Dr. Christos Sigalas is Assistant Professor at Deree-The American College of Greece. He has fourteen years of accumulated academic experience in the fields of strategic and financial management, having served as an adjunct lecturer of undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Piraeus and undergraduate courses at the University of West Attica (former Technological Education Institute of Piraeus). Currently, he is teaching courses in the areas of maritime financial management and strategic management. His main research interests include strategic management, corporate finance, management accounting and maritime financial management. He has contributed 21 manuscripts in academic journals, journals for practitioners, book chapters, conferences proceedings and economic press. One of his academic papers received the 2014 Highly Commended Paper Award by Emerald for publishing in Journal of Strategy and Management.
Dr. Christos Sigalas is also the Financial Manager of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp., a ship-owning company listed in NASDAQ Capital Market. He has been a finance professional with more than fifteen years of finance and accounting working experience in maritime shipping, investment banking, telecommunication and management consulting industries. As practitioner and executive in finance, he has gained significant hands-on experience in asset-backed lending, public equity offerings and debt restructurings.
Dr. Christos Sigalas holds a PhD (2012) with honours from University of Piraeus. In addition, he holds an MBA (2005) with honours and a BSc (2002) in Management & Business Administration from Athens University of Economics and Business.

Dr. David Cowan is Editor-at-Large of Global Legal Post, Editor of Robotics Law Journal, and an author. He also teaches effective communications and dialogue at SABIC Academy, the petrochemicals company, in Saudi Arabia and globally. His book Strategic Internal Communication: How to Build Employee Engagement and Performance (Kogan Page) went into a second edition last year. He is currently working on his fifth book, which is on communications for lawyers, using a tool he created called The Dialogue Box featuring an arbitration and ADR component.

His career started as a technology journalist and writer for business media and organizations, including the Financial Times, Euromoney, Economist Intelligence Unit and OECD. He has held a number of top communication posts, with his lost posting at the steel company ArcelorMittal with global responsibility for employee communications covering 320,000 employees in 65 countries. At the World Bank in Washington DC, he led communications for the IFC Environment & Social Development department. He also headed communications at Clearstream International/Deutsche Borse in Luxembourg.

Dr. Cowan is a former Visiting Scholar at Boston College, USA, and was invited to deliver and publish the Henry Hazlitt Memorial Lecture at the Mises Institute, Auburn University, USA. He holds a bachelor and a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and a master’s from the University of St Andrews, where he received his PhD in International Relations. He has a keen interest in the arts & literature, writing and reviewing for a number of major arts publications and is a regular contributor to the Catholic Herald.

According to the decision of the General Assembly of the League of Arab States, His Excellency Prof. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghafar Ismail Farag took office as the President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) on 25.10.2011- until now.

He was selected as a Member of the Board Council of the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Related To International Maritime Organization (IMO) , The Head of the League of Arab States official Delegation, IMO Council, (United Nation), London, UK, The Head of the Technical committee for Developing Maritime Education, IMO, (United Nation), London, UK .

He is A Member of the board Council of Arab Ministers of Transportation, Member of the Board Council of Arab Ministers of Economics, League of Arab States.

He is leading The President of the Board, Port Academy for Maritime and Technical Studies at Dammam in Saudi Arabia, The President of the Board, The Regional Center for Studies and Training in the Port of Port Sudan, The Chief Executive of the Research and Consultation Center of the Maritime Transport Sector, the Chief Executive of the Port Training Institute. He is also the Team Leader of committee responsible for implementing decisions of the Arab Economic summit related to the Arab maritime link project States.

Moreover, he is the President of the Industrial Advisory Council of International Transport and Logistics. Prof. Ismail is the President of the International Maritime Transport Forum. Prof. Dr. Ismail is also The President of the Board Integrated Solution Company, Member of the Board of the holding company for Maritime & Road Transport Prof. Ismail is a member of several professional associations, most important of which is membership of the The International Association of Maritime University (IAMU), International Association of Universities (IAU), and Association of Arab Universities (AARU).

Prof. Dr. Ismail is a professor of electrical and computer engineering, he has acquired his PhD Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1989 from George Washington University, USA , Master Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1982 from Cairo university , Bachelor degree of Electrical Engineering (Computer Department) , Excellent with Honour , from the Military Technical College (MTC) in 1978.

WORK DEPARTMENT:
Maritime and Aviation
POSITION:
Dr Jean-Pie Gauci-Maistre is Gauci-Maistre Xynou’s Managing Partner, having co-founded the firm in 2015. He specialises in Ship and Yacht Registrations under the Malta Flag as well as Ship and Yacht Finance. With the amendments of Maltese Aviation Law in recent years, he has also focused on the firm’s aviation practice.
CAREER:
Jean-Pie’s focus throughout his career has been in different areas in the maritime industry. Following stints with the EU Commission cabinet for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and the internationally renowned ship management company, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited, he moved to Malta to head the legal department of GM International Services Limited.

Following seven years heading said legal department, Jean-Pie co-founded Gauci-Maistre Xynou in 2015 and acts as Managing Partner thereof.

Jean-Pie is also a lecturer at different institutions and universities, including the World Maritime University.
LANGUAGES:
English, Maltese, Italian
MEMBER:
• Admitted to the Maltese Bar, Superior Courts of Malta
• Member of the Chamber of Advocates, Malta
• Member of the International Bar Association
• Member of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association
• Member of the Malta Maritime Law Association
• Member of the Maritime Legislative Advisory Council
• Member of the Malta Institute of Taxation
• Member of the Association of Ship Agents
• Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers
• Member of the Connecticut Maritime Association
• Member of the Young Maritime Professionals
• Institute of Financial Services Practitioners
EDUCATION:
• Master of Science (Ship Management), World Maritime University (2009)
• Qualifying Examinations, Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (2009)
• Diploma in Taxation, Malta Institute of Taxation (2013)
• Doctor of Laws, University of Malta (2008)
• Bachelor of in Legal and Humanistic Studies, University of Malta (2005)

Tel: (+356) 2124 7785 Email: jpgm@gmxlaw.com
Web: www.gmxlaw.com Twitter: @GMX_Law
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gauci-maistre-xynou-legal-assurance-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmxlaw/

Biographical note
PATRICK VERHOEVEN

Patrick Verhoeven is Managing Director of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), responsible for policy and strategy. The organisation represents about 170 ports and some 140 port-related businesses in 90 countries worldwide. Prior to joining IAPH in 2017, Patrick spent twenty-four years in Brussels representing the interests of shipowners, port authorities, terminal operators and ship agents at EU level. He started his career in 1991 with the Antwerp-based ship agent Grisar & Velge. Patrick holds a PhD in applied economics and a bachelor in law from the University of Antwerp. He is assistant professor at the university’s Centre for Maritime and Air Transport Management (C-MAT). Patrick lives in Antwerp with his wife and three children.

