea (Venice and Chioggia) from 2016 and later as Special Commissioner until December 2020.
Holds over a decade of experience in international shipping, having worked extensively in Antwerp and Singapore, both in private consultancy firms and in-house for shipping companies.
Born in Venice, graduated in Law from the University of Bologna with a specialization in Maritime Law. Completed a Master degree LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law at the University of Wales (Swansea), followed by a Certificate in International Politics at St. Antony College, Oxford, and a Certificate in Business Sustainability Management at Cambridge.
Currently, he is also Adjunct professor in Sustainable Economics at the University of Tuscia and a lecturer in Maritime Law at the University of Bologna.'
She graduated from the University of Malta, the University of Westminster and the University of Law, London and was called to the utter Bar of England and Wales in October 2008.
She is an experienced regulatory, compliance and commercial lawyer having held the position of Head of Legal and Compliance for several financial institutions in Malta.
In 2016, she was accredited by the Uruguayan Government as its Honorary Consul in Malta.
Berlin School of Business and Innovation, Germany
(Vice Chancellor, Atmiya University, Rajkot & Elected Director, Humanistic Management Network, Switzerland).
After some post-graduate academic experiences in Greece and abroad, as well as a period of employment with a major engine manufacturer, back in 1996 he joined RINA classification society as exclusive marine surveyor. At this position and after a training period at RINA Head Office in Genoa, Italy, he followed various projects of ships in service, as well as newbuildings in Greece and worldwide.
Later he served in various positions within RINA, as Technical Manager of Piraeus Marine, Country Manager for Greece, Area Manager for Greece, Cyprus & Black Sea, up to current role of Marine Senior Director for Southern Europe & Africa, an area with center of gravity in Piraeus but extending from Spain and Portugal to the Black Sea, Greece, Cyprus and the whole Africa. Zolotas is the author of two technical books and regular writer of articles, Member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and Chartered Engineer, as well as European Engineer with FEANI.
In 2017 he was elected as Honorary Secretary in the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Joint Branch of RINA/IMAREST.
In 2019 and in 2021 he was elected in the Board of Directors of the Greek Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members.
In 2020, Spyros Zolotas has been elected as Board Member of the Hellenic Institute of
Marine Technology (ELINT), which is an institution with long history in Greece. From 2022 he is serving as Vice Chairman of the Institute.
He is also member of the International Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Piraeus and the Nautical Museum of Greece, as well as other associations.
Spyros Zolotas is married and father of two sons.
Stuart began his career in the British Foreign Service before moving to the private sector advising governments and international businesses on communication and engagement strategies. Stuart spent 9 years as a Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II before moving to the energy sector. He was a Senior Director at the World Energy Council and later became the senior advisor to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Sustainable Energy.
Stuart was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition for his exceptional contribution to the British Monarchy.
Studied Naval Architect and Marine Engineering in Greece, U.K. and U.S.A. with Master’s Degree. Performed duties in various positions, as:
• President of Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members (EEKFN), supports the cruise industry entirely in Greece.
• Phoenix S.A.: Managing Director.
• Festival Cruises: Managing Director, Vice President of operation and new buildings / developing programs.
• Director of Operation in Majestic International Cruises.
He is a member of various committees technical as well as shipping in general.
Member of the Steering Committee for a post graduate course in the Technical University of Athens in “Ports Management”, including lectures for cruising subject and tourist ports.
Member of the National Cruise Board Committee controlling cruise industry operation
Member of International Propeller Club USA (Previously General Secretary).
He has received various awards in shipping during his career.
charge of the strategic launch system for nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN). He has naviguate during almost 20,000 hours diving on SSBN and nuclear attack submarines (SSN). After graduating from the
``Ecole de Guerre`` in 2017, he joined the Navy special forces staff in Lorient (ALFUSCO). His operational career then took him to Brest, where he was head of naval air operations in the Atlantic, then deputy head of the
CECLANT 1 operations division. He is in charge of french maritime operation in the whole Atlantic and Arctic Ocean and also of coast-guard operation
including counter narcotrafic operation.
Commander Thomas Scalabre is Knight of the Legion of Honor and Knight of the National Order of Merit.
After graduating with honors in naval and mechanical engineering from the University of Naples, Ugo Salerno moved to Italcantieri, a shipyard in Genoa Sestri. After about three years, he took on the role of technical inspector at Fermar in Ravenna, a shipping company specializing in dry bulk transportation, eventually becoming its technical director. In 1988, he returned to Genoa as fleet operations director for Bulkitalia, a company within the Coeclerici Group. During his fourteen years at Coeclerici, Salerno held various positions, eventually becoming CEO of Coeclerici Shipping and Coeclerici Logistics in 1996 and Vice President of Coeclerici Trading.
Simultaneously, Ugo Salerno was elected as a board member of the Standard P&I Club. From July 2003 to June 2004, he served as President of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). From 2008 to 2019, he was a board member of the ITIC P&I Club (International Transport Intermediaries Club Limited), and from 2009 to March 2014, he served as an independent board member of VSL. He was also a board member of the Ansaldo Foundation and, since 2013, of the ``Ospedali Galliera`` hospital in Genoa. From the same date until 2017, he was part of the executive council of Confindustria Genova, with a mandate for infrastructure. Between 2013 and 2023, he was a member of the TIC Council Global Board, formerly known as the International Federation of Inspection Agencies (IFIA).
In June 2013, Ugo Salerno was awarded the title of Knight of Labor of the Italian Republic. From June 2014 to March 2015, he was a member of the board of directors of Ucina, a group of companies providing services for boating. Since May 2015, he has been a member of Confindustria Nazionale, and from 2016 to 2019, he was a board member of Cassa di Risparmio della Spezia S.p.A. Since May 2018, he has been President of Promostudi La Spezia, a foundation promoting university studies in La Spezia. Since October 2019, he has been the President of the Ligurian group of Knights of Labor.
Before joining SEA Europe, Vincent Guerre held several policy roles within EU institutions:
• From March 2010 to November 2017, he was a Policy Adviser to a prominent Member of the European Parliament, who chaired the Committee on Fisheries and contributed to the Committee on Regional Development.
• From November 2017 to January 2023, he held the position of Policy Officer at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, and subsequently became Team Leader in the same department from February to November 2023. He played a pivotal role in the development and negotiation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), and coordinated the strategic planning and implementation of this €6 billion fund.
Vincent Guerre is a French national, fluent in both French and English. He actively engages with the academic community, delivering lectures on EU policy to university students.
He is also a member of the Society of European Affairs Professionals, where he contributes to promoting high ethical standards, transparency, and self-regulation within the public affairs profession.
Xanthos holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the City University of New York, and an MSc in International Shipping from the University of Plymouth in the UK. He is also a respected Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.
His core responsibilities include rolling out the Columbia Group strategy and managing execution in various jurisdictions.
Known for his versatility, strong stakeholder relationships, and unwavering belief in the Columbia Group's impact on maritime stakeholders, Xanthos continues to serve the business with determination and perseverance.