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| Aziz Bamik General Manager GTT North America Aziz Bamik joined GTT, the leading engineering company in the shipping and storage of LNG and other liquefied gases, in 1999 and has served as General Manager of wholly-owned subsidiary GTT North America (GTT NA) in Houston since its formation in 2013. Based in Houston, he manages all the activities in the American continents. Before assuming this position, he occupied various positions at GTT SA in France, including R&D Engineer, Project Manager, and Director of Business Development. As Project Manager, for nine years he was in charge of the relationships with Shipbuilding Yards (China, Korea, Japan) with the delivery of approximately 100 LNG carriers, including the Regas-LNGCs, Large and very Large LNGCs for Qatari Projects, etc. As Director of Business Development, for almost four years he was in charge of the relationships with Shipowners, Charterers, Gas Companies, EPCs, Engineering Companies, Classification Societies, etc. Mr. Bamik is currently a member of AAPA (American Association of Port Authorities), NAMEPA (North American Marine Environmental Protection Association), and Program Committee of the LNG X events, the largest international LNG event. He is a frequent speaker and contributor to SGMF, SIGTTO, U.S. Coast Guard Senior Executive Forums, and other prominent industry events around the world. In early 2017 Mr. Bamik was awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award for his advocacy of the safe, clean, and secure transport and use of liquefied gases within the maritime industry. In February 2018, Mr. Bamik has been nominated as French Foreign Trade Advisor for the French Government. Mr. Bamik received his degree in Engineering in France. | |
| Scott Bergeron Director Oldendorff Scott Bergeron is a Director for Oldendorff Carriers, the world’s leading bulk carrier owner and operator. With a modern leadership approach and a strong technical foundation, Scott is a proven business leader and international shipping industry executive. Scott is an honors graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and also earned an MBA from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Prior to joining Oldendorff Carriers, Scott was a Principal with the YCF Group. As the Group’s maritime program leader he held a variety of roles that included Chief Executive Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the world’s second largest ship registry. Scott also conceived, established, nurtured and grew several profitable businesses for the Group including EuroFlag Services, SeaNet Maritime, SeaNet Verification and Decatur Marine Audit & Survey. In 2011 Mr. Bergeron was appointed by Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell as a Commissioner of the Port of Virginia, where he was subsequently elected as Vice Chairman. During a 3-year term, Scott provided financial and operation governance of one of the largest and deepest ports in the United States of America. Earlier in his career, Bergeron held senior management positions in an international ship owning & ship managing company and served as a marine surveyor for the US Coast Guard and for Det Norske Veritas. | |
| Joe Brady Financial Reporter TradeWinds Joe has been a full-time journalist with TradeWinds since 1995. He began working for TradeWinds on a freelance basis in 1990, the paper’s first year of publication. Since 2007, he has been a financial reporter. Prior to joining full time, Joe was a reporter and editor for daily newspapers in Connecticut for 15 years, covering a broad range of beats. Most recently, he was city editor of the New Haven Register. Joe was educated at the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University | |
| Robert Bugbee President & Director Scorpio Bulkers Robert Bugbee, the Company’s co-founder, has served as our Class B Director since April 2013 and as our President since July 2013. Mr. Bugbee has more than 34 years of experience in the shipping industry. Mr. Bugbee has also served as President and Director of Scorpio Tankers Inc. since its initial public offering in April 2010 and as President and a Director of Hermitage Offshore Services Ltd. since December 2018. He joined Scorpio in March 2009 and has continued to serve there in a senior management position. Prior to joining Scorpio, Mr. Bugbee was a partner at Ospraie Management LLC between 2007 and 2008, a company which advises and invests in commodities and basic industry. From 1995 to 2007, Mr. Bugbee was employed at OMI Corporation, or OMI, a NYSE-listed tanker company sold in 2007. While at OMI, Mr. Bugbee served as President from January 2002 until the sale of the company, and before that served as Executive Vice President since January 2001, Chief Operating Officer since March 2000 and Senior Vice President from August 1995 to June 1998. Mr. Bugbee joined OMI in February 1995. Prior to this, he was employed by Gotaas-Larsen Shipping Corporation since 1984. During this time, he took a two-year sabbatical from 1987 for the M.I.B. Program at the Norwegian School for Economics and Business administration in Bergen. He has a B.A. (Honors) from London University. | |