Dr. Tonio Grech is currently a Partner at Dingli & Dingli Law Firm.
He graduated as Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Malta and had been practising as an advocate at the Attorney General’s office dealing, inter alia, with transport matters both as counsel to the Ports Department and the Department of Civil Aviation and with tax issues as counsel to the Tax Department and company matters as counsel to the Companies Department.
Dr. Grech has attended various international conferences on civil aviation and drafted laws to update civil aviation legislation in Malta; drafting the Eurocontrol Act which was enacted by Parliament in February 1989.
He has been practising as a private litigation lawyer, dealing mainly with civil, company and maritime court and arbitration cases. As consultant to the Civil Aviation Directorate, he was involved in the drafting of the civil aviation laws for about twenty years. Furthermore, in the financial services sector, he is the MLRO of Dingli & Dingli Law Firm and director of the fiduciary company DG Fiduciary Limited. Dr. Grech is presently head of the litigation department at Dingli & Dingli Law Firm and he has acted in various lawsuits and in both local and international arbitration proceedings.

Ms. Ellie Malouf is currently a global account manager at Ahoy Club and was a business development manager till June 2017.
She has a strong passion for the yachting industry influenced an aspiration to develop a fully automated, peer-to-peer platform that provides direct connection between luxury yacht owners and charterers. In turn, to create costs savings and revenue opportunities like never before, and bring unmatched simplicity to booking and managing the global luxury yacht fleet.
Ms. Ellie Malouf has studied at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) and she is holding a Bachelor in Business, Majors: International Business and Business Law.

Mr. Vagelis Chatzigiannis holds a BSc in Shipping Trade and Transport from the University of the Aegean in Greece, and MSc in Marine Policy from Cardiff University in the UK where his dissertation (hons) focused on the regulatory regime of the ship recycling industry.

He started his career as a competitive dry cargo chartering broker, and is now acting as senior trader with GMS, the World's Largest Buyer of Ships & Offshore Assets.
Mr. Chatzigiannis is handling commercial, operational and contractual obligations, which amongst others include sale and purchase activities and projects, in both Shipping and the Offshore segments, while promoting high standards of CSR requirements, including responsible recycling practices which promote environmental friendly and safe standards.

Mr Karamitsos is a Senior Advisor on Maritime/Shipping Affairs but also on logistics, road transport, intelligent transport systems, urban transport and satellite navigation (GALILEO).

Mr Karamitsos has been with the European Commission for 36 years (1981-2017), where he kept a number of positions.

He has been Acting Deputy Director General (2011-2016), Director (2001-2016) and Principal Advisor (2017) in the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport.

Mr Karamitsos was responsible for the development and follow-up of the implementation of Maritime transport policy, maritime safety, environmental protection, as well as logistics, land transport and passenger rights, but also (for part of the time) for transport research, urban transport, intelligent transport systems and road safety.

Between 2008 and 2010, Mr Karamitsos has also been responsible for the setting up the European Satellite Navigation System GALILEO as regards policy, infrastructure and applications, and for setting the Regulatory framework for the Intelligent Transport Systems.

Mr Karamitsos is with the European Commission for over 35 years, where he has worked on various Transport issues, as well on Telecommunications, Information society, Environment, Tourism and Research and Development.

Before joining the Commission in 1981, Mr Karamitsos worked with the World Health Organisation's programme on Greater Athens Pollution Control and on the Greek Academic and Public Sectors.

He holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Transportation planning from the Technical University of Athens and from Leeds University.

GEORGE C. XIRADAKIS
Founder - Managing Director-XRTC BUSINESS CONSULTANTS
George Xiradakis graduated from the Nautical Marine Academy of Aspropyrgos-Athens and he holds a diploma in Commercial Operations from City of London Polytechnic and an MSc in Maritime Studies from University of Wales. He served as Senior Manager in the French bank Credit Lyonnais before established XRTC Business Consultants Ltd. XRTC is acting as Commercial Representative of international banks and institutions in Greek Shipping Market. Since 2010 XRTC has been an advisor of China Development Bank.
George Xiradakis is the President of the Board of Governors of the International Propeller Club of the United States –International Port of Piraeus; General Secretary of the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, Vice President of Greece – China Chamber and a BoD member of Paragon Shipping Inc. He is also a Vice President of the Greece- China Association and member of various maritime organizations including The Marine Club of Piraeus, HELMEPA, Mediterranean Committee of China Classification Society.

Mr. George Procopiou has managed throughout the years a shipping fleet in excess of 500 vessels since entering the shipping business in 1974 and is among others, the founder of Dynacom Tankers Management, Sea Traders and Dynagas Ltd. Since 2002, he has built more than 120 vessels at shipyards in China, South Korea and Japan. Mr. Procopiou holds a degree in civil engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. Mr. Procopiou has also served as Chairman of the North of England P&I Association. He is Chairman of the Greek committee of Bureau Veritas, as well as member of the Greek committees of DNV GL, Lloyd’s Register and ABS. In 2005 Dynacom was awarded 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 first LNG Carrier to transit and carry a cargo through the Northern Sea Route. In 2015 Dynagas received Statoil’s “Working Safely With Suppliers” operator award for safety performance above industry standards. In June 2017 Mr. Procopiou was presented with Seatrade’s “Lifetime Achievement Award”.

Greg V. Evans has held the position of Director – Global Safety and Compliance since 2009. He is responsible for the daily operations of Safety and Compliance throughout the MACI/CISR global network of offices/representatives.
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.

Harry Theochari is a shipping and asset finance lawyer based in London, where he is Global head of Transport.

Harry has wide experience of syndicated facilities, structured financings, private equity and capital market transactions. His main specialisation is international shipping finance and he has been involved with the financing of both new building and second-hand vessels and offshore assets all over the world. In recent years Harry’s practice has focused on advising new investors such as private equity funds and hedge funds on their entry into the shipping industry. He has also been involved in the restructuring of a number of listed shipping companies.
Harry is cited by Chambers Global 2018 as a leading individual for shipping finance. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Maritime London, and was recently appointed a Visiting Professor by Tongji Shanghai University and sits on their Expert Committee and Institute for Urban Risk Management.

HON. PROFESSOR EDWARD SCICLUNA MP
Hon. Professor Edward Scicluna is a Member of Parliament and Malta’s Minister for Finance since March 2013.

During 2013, Prof. Scicluna assumed the chairmanship of the EIB, and vice-chairmanship of the EBRD.

Prior to March 2013 he served as a member of the European Parliament (MEP), in the capacity of Vice-Chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), and a member of the European Statistical Advisory Committee (ESAC).

