Dr. Josianne Cutajar is a lawyer and EU policy advisor, as well as a former Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024). As an MEP she sat on the Committees of Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). As Vice-Chair for SMEs and Digitalisation in the Seas, Rivers, Islands & Coastal Areas (SEArica) Intergroup, as well as negotiator of several digital files, she bridged the digital and maritime agendas at EU level; advocating for the modernisation of maritime services and connectivity for island and coastal communities. She holds an LLM in European and Comparative Law, with her dissertation focusing on EU maritime cabotage legislation. Dr Cutajar currently serves as a Member of the Administrative Board of the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).

Aakash is Regional Business Development Director, at DNV, with over 16 years’ expertise across marine engineering, fleet operations, audits, and strategic business development. As a marine engineer by training and MBA from London Business School, he has led transformational projects optimizing maritime services, change management, and regulatory compliance across Europe, the Middle East, and India. From overseeing thousands of ship surveys to developing new markets, he blends technical acumen with commercial strategy. As a panellist, he offers deep insights into maritime innovation, regulatory frameworks, and the evolving landscape of sustainable shipping and fleet operations

Alessandro Panaro is Head of Maritime & Energy at SRM (Intesa Sanpaolo Group), a research center specialized in the analysis of the Mediterranean economy, logistics, and maritime transport. An internationally recognized economist and analyst, he coordinates strategic research on shipping, ports, supply chains, energy, and the geopolitical dynamics of the Wider Mediterranean region.
He serves as a member of several scientific committees of leading national and international institutions, observatories, and organizations. He is also the author of numerous publications, reports, and contributions featured in academic and specialized journals focused on maritime economics, logistics, and infrastructure development.
Alessandro Panaro regularly participates as a speaker and keynote speaker at international conferences and forums, collaborating with universities, port authorities, institutions, and global stakeholders in the maritime and logistics sectors.

Antonios Trakakis graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Dept of National Technical University of Athens in 1989 and carried out graduate studies at von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in the field of Turbomachinery.
He started his professional career as Cadet Engineer in 1989 and continued in 1993 as 3rd Engineer. He worked in shipping companies initially as Superintendent Engineer and since 2000 as Technical Manager, while in October 2020 he joined RINA as Technical Director, Marine Greece.
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 as well as optimization of energy consumption and improving efficiency on board. He has studied extensively the challenges and benefits associated with the application of natural gas as fuel and of other alternative fuels.

Capt. Fritz Farrugia, Master Mariner by background, with a maritime career and education and training that started in Malta followed by further training and education in the United Kingdom where he obtained his Master Mariner Certificate of Competency. A career that extended to world-wide sailing, specialising on board Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers with International companies. He has been employed with the Ports & Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta since 2015, joining as Deputy Harbour Master and to date occupying the position of Chief Officer and Harbour Master withing the Ports & Yachting Directorate.

Dr. Christos Sigalas is Professor of Strategic and Financial Management at Deree – The American College of Greece. He brings more than 20 years of undergraduate and graduate teaching experience across both public and private higher education institutions in Greece, specializing in strategic management, corporate finance, and accounting.

He has authored more than 50 scholarly and professional publications, including articles in academic and practitioner journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, and contributions to the economic press. His academic work has received significant international recognition. He was awarded the Emerald Highly Commended Paper Award in 2014 for a publication in the Journal of Strategy and Management and received the IAME 2019 Best Paper Award in the special session “Financial Risk Management and Investments in Maritime Transportation” at the 27th Annual Conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists. Recently, his single-authored article, “Resource Allocation Choices in Asset-Intensive Industries,” was recognized among the top cited papers published by the European Management Review in 2024. His research has also attracted broader international attention, with publications cited by TradeWinds, included in the World Health Organization COVID-19 Research Database, and linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

In addition to his academic career, Dr. Sigalas has over 20 years of executive experience in finance and management across the maritime shipping, investment banking, telecommunications, and management consulting sectors. He possesses extensive experience in public equity offerings in U.S. capital markets, debt financing, debt restructuring, and shipping investments. For fourteen years, he served as a finance executive at Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp., a shipping company listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. During his tenure, he also served on the boards of 44 ship-owning, ship-management, and ship-broking companies operating as subsidiaries of Seanergy.

A real expert in Corporate Finance, he has been active in the Shipping Industry for the last 40 years. Thanks to his long and recognized experience in the industry, he realized some of the most important operations on the Italian market as advisor, equity investor and in the structuring of complex financial operations of acquisition and development.
He is Managing Director in VSL Club S.p.A., an Investment and Advisory Holding whose main aim is to realize operations to help the development of companies in the Logistic and Maritime industry.
He holds relevant positions in some of the main associations of the sector (ECSA, Assiterminal, FEPORT). In CONFITARMA (Italian Shipowners’ Association) he is a Board Member, Vice President of the Fiscal & Financial Commission, and Coordinator of the Taxonomy Working Group.

George Margaritopoulos is an average adjuster with Richards Hogg Lindley since 2015 and Director in the Greek office. He is a qualified Fellow of the British Association of Average Adjusters, a member of the International Association of Average Adjusters and a regular tutor at the Greek branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, specializing on Marine Insurance. Previous to that, he was occupied as a shipyards and chartering broker. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Piraeus and an Master’s degree from Cardiff University.