| Robert Burke CEO Ridgebury Tankers Robert Burke is the CEO of Ridgebury Tankers. He has over 30 year career as investor, manager, financier and owner. Previously, he was the CEO of Chembulk Tankers. Education includes: Columbia University MBA, US Merchant Marine Academy and USMMA Kings Point and MBA Columbia Business School | |
| Angela Chao CEO Foremost Group Ms. Chao is Chairperson and CEO of Foremost Group, a global leader in the dry bulk shipping industry founded by her father Dr. James S.C. Chao with her mother, the late Mrs. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao, in 1964 in New York. Ms. Chao was previously Vice President of Foremost Group, concentrating on Ship Operations and Ship Management, and then promoted to Senior Vice President of the Company, adding Chartering and Sale & Purchase to her responsibilities. Prior to that, she was Assistant Vice President where she implemented Foremost Group’s Safety Management System to comply with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, a new regulation mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which came into effect for large bulk carriers in 1997, whose objective was to ensure safety, prevent human injury or loss of life and avoid damage to the environment and property as a result of various marine accidents.. She has since also implemented the fleet’s Vessel Security Plans in compliance with the IMO’s International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the security of ships and ports, developed in response to the 9/11 attacks in the United States. | |
| Mark Friedman Senior Managing Director Evercore Mark Friedman is a Senior Managing Director of the firm’s corporate advisory business. He is a well regarded and experienced advisor to companies worldwide in the transportation and shipping space, having served as an advisor for more than 15 years at Merrill Lynch & Co. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. Previously, he was Head of U.S. Transportation & Infrastructure at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and was Global Head of its Shipping Investment Banking business. While at Merrill Lynch, Mr. Friedman helped develop the firm’s Transportation & Infrastructure and Shipping Practices into the leading advisory and underwriting business among investment banks. Mr. Friedman advised on a number of major transactions for transportation and travel companies, including: the purchase of The Sabre Group by Texas Pacific Group and Silver Lake Partners; the sale of Maritrans to Overseas Shipholding Group; the sale of CHC Helicopter Corporation to First Reserve Corporation; and the injection of COSCO’s dry bulk fleet into China COSCO. Since joining Evercore in 2009, Mr Friedman has advised Overseas Shipholding Group on the restructuring of its commercial agreements with Aker Shipyards, advised Cardiff Marine on the sale of 25% of Primelead Shareholders to Dryships Inc., advised Danaos Corporation on its comprehensive restructuring, advised RBS on its strategic alternatives in respect of outstanding loan exposure to TBS Shipping, and advised Trico Marine on its restructuring alternatives, advised Golar LNG Partners on its IPO, assisted Safe Bulkers and Scorpio Tankers with add-on offerings, advised Capital Products Partners on its merger with Crude Carriers, advised DryShips on its acquisition of Oceanfreight, and TORM on its comprehensive restructuring. Mr. Friedman began his career as an Associate Attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. He holds a J.D. with Honors from the New York University, and a B.S. in Economics with Highest Honors from Rutgers University. | |
| Randy Giveans Vice President Equity Research Jefferies Randy Giveans is the Senior Analyst and Group Head of the Energy Maritime Shipping Equity Research Group and a Senior Vice President at Jefferies. He currently covers 30 energy maritime shipping companies that transport crude oil, refined petroleum products, LNG, LPG, dry bulk commodities, and containers. In 2019, he was named to Institutional Investor’s (I.I.) All-America Research Team In 2018, he was named an Institutional Investor All-America Research Rising Star and was ranked as the #1 Stock Picker for Shipping in the Thomson Reuters Analyst Awards. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2011, Randy worked as a Senior Financial Analyst in the Corporate Finance department at Continental/United Airlines. Mr. Giveans received a Bachelor of Science in Finance/Economics from Spring Hill College and an MBA in Finance with an Energy Specialization from the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. | |