Previous appointments include that of Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Malta, Chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority, Chairman of the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development, Board Director of the Central Bank of Malta, and Electoral Commissioner. Prof. Scicluna also carried out consultancy work for international institutions.

Prof. Scicluna graduated from the University of Oxford with a Diploma with distinction in politics and economics, from the University of Malta with a First Class Honours BA degree in Economics, and the University of Toronto with a Masters and Doctorate in Economics.

Dr Ian Borg was appointed Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects in June 2017, at the start of the 13th legislature. His current role includes overseeing the construction and maintenance of roads, the effective implementation of different programmes and major Government infrastructural projects.
During the previous legislature, as the youngest member of the Cabinet, Dr Ian Borg also served as Parliamentary Secretary for the EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds. During this time, he was responsible for the national preparations for the successful 2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU, together with the strengthening of the EU Funds absorption process towards a more efficient and transparent practice. In fact, in 2016, Malta recorded a 100% absorption rate in EU Funds for the programming period 2007-2013.
Dr Borg graduated as a Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta in 2012, after successfully reading a Doctoral degree in Laws, a Diploma in Public Notarial Practice and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law.
His political career started in 2005 with his election as Mayor of his hometown Dingli, which was reaffirmed in 2008 and 2012. In 2009, he was also elected as an Executive Member of the Local Councils Association. Dr Borg has also served in the North Regional Committee and in the Users’ Committee of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. In 2010, he was a member of the Maltese delegation to the Committee of the Regions as part of the European Socialists Party.
Minister Borg’s commitment towards a radical improvement in the country’s infrastructure is visible in the continuous and persistent work being undertaken by the Ministry and the authorities falling within its remit. “Infrastructure, Transport, Capital Projects, Planning, the Property Market – every sector within our remit affects the lives of each and every one of us. Our priority is to improve the quality of life of the Maltese and Gozitan people; that is why we strive - so that our country can benefit from sustainable development, a revolution in infrastructure, innovative projects, efficient transport, and continuous evolution.” Minister Ian Borg

The Hon. Mr. Joe Mizzi
Minister for Energy and Water Management
Joe Mizzi was born on the 7th of March 1952 at Kalkara.
He started his education at the government school of Kalkara, and later at Vittoriosa, after which he continued at the Technical Institute at Paola, where he attended a four-year course in Telecommunications, and later another one in advanced Electronics and Telecommunications.
In 1971 he started his career working as a Technician/Operator in the Computer Room, based on a ship dedicated to Seismic Surveys (Oil Exploration) in the Maltese territory, where he remained until 1972.
In 1972 he was engaged as a Radio Officer on merchant ships, where he continued until 1975, when he entered the field of Telecommunications. Consequently, between 1976 and 1992, he worked as a Senior Technician with Deutsche Welle Radio, and also spent the period between 1976 and 1985 representing his fellow workers as a Shop Steward with the General Workers Union.
In 1983 he was in the centre in the setting up of RTV Ltd, and for a number of years he was the appointed Technical Director from the government side.

POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT:

Joe Mizzi commenced his political activities in the Youth section of the Malta Labour Party in 1975, where he was appointed as Propaganda Secretary.

In 1987 he contested the General Elections for the first time with the Malta Labour Party, and was elected to Parliament as a representative of the Second District, comprising of Cospicua, Vittoriosa, Senglea, Kalkara, Xghajra, Fgura and a part of Zabbar.

He subsequently contested the General Elections of 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013, where he was elected each year. In 1989 he was appointed as Secretary of the Parliamentary Group and a Member of the Administration of the Malta Labour Party.

During the period 1996 – 1998 he was appointed Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibilities for Police, Home Affairs, Telecommunications and Oil Exploration. In 1998 he was assigned the role of Shadow Minister for Environmental Planning and Oil Exploration.
In 2003 he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Infrastructural Services and Oil Exploration, which responsibilities also included Enemalta, Water Services Corporation, Telecommunications, the Malta Maritime Authority and MaltaPost, and in the period 2009 – 2011 he was Main Speaker for Transport, Resources and Oil Exploration, including the Malta Maritime Authority and Malta International Airport. In 2011 he was appointed as Main Speaker for Energy, Resources and Oil Exploration.
In 2013 he was appointed Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and in 2017 Minister for Energy and Water Management.
Mr Mizzi is married to Joyce nee Vassallo, and they have two children, namely Matthew and Charmaine.

Konrad Mizzi is the Minister of Tourism for Malta. He is currently leading the revitalisation of the national airline, Air Malta. He is also leading initiatives in the tourism sector, mainly through the Malta Tourism Authority and other change programmes through the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation and is working on various Public Private Partnerships.

Minister Mizzi has been entrusted with this new role after serving as Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister where he focused on energy and water initiatives as well as major projects and Public Private Partnerships. He has also served as Minister for Energy and Conservation of Water and as Minister for Health.

He was elected in parliament on the Labour Party ticket in the March 2013 General Elections and re-elected again in June 2017 with almost 5,000 votes.

Konrad Mizzi had already successfully led the transformation of Malta's energy sector which included attracting Malta's largest foreign investment by Shanghai Electric Power. He also led the countries shift of power generation from oil to gas and renewables. This included an innovative Floating Gas Storage infrastructure and new plant. In the water sector Mizzi introduced New Water through an innovative process for converting raw sewage to high quality water for industry and agriculture.

In the health sector Mizzi is credited with eradicating out of stock medicines, launching hospital PPPs, and implementing a change programme to reduce waiting lists and lack of hospital beds.

Prior to entering politics, Konrad Mizzi had led major projects and initiatives in the Energy Sector, in Malta and in the United Kingdom. He also led other projects in various sectors including with the Government, in Infrastructure, Telecommunications and the promotion of enterprise.

Konrad Mizzi was a Partner and head of the energy and Infrastructure Practice for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) with Pcubed, a global leader in programme management. He has previously held senior roles with Deloitte and Touche and British Telecom in the United Kingdom. In the UK, Konrad Mizzi led various change projects which included the forging of an Alliance between seven energy companies which improved services and realised large savings. He has also worked with Regional Government leaders to transform deprived areas.

Konrad Mizzi holds and M.A. with Distinction and a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham. He also holds a B.Sc from the University of Malta and a Diploma in Finance. He was also awarded a Chevening Scholarship from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom.

Natasa Pilides is the first Shipping Deputy Minister to the President of the Republic of Cyprus since the set-up of the Deputy Ministry on 1 March 2018.

Previously, she served as the Director General of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency since April 2016, responsible for the design and implementation of the Organisation’s strategy in investment promotion, investor support and facilitation of reform, in close collaboration with the Cyprus government.