George Theocharidis is a Professor of Maritime Law & Policy at World Maritime University. Member of the Piraeus Law Bar and a qualified advocate before Areios Pagos (Supreme Court) with extensive shipping litigation practice. Member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Roster of Experts and Member of the Working Group of its Legal Committee pertaining to “Measures to Prevent Unlawful Practices Associated with Fraudulent Registration and Fraudulent Registries of Ships”. Special counsel to the Union of Greek Shipowners and Ordinary Member of the Law Commission that recently revised the Code of Private Maritime Law (KIND) of Greece. Co-Chair of the International Working Group on “Liability for the Wrongful Arrest of Ships” and Member of the Working Group on “Fraudulent Registration of Ships” of the Comité Maritime International (CMI). Supporting Member of the London Maritime Association of Arbitrators (LMAA) and Member of the Hellenic Maritime Law Association. Author of many books and articles in various fields of law, editorial board member of law journals and invited speaker in many international legal conferences. Holder of an LL.M. degree from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Ph.D. from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece).

Gerardo Landaluce Calleja has been Chairman of the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) since February 2019. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Granada, a Master’s in International Management from ESADE Business School, and is a graduate in Senior Management for Companies and Leading Institutions from San Telmo Business School.
Before joining the APBA in 1996, Landaluce worked as Vice President of Private Banking at Banco Español de Crédito (BANESTO), serving in Miami and New York. At the APBA, he has held leadership roles in strategy, business development, and communication, including serving as Development and Commercial Director and as a member of the Board of Directors.

Landaluce is actively involved in the global port and maritime sector, holding roles such as Vice President of the MEDPORTS Association and the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO), as well as President of SUNCRUISE Andalucía. He frequently participates in international conferences and seminars, sharing his expertise on maritime, port, and logistics management.

As Head of the Strategy and European Affairs Department at the Algeciras Bay Port Authority, Mr. Núñez leads engagement with European institutions and securing funding for strategic infrastructure projects. He currently drives key initiatives in maritime decarbonisation, green corridors, alternative fuels infrastructure, and rail capacity enhancement. He holds a degree and an MSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Granada and has extensive experience in infrastructure planning and management. He began his career at Ferrovial and later worked at INECO, contributing to major international projects such as HS2 in the UK and the Haramain High-Speed Railway in Saudi Arabia.
Luis joined Algeciras Bay Port Authority in 2019 as Infrastructure Manager and was appointed Head of Strategy and European Projects in 2024, playing a key role in obtaining CEF funding and advancing international green corridor initiatives.

Mathieu is a qualified Engineer with over 18 years of experience exclusively in the Superyacht Marina Sector, preparing feasibility studies, marina detail designs, material procurement, tendering and commissioning works; as well as day to day project management.
Based in the C&N Marinas London office, his role also covers several aspects of the civil works associated to harbour facilities, ranging from land reclamation, dredging, quay edge treatment, breakwaters and infrastructures, evident on a number of projects successfully completed both for C&N and those of it’s third party clientele worldwide.

Rave Al-Chamary is a Product Manager, Energy Saving Technologies at Wärtsilä, based in the Netherlands. With over eight years of experience at the company, he has held roles in both propulsion equipment sales and product management, providing him with a strong combination of commercial, technical, and strategic expertise.

In his current role, Rave is responsible for Wind Propulsion and a broad portfolio of Energy Saving Technologies, supporting shipowners and shipbuilders in improving vessel efficiency and reducing emissions. He has a strong focus on integrating these technologies into both retrofit and newbuild projects, helping the maritime industry advance its decarbonization objectives while delivering measurable fuel-efficiency improvements.
Including knowledge of the impact of maritime rules and regulations. More recently, his focus has expanded towards the development of fully integrated ship concepts, exploring how multiple technologies can be combined and optimized at vessel level to maximize operational performance, regulatory compliance, and sustainability outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Shiv Kumar Tripathi is Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Berlin school of Business and Innovation, Germany. Formerly, he worked as a Vice Chancellor of Atmiya University, India. During last 28 years of his career journey, Shiv has served many institutions and universities in Asia, Africa and Europe. Shiv co-chairs IN Principles of Responsible Management (PRME) Poverty Working Group; and is member of Steering Committee in Anti-Corruption Working Group. Shiv has more than 100 publications including 13 books on management, higher education and sustainability related themes.

Thomas A. Kazakos is the Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), having previously served as Director General of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSC), the representative National-Member Association of Cyprus at ICS, since 1995.

Throughout his last tenure, he actively participated together with successive CSC Board Members (currently, Mr. Themis Papadopoulos) at the ICS Board, contributing in shaping the Association’s strategy on all regulatory, operational, and legal issues concerning the international shipping industry.

Thomas studied at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B) and a Master‘s Degree in European and International Trade Law (LL.M).

Thomas began his professional career at the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation prior to joining the Cyprus Shipping Chamber. Internationally Thomas has represented Cyprus on the board of ICS and the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) in addition to being an Administrative Board member of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).