| John Hocevar Ocean Campaign Director Greenpeace USA An accomplished campaigner, explorer, and marine biologist, John has helped win several major victories for marine conservation since becoming the director of Greenpeace's oceans campaign in 2004. John has been featured on many national TV and radio networks, including CNN, BBC, ABC, NBC, Fox, and NPR, and has been quoted in the New York Times, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Science, New Scientist, Salon, Washington Post, The Times of London, and many others. John is also a regular presenter at refereed scientific meetings, such as the International Deep Sea Coral Symposium, Marine Conservation Congress, Alaska Marine Science Symposium, and the annual meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. John directed a campaign that secured the first cap on factory fishing for menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay (menhanden is the second largest fishery in the United States). In 2007, John led an expedition to the Bering Sea that employed submarines to conduct the first manned exploration of the world's largest underwater canyon. He and his team discovered a new species of sponge, and documented many corals and sponges that were not previously known to live in the Bering Sea. In 2010 John helped lead Greenpeace's response to the BP Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. John put together the scientific program for a three month-long research expedition to assess the true scope and impacts of the disaster, involving scientists from over a dozen independent institutions. | |
| Kristin Holth Executive Vice President, Global Head of Ocean Industries DNB ASA Kristin has been with DNB since 1984 and after 6 years as Head of DNB Americas, she became Global Head of DNBs Shipping, Offshore & Logistics Division in 2013. DNB is one of the worlds leading Shipping, Offshore and Logistics financial institution with clients in all major segments globally, and presence in the important maritime hubs (Oslo, Bergen, London, Athens, New York and Singapore). From 1.9.2017 Kristin she was appointed Global Head of Ocean Industries Division in DNB. This new division includes Shipping, offshore, logistics, oil & gas, oilfield services and seafood, all important industries for DNB. Prior to becoming head of DNB’s Shipping, Offshore & Logistics Division, her responsibilities as head of DNB Americas included responsibilities for the Banks branches in New York and Santiago de Chile as well as Representative offices in Houston and Rio de Janeiro. Kristin has also held various management positions in DNB’s Shipping and Offshore & Logistics in Oslo, Norway and in London, UK. Kristin was examined from the Norwegian Business School (BI) in 1984. | |
| Dorothea Ioannou Chief Commercial Officer American Club Dorothea holds a JD from St. John's University School of Law in New York and a BA from the City University of New York. Dorothea’s career now spans over 27 years and began in the early 90’s initially working in medical insurance and in law firms involved in commercial as well as maritime law. In January of 1998, Dorothea entered the marine insurance industry joining Allied Insurance Brokers Ltd. to manage the Marine Insurance Claims Department. In 2005, Dorothea joined SCB (Hellas) Inc., the Piraeus Claims Liaison Office for the Managers of the American P&I Club, (Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc., NY) as a Claims Executive. In 2009 she took on the claims as well as general management of the office. In 2010 she became the first woman to be appointed to the Executive Committee of Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc. NY. In 2013 she became the Regional Business Development Director for Europe Middle East and Africa and in June 2015, was promoted to Global Business Development Director. Dorothea now serves as Chief Commercial Officer making her the first woman to occupy a top level global executive position in the history of the American Club and its managers. Dorothea is active in the shipping industry, a frequent speaker at events, a known mentor for young professionals and in 2017 Dorothea was awarded with the Next Generation Shipping Award for 2017 at the Lloyd’s List Global Awards in London. She served on the Board of WISTA Hellas for four years as Vice President, currently serves as a board member of the Piraeus Marine Club and represents the Club as a member of the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Propeller Club of Piraeus. Dorothea is also a board member of the American Hellenic Hull Insurance Company, Ltd., a wholly owned hull insurance subsidiary of the American P&I Club. | |
| Thomas Klenum Senior Vice President, Marine Operations Liberian Registry Thomas Klenum is the Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations at the Liberian Registry, with a career spanning over 25 years as a Naval Architect and Principal Surveyor, to Managing Director and Technical Director. He has extensive managerial and international working experience gained through long term international assignments to China, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, and the United States, as well as experience in the Nordic area based in Denmark. Mr. Klenum graduated in 1993 with a B.S. in Naval Architecture, and after a short period at A.P. Moller-Maersk's shipyard (Odense Steel Shipyard) in Denmark, worked for over 20 years for Lloyd's Register prior to taking up the position as Managing Director for SeaNet Maritime Services & Technical Director for Liberian Registry (both part of the YCF Maritime Group) in 2014 in Luxembourg. From January 2020, he relocated to the Washington D.C. area at the Liberian Registry’s Head Office (Dulles, VA) as Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations. In summary, Thomas Klenum is a versatile and experienced naval architect and Senior Vice President, with sound technical experience and judgment, with safety, quality and performance as the highest objectives, supplemented with commercial awareness and business acumen. | |