Natasa's work experience includes more than fifteen years in the private sector. She served as a Director and Regional Chief Operating Officer at Baker Tilly in South East Europe, heading the departments of Finance, Marketing, HR, Administration, Operations and IT for Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. For 9 years she worked at PwC, in Cyprus, Milan and London in the areas of audit and tax consulting, providing services to multinational companies active in the fields of banking and finance, shipping, insurance, energy, construction and FMCG.

Natasa has wide experience in delivering professional training and courses for ICAEW, ACCA and CIMA exams in the areas of audit, tax, corporate law, ethics, financial accounting and reporting, at BPP London, one of the leading professional studies organisations worldwide.

Natasa graduated from Oxford University with a first-class honours degree with distinction in Modern Languages and Literature (French and Italian). She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) and a member of the Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC).

Natasa is fluent in Greek, English, French and Italian.

She has represented and promoted Cyprus as an investment destination abroad throughout her career and has published various articles in international professional publications.

Alternate Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy
Mr. Nektarios Santorinios

Bio, Education and Professional Experience

Nektarios Santorinios was born in Rhodes on 1972 though his place of origin is the island of Symi, Dodecanese Region. He graduated from the Chemical Engineering School of National Technical University of Athens. His working experience consists of environmental research, serving as the Chief Supervisor of a traditional Rhodian perfumery manufacturing plant, and since 2000, serving as a Technical Advisor of Rhodes Municipality, regarding national and european financing, relative with projects on Rhodes island. He is married and a father of 2 children.

Political Career

On January 2015 he was elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament, serving as representative of the Dodecanese Region, and member of the political party SYRIZA (Coalition of Radical Left). On September 2015 he was re-elected again as a Parliament Member as aforementioned.

First Period as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament

During his first serving period as a Parliament Member he had been serving to various positions as the following:
• President of Standing Committee on Research and Technology
• Secretary of the Examination Comittee regarding the Economic Adjustment Programmes for Greece (usually referred as Memorandums or Bail Packages)
• Member of Standing Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice
• Member of Standing Regional Committee
• Supervisor/Coordinator of the research sector of SYRIZA (Coalition of Radical Left) Parliamentary Group
• Member of NATO Parliamentary Conference

Second Period as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament

Since September 2015 and until his appointment as both Vice and Alternate Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, he served as:
• Member of Examination Committee on Political Party and Media Companies loans
• Supervisor/Coordinator of Development, Tourism, National Strategic Framework Reference (NSFR) sector of SYRIZA (Coalition of Radical Left) Parliamentary Group
• Re-elected as President of Standing Committee on Research and Technology
• Member of Standing Regional Committee, Standing Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Standing Committee on Manufacturing and Trade
• Member of NATO Parliamentary Conference
• President of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the country of Jordan

Vice Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy

On 6th November 2016 Nektarios Santorinios was appointed by the Government as the Vice Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.

Alternate Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy

On 29th August 2018 he was appointed by the Government as the Alternate Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, a position that he is still holding today.

Older Regional Activities

Before his election as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament, Nektarios Santorinios had been engaged to various regional activities such as:
• Regional Consultant of Southern Aegean Region, as a member of the party “ Citizens Against Bad Times” (2012-2014)
• Member of the Southern Aegean Region Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs
• Secretary of Prefectural Committee of the Dodecanese SYN party (Coalition of Left) Administration (2010-2013)
• Supervisor/Coordinator of Southern Dodecanese Prefectural Committee of SYRIZA (Coalition of Radical Left) (2008-2014)
• Member of the Central Committee of SYRIZA (Coalition of Radical Left) since 2012.

Ivan Sammut has 18 years’ experience in the international maritime industry and graduated with
a Master of Science degree in International Maritime Studies from the University of
Southampton, United Kingdom. He is the current Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen,
responsible for the Merchant Shipping Directorate within Transport Malta – the Malta Ship and
Yacht Register. He is Malta’s representative on the Administrative Board of the European
Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF). Mr
Sammut is also Malta’s head of delegation at a number of meetings of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). He is also a member of the
Board of Directors of Yachting Malta and a member of the Board of Directors of Malta Marittima
Agency.
For the last eight years, Mr Sammut is entrusted to regulate, control and administer all matters
related to ship and yacht registration under the Malta flag and their technical performance with
regards to safety and pollution prevention and to promote Maritime Malta with the international
shipping community. He is also entrusted with regulating the employment and certification of
seafarers and to promote and advance the skills of seafarers and of persons employed in the
maritime industry, to foster Malta’s relations in international shipping fora and to administer the
implementation of maritime and other related international conventions and agreements.

Jan-Sigurd Sørensen
Kongsberg – Strategic Advisor
Jan-Sigurd Sørensen is Strategic Advisor at Kongsberg Digital, one of the three business areas of the KONGSBERG Group. He is Strategic Advisor for Kongsberg's digital transformation platform Kognifai, a platform for next-generation software and digital solutions to customers within maritime, oil and gas, and renewables and utilities.
Mr. Sørensen is a highly driven and result-oriented professional with experience from change and project management, finance, marketing, technological trends and consulting. He applies his skills and knowledge to help establishing forward thinking maritime solutions that combine digital opportunities from the internet of things, smart data, artificial intelligence, cyber security, maritime simulation, automation and autonomous operations.
Mr. Sørensen holds a degree in economy from BI Norwegian Business School and has previously worked as Executive Vice President of Technology in a Norwegian electronics organisation.

Jonathan practised for over 37 years as Solicitor, more than 30 of which as Partner at International City Lawfirm Ince & Co. In 2013 he was called to the English Bar and now practices from Gray’s Inn as Mediator, Arbitrator and Barrister (legal advisory work).

He was awarded Global Shipping and Maritime Lawyer of the Year for both 2010 and 2011 by Who’s Who Legal. In December 2011 he featured in Lloyds List Top 10 Legal Personalities and was a finalist for the Lloyds List Global Shipping and Maritime Lawyer of the Year award 2012. In 2015 he was elected a titulary member of the CMI. He is also a member of the International Mediation Institute (http://imimediation.org/jonathan-lux).

Jonathan has received regular appointments as Arbitrator and Mediator both in relation to Maritime disputes and international commercial disputes more widely.

Mr. Buamim is the Board Member and Managing Director and Group CEO of Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC, he was appointed in April 2016.
Mr. Buamim is the Chairman of the Dubai Council for Marine and Maritime Industries (Dcmmiemirates), the specialized industry council (non-profit trade and industry) and it was formed to promote the interests of the offshore and maritime industry in Dubai and the UAE. He is also the Chairman of the Federal Committee for the Revision and Update of the UAE Maritime Law, the committee was created to review and update the UAE Commercial Maritime Law and formulate a new & futuristic law that will propel and govern the ongoing potential growth of business and the maritime industry in the UAE and the region.
Mr. Buamim is the former Chairman and Chief Executive officer of Drydocks world and Maritime world and Chairman of the Board of DDW-PaxOcean Asia pte – Singapore and has successfully led the organization through its restructuring during the global financial crisis. His leadership and direction have been instrumental in the company being able to acquire several pioneering projects on a global scale. This leadership has seen the company move from close to financial failure, create major synergies, recognize potential and place the organization firmly on a path driven to sustainable profitability and growth.
Mr. Buamim is a Leading veteran in the oil and gas industry worked with Conoco and ConocoPhillips for 26 years and held various corporate and management positions, including vice president of Dubai oil company (DPC), a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips in the United Arab Emirates. He was also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Regional Clean Sea Organization (RECSO) the oil industry environmental arm in the Gulf region.
Mr. Buamim is also involved in a number of leading private & public organization, he is member of the Dubai Government Crises and Disasters Management Team, member of the Advisory board of Emirates Classification Society (Tasneef) , Vice Chairman of the Federal Transportation Authority Technical Committee, Advisor to the Career Gulf Development and Senior Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa- Business strategies & International Energy.
Mr. Buamim has won many Awards and life time achievements, including being recognized as the most influential maritime top 50 personalities in the world by Tanker Shipping & Trade magazine of London 2015, HH. sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Business Award 2014, The Tatweej Personality Award for leadership, management and business 2014, The ``Outstanding Lifetime Achievement`` award from Lloyd's List London for Business 2014, The year personality award in the field of marine and maritime industry by International Ships Techniques 2013, Sword of Honors from the British Safety Council – London 2014, The International Prize in Human Resource Management, The Archimedes Achievement Award ``for excellence and exchange of knowledge`` - United States of America and so many other.
Holds Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics - United Kingdom and the National Administration degree in Crises Management and incident Command - United States of America and the High-accreditation on international human resources management (IPM).

Mr. Kitack Lim
Mr. Lim (Republic of Korea) is the 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).

Marc Verburg joined the Roosendaal office of IRI in November 2007 as Flag State Inspector, with over a decade of maritime and supervisory experience. He was promoted to Safety & Technical Manager in late 2009 and in January 2013 was promoted to Fleet Operations Manager, Yachts.
Mr. Verburg is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of yachts from a technical and marine safety perspective, including those yachts under construction and undergoing a re-fit. Before joining IRI, Mr. Verburg worked with Amels Yacht Building as a Project Leader on newbuild projects. For over ten years prior, Mr. Verburg served as an Engineer with Holland America Line. Initially a Cadet Engineer, Mr. Verburg quickly assumed responsibilities of supervising a newbuild as 3rd Engineer.
Mr. Verburg last served as Senior Second Engineer/First Engineer where his duties included managing the engine room, technical installation and coordinating the ship’s crew. Mr. Verburg obtained his licenses as Chief Engineer Small Commercial Vessels and Engineer Seagoing Commercial Vessels from Middle Maritime School and his Chief Engineer Sea Going Commercial Vessels license from Higher Maritime University in Vlissingen (The Netherlands).

Name: Masamichi HASEBE

Professional Status Senior Legal Counsel, Japan Association of Maritime Safety

Office Address: 1 Berkeley Street, London, W1J 8DJ, UK
Telephone: +44-74-6917-0567
E-mail: 821261@gmail.com

Educational Background:
2012-Present PhD Candidate (Law), University of Tsukuba, Japan
Sept. 2000 Masters in Law (LL.M.) University College of London, United Kingdom
Mar. 1981 Bachelor of Arts (Law) University of Tokyo, Japan

Professional Societies and Activities
April 2012- Present Visiting Professor, University of Kobe
2015-2017 Governor, International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI)
2015-2016 Visiting Professor, Universities of Takushoku
2004-2006 Member of the British Maritime Law Association
Oct. 2007- Present Member of the Japanese Society of International Law
Member of the Japan Society of Transport Economics
Member of the Japan Society of Logistics and Shipping Economics
2012-Present Member of the Japan Association of International Economic Law
Member of the Japan Society of Ocean Policy
2013-Present Member of the Japan Society of International Economics
Member of the Japan Association of Aviation Law
2014-Present Member of the Japanese Society of Insurance Science

Employment
Nov. 2015- Present Senior, Legal Counsel, Japan Association of Maritime Safety
July 2014-Aug. 2015 Deputy Director General, Minister’s Bureau
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
June 2011- June 2014 Chief Researcher, Daiwa Institute of Research
July 2009- May 2011 Deputy Director-General, Kanto Transport Bureau
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), GOJ,
July 2008- June 2009 Deputy Commander, Japan Coast Guard
July 2007- June 2008 Director for International Affairs, MLIT, GOJ
July 2006- June 2007 Counsel, Maritime Bureau, MLIT, GOJ
May 2001-June 2006 Legal Counsel (D1)
International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (UK)

Presentations at Academic Conferences
August 2014 “Basic Law of Transport Policy for the Activation of Regional Transport”
Key note speech of the 9th International Conference on Traffic & Transportation Studies
May 2014 “The Impacts of Ongoing Free Trade Agreements on International Air Transportation”
The 60th Assembly of Japan Air Law Institute
November 2013 “The Use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) to Defend against the Threat of Piracy in Exceptional Circumstances”
The 4th Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of the International Law
August 2013 “Impacts of Free Trade Agreements on Trade Liberalization of International Maritime Transport”
The 6th International Conference of the Asian Shipping and Logistics
June 2013 “Impacts of Free Trade Agreements on Civil Aviation Industries”
The 17th Air Transport Research Society World Conference
March 2013 “Recent International Policy Reviews on PFI/PPP”
Japan Society of Research and Information on Public and Co-operative Economy
December 2012 “Impediments and Solutions of Use of PFI/PPP for the Recovery from Damages caused by the Big Earthquake in East Japan”
Japan Society of Research and Information on Public and Co-operative Economy
December 2012 “International Legislative Framework of the Use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) to Defend against the Threat of Piracy”
Japan Society of Ocean Policy
October 2012 “Legal Implications of Free Trade Agreement on the Trade Liberalization of Maritime Transport”
Japan Society of Logistics and Shipping Economics
October 2011 “Promotion of PFI on Public Transport Infrastructures”
Japan Society of Transportation Economics
October 2010 “Promotion of Regional Tourism by Revitalizing Local Public Transportation”
Japan Society of Transportation Economics
October 2008 “Examination of British Tonnage Tax System”
Japan Society of Logistics and Shipping Economics

Publications
April 2014 “Promotion of Private Finance Initiatives on Transport Infrastructures”
Keio University Press.
February 2013 “International Legislative Framework of the Use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) to Defend against the Threat of Piracy”
“Captain” Vol. 413 p. 2-11. Published by Japan Captain’s Association
December 2012 “Legal Implications of Free Trade Agreement on the Trade Liberalization of Maritime Transport”
Journal of Logistics and Shipping Economics Vol. 46, p.73-82
May 2012 “Fair and Equal Competitive International Taxation on Transport Industries”
Transportation & Economy, Vol. 72-5, p.12-21
December 2008 “Examination of British Tonnage Tax System”
Journal of Logistics and Shipping Economics Vol. 42, p.57-65

Mr Matej Zakonjšek is an international professional with experience in corporate, non-profit, diplomacy and government sectors.