| Jason P. Klopfer Managing Director Navig8 America LLC Mr. Klopfer is the Managing Director of Navig8 Americas and oversees Navig8 Group’s operations in the United States. In addition to his responsibilities in his current position, Mr. Klopfer played a leadership role in extending Navig8’s global commercial platform and sector expertise to form Navig8 Product Tankers (N-OTC: EIGHT), Navig8 Chemical Tankers (N-OTC: CHEMS), and Navig8 Crude Tankers, a predecessor to Gener8 Maritime (NYSE: GNRT). Mr. Klopfer was named Chief Operating Officer of Navig8 Product Tankers in 2014. Prior to joining Navig8 Group in 2012, Mr. Klopfer served as the Managing Director of the Spot Tanker Division of Poten & Partners, Inc., the world’s largest privately held ship brokerage company. At Poten, he developed a brokerage strategy that more than doubled the division’s market share during his tenure. Prior to Poten, Mr. Klopfer was a Vice President at Overseas Shipholding Group (NYSE: OSG), where he oversaw the commercial management of the Aframax International pool, a fleet exceeding 50 vessels. He also served as Vice President of Tankers International’s VLCC/ULCC pool while at OSG. Mr. Klopfer began his career with McQuilling Brokerage Partners, Inc., as a Shipbroker. Mr. Klopfer holds a Juris Doctorate from the Hofstra University School of Law (New York), a Masters of Business/Finance from Hofstra University (New York) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University (Maryland). He remains a registered Attorney in the State of New York. | |
| John Lycouris CEO Dorian LPG USA John C. Lycouris serves as Chief Executive Officer of Dorian LPG (USA) LLC and is a director of Dorian LPG Ltd. since its inception in July 2013. Previously, Mr. Lycouris was a Director and VP/Treasurer of Eagle Ocean, Inc. since 1993 and of Eagle Ocean Transport, Inc. since 2004, where he attended to pre and post-delivery financings of newbuilding and second-hand vessels in the tanker, LPG, and dry bulk sectors including execution of numerous sale and purchase transactions. Mr. Lycouris’ responsibilities also included operational and technical matters as well as investment strategy for a number of portfolios of foreign principals represented by the Companies. Before joining Eagle Ocean, Inc., Mr. Lycouris served as Director of Peninsular Maritime Ltd. a ship brokerage firm in London, UK, which he joined in 1974, and managed the Finance and Accounts departments. Mr. Lycouris holds a BSc in Business Administration from Ithaca College and an MBA in Finance from Cornell University. | |
| Nick Makar Senior Vice President, Maritime Administration / Regulatory Affairs International Registries Mr. Makar joined IRI in 2004 as Vice President, Technical / Investigations. In 2009, he was appointed to Vice President, Regulatory Affairs. He took sabbatical from IRI from 2014-2017 where he worked for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as a Principal Engineer assisting in developing regulatory policies and training materials and supported the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) delegation at the IMO. He rejoined IRI in September 2017 and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Maritime Administration / Regulatory Affairs in June 2019. He has extensive experience representing the RMI at various IMO and ILO meetings, actively participating in the development of numerous MARPOL and SOLAS amendments and codes. Mr. Makar earned a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College in 1996, and holds a Chief Engineer’s license for Steam and Gas Turbine Vessels of Any Horsepower after working at sea as an engineering officer on US flag commercial vessels prior to joining IRI. He is a past Chairman of the New York Metropolitan Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and is presently on the Executive Board for the New York Society of Marine Port Engineers (SMPE). He is also an active member of the Marine Society of the City of New York and is an honorary member of the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (MAIIF). | |
| Eric Martin News Editor TradeWinds Eric Martin is news editor at TradeWinds, the shipping business news organization where he has worked since 2007 in various capacities, including US bureau chief and editor of the LNG Unlimited spinoff publication. A native of California who learned that a “face for radio” is not enough for a career in radio, he has worked at newspapers in the US Midwest and Santiago, Chile. He has won a variety of journalism awards, including the Society of Business Editors and Writers’ award for investigative journalism. | |