He studied Political Science at the University of Ljubljana, and obtained a Master's Degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He has also studied International Relations and European Affairs at the University of Bologna in Italy.

Mr Zakonjšek joined the Slovenian government as a diplomatic attaché responsible for Enlargement of the EU at the Permanent representation of Slovenia to the EU, where he later served as a deputy national delegate in the working group for Asia and Oceania.

He continued his work in diplomacy at the Embassy of Slovenia in London, UK where he was working in the Consular, Economic and Cultural departments. At the same time, he was acting as an assistant to the Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the International Maritime Organisation.

In February 2011 Mr Zakonjšek decided to continue his career in the private sector, as General Manager for the Indian multinational Company Cox and Kings GS. He was first based in London, UK and was responsible for European and CIS operations, and later Dubai, UAE where he was responsible for the Middle East and North African markets.

In 2014 Mr Zakonjšek worked as a campaign organiser for the new political party of Professor Miro Cerar, who won the 2014 parliamentary elections and formed new Slovenian government. Mr Zakonjšek was appointed Foreign trade and Cooperation advisor to the Prime Minister.

After the election of EU Commissioner Violeta Bulc, Mr Zakonjšek was invited to join her Cabinet, where he was, among the other areas, responsible for Communication. He was appointed Head of Cabinet as of 1st June 2015.

After graduating with a post-graduate Master of Science degree at the French Institute of Petroleum, Mathieu joined Camper & Nicholsons Marinas in 2007. He has been responsible for the detailed design and construction of numerous new marinas and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of several existing facilities.
Working in every country that C&N Marinas has been active, Mathieu’s design and engineering skills have been called on to deal with environmental issues from tropical hurricanes to winter sea ice. He has been instrumental in the creation and evolution of marinas that accommodate everything from small day boats to the largest of superyachts.

Dr Miriam Dalli has worked as a rapporteur for the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) on a report about the blue economy as part of the European Commission’s plan to realise the potential of our seas and oceans. Amongst several amendments, she proposed the creation of a European Maritime Agency to coordinate the EU’s blue economy strategy and policy, the promotion of maritime heritage and studies that adequately address developments of aquaculture.

Having always held a particular interest in environment-related matters, Dr Dalli is currently leading the European Parliament’s negotiations on the post 2020 reduction of CO2 emissions from new passenger cars and vans.

A lawyer by profession, Miriam Dalli holds an MBA, and MA in European Studies and a BA (Hons) Communications from the University of Malta, and has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014.

Currently she is the S&D coordinator for the Environment, Public Health and Food Security Committee.

CEO of Shipowner.io – a project sponsored by the AlphaSeas Group, which includes a successful marine finance and strategy consultancy firm in the EU & a vessel management company in the UK. Prior to co-founding AlphaSeas, Mitul served as Head of Marine Business Risks at PK Airfinance in GE Capital overseeing asset, market & credit risks for the global marine investment portfolio. Before his assignment at GE, Mitul served as SVP Shipping & Intermodal Investment Management at DVB Bank SE in the Netherlands, where he was responsible for evaluation of risk-reward metrics, in-house consultancy on asset, market and credit risks in equity deals and commercial and technical management of assets. He has previously held various positions in the maritime industry through his work at DVB, S&P’s Research, Hudong Shipyard China, Namura / Imari shipyard Japan, Teekay Tankers, Valles Steamship, Dynacom Tankers and Dockendale Shipping. His roles included:
• Heading the Research & Strategic Planning division of DVB Bank.
• Heading DVB’s technical committee; Advising new deal and credit committees & as a Recommendation Panel member for global marine investments.
• Project engineer for new build construction projects in China & Japan.
• Shipboard operations for global players.
Mitul holds an MBA from Lancaster University Management School, UK and a Chief Engineer’s Certificate of Competency (Marine) from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, UK; Post MBA, Global Strategic Management program from Harvard Business School, USA.

Internationally recognized and renowned globally across the maritime industry, Mr. Mohamed Zaitoun, an engineer by training, has brought his 30+ years of experience and technical knowledge to our organization to enhance and innovate the world of green shipping. During his career, boasting a project-budget of approximately USD 4 billion, Mr. Zaitoun has specialized in the construction of nearly 35 innovative and highly efficient mega vessels, acting as both an active contributing member for projects belonging to acclaimed companies such as Hyundai, and Samsung Heavy Industries.
Mr. Zaitoun continues to partner with top tier manufacturers and suppliers in the industry.
Under his visionary guidance, the revolutionary state of the art vessels produced countless TEU records, essentially revitalizing the shipping industry.
Mr. Zaitoun is an ex-United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) A. Vice President (New Building Technical Projects) and head of multiple industry organizations. Mr. Zaitoun is sought after for his technological expertise, lectures and featured numerously in specialized journal publications.
Mr. Zaitoun holds an engineering degree in Marine Engineering and has maintained up-to-date skills through ongoing coursework in Maritime Studies at various reputable and prestigious institutes.
Mohammed Zaitoun has initiated, developed and contributed to the construction of the world’s greenest and most efficient Ultra Large Container Vessels. Under his visionary guidance, the revolutionary state of the art vessels went on to produce countless TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) records.
Mr. Zaitoun’s intention, creating high utilization eco-efficient ships, resulted in 60% lower CO2 output per TEU compared to even today’s larger container vessels. The ships built under his vision are considered the pinnacle of the shipping industry.
Through theoretical originality and engineering practicality, Mr. Zaitoun has worked on the development of eco-efficient vessels that prioritize environmental protection with both a remarkable fuel and CO2 reduction whilst delivering a long service-life.
These vessels were the first ultra large container ships in the industry delivered ‘LNG ready’ with an achievement of 50% EEDI less than the 2025 rules requirements.
Recently he founded Zaitoun Green Shipping L.L.C. and some of his company activity
• New Vessel Development: from design, specification optimization, building guidance to delivery & operating Ports & Terminals development.
• Green energy solutions.
• Innovative shipping technology solutions.
• Oil & gas.
• LNG: including retrofit, bunkering & power station optimization.
• All type of machineries and system retrofits.
• Management and consultancy of strategic plans.
• Project Management: New building and Retrofit.
The company’s mission is to improve significantly the investment efficiency and profitability over a lifecycle of a vessel combined with good ecological performance.
Mr. Zaitoun has initiated, together with world leading companies in smart technology and solutions, a consortium to collaborate on radically improving performance of container ships and forming a new business model for this market. Zaitoun Green Shipping’s mission is to protect the marine environment and drive business growth with innovative and smart approaches, the new consortium is committed to drive for new business models that will lower the investment risk and ensure ecological and profitable operations. Mr. Zaitoun has successfully formed the consortium with of winning team of the most innovative professionals and pioneers who will collaborate to shape the industry with innovation. The company said that the industry has come to a point where it must change and adopt new technologies, processes and operating models in order to cope with both commercial and ecological challenges.
Mr. Zaitoun main goals is to establish a competitive fleet of efficient and economical vessels that will ensure better profitability.

Nigel Lowry is Greece Correspondent for Lloyd’s List (www.lloydslist.com), the shipping information provider since 1734. He has been covering the industry since the crisis of the 1980s and has reported on the key Greek shipping community from London and New York as well as Athens.

Nigel wrote the book ‘Onassis and his Legacy’, published by the Onassis Foundation in 2003, reprinted from a serialisation in Lloyd’s List.

He is a regular participant in maritime industry events as chairman, moderator or guest speaker and has often been interviewed for television and other media on shipping topics.

Since 2004, his remit for Lloyd’s List includes directing and hosting the annual Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards, one of the largest events in the maritime calendar, drawing more than 1,000 guests each year.

Independently, Nigel is also founder and director of the Greek Shipping Hall of Fame, an important hub of information on the industry for new generations. It annually recognises outstanding individuals in Greek shipping’s history and is a leading supporter of Greek children’s charity Hellenic Hope. It can be visited at www.greekshippinghalloffame.org

Nigel is the recioient of a prestigious Efkranti Award for international promotion of the Greek shipping industry.

Director, Business Development joined IRI Maritime and Corporate Services (Switzerland) SA in June 2008 to open the Registry's office in Geneva. Throughout the past decade, Patrick has built a strongly international career in multiple business sectors. After growing up in both French and German sections of Switzerland, he attended university in the United States which led to a position with Deloitte. He then moved back to Geneva where he joined Japan Tobacco, allowing him to thoroughly explore the Asian markets.
Prior to joining IRI, Patrick's most recent position was with Hewlett-Packard where he served as controller on an EMEA role. His experience at sea includes sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with only one other crewmember.

Mr. Gian Enzo Duci
Norbulk Enterprise Ship Management SRL - Managing Director - Policy and Strategy
Professor at the University of Genoa, he is in charge of the courses ``Economy and finance of shipping companies`` and ``Theory and practice of ship brokering``. He is the editor and the co-author of the Italian best-selling book ``Nuovo manuale dei traffici marittimi``.
Managing director of ESA Group, leading Italian ship management conglomerate (180 fully or partially managed vessels with offices in 9 countries) , he is currently a Board Member of Bank of Italy and of Genoa Port Authority. He was recently appointed as Chairman of RINA Technical Committee.
Since June 2016 he is President of Federagenti, Italian National Federation of Ship Brokers & Agents, after having served - from 2012 to 2016 - as President of its Genoa branch (Assagenti). He is an Executive Board Member of FONASBA (The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers & Agents). During his tenure Assagenti organized the first two ``Genoa Shipping Weeks``. He is a Confetra (Italian Transport Confederation) Vice President, and Chairman of Teatro Stabile of Genoa.
Starting from 2015, he is Chief Restructuring Officer of a chemical tankers ship owning company.
He previously served as president of young groups of Ship Agents and Brokers Associations in Genoa (Assagenti), in Italy (Federagenti) and in Europe (ECASBA).
In 2011 he received Lloyd's List Italian Shipping Award in the category ``New Generation``.

Professor Simone Borg LL.D, LL.M. (Int law), Ph.D (IMLI) is a resident academic at the University of Malta, where she is chair of the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, head of the Department of Environmental and Resources law and lecturer in International law at the Faculty of Laws. She started her career as a diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malta and then headed the Multilateral Department within the Ministry of the Environment from 1992 to 2004. She was Malta’s chief negotiator in International Environmental Multilateral Agreements, during which time frame she also drafted national environmental legislation and policy making. She coordinated the transposition of the environmental acquis communautaire before Malta’s EU membership. was appointed Malta’s Ambassador for Climate Action in 2010. During Malta’s tenure of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, she chaired the EU group on climate negotiations. Simone Borg also works as a freelance legal expert on International law, with a special focus on ocean governance, climate law and environmental law in various projects with the European Union, the United Nations and academic networks. Prof Borg is a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, one of the experts on the European Union’s Horizon 2020 SC 5 Advisory Group on climate action. Prof Borg has published books including the monograph Conservation of Living Marine Resources on the High Seas, as well as many articles and papers on environmental law, climate change law and ocean governance. In 2017 she received the French National Order of Merit for her work as a diplomat on climate action in Malta and within the International community.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim was born in Sivas, Turkey in 1960. He graduated from 19 May High School in Samsun, Turkey. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 1983. In 1989, he received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State University. He exited the doctoral program to begin his career in San Mateo, California as a design and project engineer at Paceco Corporation, which manufactured container-handling cranes. He worked at Paceco Corp. for nearly five years.

After 10 years of studying and working in the United States, Robert Yuksel Yildirim returned to Turkey in May 1993. He joined the management board of the family-owned company, located in Samsun at that time. The same year, he led the first international achievement of the company, directly importing coal from Russia. In October 1997, Yildirim Group of Companies moved its headquarters to Istanbul. Robert Yuksel Yildirim led the Group in new initiatives in the 2000s, and in 2008, the Group made its first international acquisition in Sweden.

Yildirim Group of Companies has grown to become a global force based in Istanbul by Robert Yuksel Yildirim’s accomplishments in international trade. The company operates in 11 sectors in 49 countries on four continents. Today, the Group is among the leading companies in port management, maritime industry, metals and mining, coal and coke, fertilizers and chemicals, becoming a global player in those areas of interest. The Group continues growing in the international business world since 2008 by acquiring chrome mines, ferrochrome plants, ports, and terminals. Lloyd’s List ranks Robert Yuksel Yildirim among the top 100 most influential people in the shipping industry, top 20 most powerful people in container shipping, and top 10 most powerful people in container terminals. Also, consulting company Drewry lists him as one of the top 20 global leaders in port operations. Robert Yuksel Yildirim is also among the top three leaders of the global chromium industry.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim is the President and CEO of Yildirim Group of Companies. In addition to his responsibilities at Yildirim Group, he is a Board Member of CMA CGM Group. Based in France, CMA CGM Group is the third largest container shipping company in the world, and Yildirim Group owns 24% of its shares. In addition, he is a Member of the Board of Trustees at Garip & Zeycan Yildirim Foundation, and the Chairman of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Turkey-Colombia Business Council.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim is married and has two children.

Member of the European Parliament for Malta and Gozo Roberta Metsola was first elected in 2013, becoming one of Malta's first three female MEPs. Professionally, she is a lawyer who has specialised in European law and politics at the University of Malta and the College of Europe in Bruges.

As a MEP Dr Metsola is the coordinator for the European People’s Party (EPP) within the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. She is also a Vice-President of the Petitions Committee and a member of the Internal Market and Consumer Affairs Committee.

A proud Maltese and passionate European, in her years in the European Parliament, Dr Metsola has been vocal in her defence of a united Europe, calling for proper balance between the rights and responsibilities of European consumers and companies.

Prior to serving as a MEP, Dr Metsola served within the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union as Malta’s Legal and Judicial Cooperation Attaché and head of the Justice and Home Affairs Unit there. She then moved to the European External Action Service (EEAS), acting as a legal advisor to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Born in 1979, Roberta Metsola is married to Ukko Metsola and is the mother of four young boys. She has been named MEP of the Year for Justice and Home Affairs in 2015 and 2016 and has been chosen as one of Europe’s ten Young Leaders from across the European Union in 2017.

Rory Jackson is an experienced Deputy Editor with a demonstrated history of working in the maritime industry and with some of the world's most discerning ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
He is skilled in Business Development, Journalism, Editing and Media Strategy and strong media and communication professional with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophy from Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd.

Mr. Stathis D. Gourdomichalis is the COO and co-founder, along with his brother George and a group of Institutional Investors, of Blue Wall Shipping Limited and the Managing Director and co-founder of Phoenix Shipping & Trading SA.
He was born in 1972 in London. He attended Athens College and went on to attend New York University and received his BSc in International Finance & International Business. He further attended City University where he obtained his MSc in Shipping Trade and Finance.
In 1996, together with his brother, they founded Gourdomichalis Naftiki Eteria S.A. and further co-founded Free Holdings S.A. / Free Bulkers S.A. in 2001. In 2004 they combined all their shipping interests and created FreeSeas Inc. which was listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in December 2005. In January 2007, he successfully sold his interests in FreeSeas Inc. and reinvested in a dry bulk niche market and built a modern private fleet. Ship management services were provided by G. Bros Maritime S.A. until 2012, when Blue Wall Shipping Limited and Phoenix Shipping & Trading SA were founded.
Independently, he has founded a secondary stock brokerage firm, In Link S.A., which he sold to a large Stock Brokerage firm in 2001. He has founded a Maritime Technical Advisory firm, Central Bureau of Shipping. He co-founded and was member of the Board of Fortius Finance Romania. He is a member of the Rina Hellenic Committee and the Board of an NGO, the Greek Committee for the Education of Kenyan Youth.
He is married and has one daughter and lives in Athens, Greece.

Dr. Stephan Piazza is a maritime lawyer by profession working within the Shipping and Yachting Advisory sub-function at KPMG in Malta.

Dr. Piazza has a varied client portfolio, including international ship-owners and credit institutions in all maritime law aspects such as Ship and Super-Yacht Registration, Shipping Compliance, Shipping Sale & Purchase and Ship Finance. Following the enactment of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and in view of its entry into force, Dr. Piazza focused his attention on ship recycling matters by advising ship owners and flag administrations. In this regard he has provided advice not only in connection with environmental matters but also from a tax angle through the analysis and implementation of efficient tax structures and practices.

Dr. Piazza attends and speaks at high profile seminars and conferences both locally and abroad in order to keep himself abreast with recent market trends and developments.

Dr. Piazza is also an Executive Committee Member of the Malta Maritime Law Association which forms part of the Comite’ Maritime International. Also through the Malta Maritime Law Association, Dr. Piazza is actively involved in legal drafting at a local level. He has also published a number of articles in both local and international journals. He collaborates with the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology as an external examiner and has delivered lectures at the ELSA Malta Summer Law School.

Thijs Timmerman
KPMG Norway – Senior Manager Cyber Risk
Thijs Timmerman is a senior manager within KPMG's Cyber Security Services department. He is responsible for KPMG's maritime security services based in Norway and leads projects of various sizes. With his project teams, he helps organisations in assessing, designing and improving their information risk management strategy, as well as in designing insightful cyber risk monitoring reporting capabilities. Having been an interim Chief Information Security Officer, he also knows the other side of the table – strengthening his multidimensional vision on cyber in the boardroom.
In addition, Mr. Timmerman is actively involved in KPMG’s global innovation program where he cooperates with fast-growing start-ups in the information and intelligence area.
Mr. Timmerman started his career at KPMG in The Netherlands, where he was program manager for KPMG NL’s innovation agenda as part of the Global Strategic Growth Initiative. He moved to Norway in 2017 and brought his international experience on innovative cyber solutions to the Norwegian industry.
Prior to joining KPMG, Mr. Timmerman completed an MSc in Industrial and Applied Mathematics at Eindhoven University of Technology, with a focus on discrete mathematics and cryptographic applications. In addition, he completed a master's in IT Audit, Compliance and Advisory from VU University Amsterdam. He now applies his analytical skills and information protection knowledge in the energy, maritime and financial sectors.

Vassilios DEMETRIADES
Policy Officer
DG (MOVE)
European Commission

Vassilios Demetriades is a Policy Officer (seconded national expert) in DG Mobility and Transport dealing with the overall coordination of the EU maritime transport strategy and EU’s external maritime transport relations.

He was previously involved in the promotion of EU sustainable shipping initiatives through the coordination of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum. He has also served as a Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, under the second Barroso Commission.

He has formerly served the Cyprus Public Administration in various positions: Head of EU Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works responsible for the formulation of Cyprus' national position to EU policies and initiatives in the areas of transport, telecommunications, space and integrated maritime policy and for the overall coordination of the Cyprus Presidency to the EU pertaining to these areas, as well as a trainer-lecturer on EU Affairs at the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration (2009-2013); Counsellor for Maritime Affairs at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU (2004-2008); Maritime Affairs Officer at the Cyprus Maritime Administration (1998-2004).

Vassilios holds a BSc degree in Business Economics and an MSc in Management Science from the University of Surrey, UK.