| Julia Mason Vice President of Client Success Nautilus Labs Julia is Vice President of Client Success at Nautilus Labs, the technology firm advancing ocean commerce through artificial intelligence. Her teams are responsible for the complete client experience—from hardware and software integration—to actionable and meaningful insights based on outcomes that are critical to shipping owner/operators and the planet's health. Her background includes deep, International experience in cross-vertical SaaS technologies, cybersecurity, and emerging solutions like blockchain—coupled with a pragmatic approach for client businesses around the world. She holds two Masters of Science degrees from Aalborg University and Télécom SudParis, and currently lives in New York City. | |
| John P. McDonald Senior Vice President ABS John McDonald is Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Global Marine market sector for ABS, responsible for client relationship management and business solution development across the ABS operational hemispheres. Previously he served as Senior Vice President, Western Hemisphere Survey Operations for ABS. Previously, McDonald served as ABS Pacific Division President, responsible for Division operations across 15 countries in Asia. He also served as Regional Vice President of the Central Region for ABS Americas with responsibility for survey operations and client services. Prior to that, McDonald was Vice President of Occupational Health and Safety for ABS Bureau and Group; President and COO of the ABS Europe Division; and Regional Vice President of the ABS Northern Europe and Africa Region. McDonald graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from Maine Maritime Academy and holds an MBA from Texas A&M University. | |
| Hamish Norton President Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Hamish Norton is president of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Until Dec. 31, 2012, he was Managing Director and Global Head of the Maritime group at Jefferies & Company Inc. He is known for creating Nordic American Tanker Shipping and Knightsbridge Tankers, the first two high dividend yield shipping companies. He advised Arlington Tankers in the merger with General Maritime and has been an advisor to U.S. Shipping Partners. He also advised New Mountain Capital on its investment in Intermarine. In the 1990s, he advised Frontline on the acquisition of London and Overseas Freighters and arranged the sale of Pacific Basin Bulk Shipping. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2007, Mr. Norton ran the shipping practice at Bear Stearns since 2000. From 1984-1999 he worked at Lazard Frères & Co., from 1995 onward as general partner and head of shipping. In addition to his role at Star Bulk, he is also an executive of Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and is Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development of Oceanbulk's joint ventures with Oaktree Distress Opportunities Funds and with Monarch Alternative Capital. Mr. Norton is a director of Neptune Lines and the Safariland Group. Mr. Norton received an AB in Physics from Harvard and a Ph. D. in Physics from University of Chicago. | |
| Jeffrey Pribor Senior Vice President & CFO International Seaways Jeff Pribor joined International Seaways in November 2016. Prior to International Seaways, Mr. Pribor was Global Head of Maritime Investment Banking at Jefferies & Company, Inc. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of General Maritime Corporation, one of the world's leading tanker shipping companies, from September 2004 to February 2013. Prior to General Maritime, from 2002 to 2004, Mr. Pribor was Managing Director and President of DnB NOR Markets, Inc. From 1996 to 2002, Mr. Pribor was Managing Director and Group Head of Transportation Banking at ABN AMRO, Inc. and predecessor firms. Prior to that, Mr. Pribor was a mergers and acquisitions investment banker at Merrill Lynch. | |
| Charlotte Røjgaard Global Head VeriFuel Charlotte Røjgaard is the Global Head of Bureau Veritas’ marine fuel services, VeriFuel. Charlotte has a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and began her career at MAN Energy Solutions. Following a successful 15 years with MAN, she moved to Singapore to head up the technical team at DNVPS for five years. Charlotte joined Bureau Veritas in 2015 as Global Technical Manager for VeriFuel. In this time, she has been instrumental in strengthening the company’s marine fuels expertise and successfully launching the VeriFuel brand. Charlotte represents Bureau Veritas’ VeriFuel at conferences and sits on numerous key industry committees, including ISO 8217/TC 28/SC 4/WG 6 and CIMAC WG7 Fuels for which she is currently the secretary. | |
| Michael Webber Managing Partner Webber Research & Advisory Mike co-founded Webber Research & Advisory in 2019 and has spent the past 13 years in equity research covering Export Infrastructure, Shipping, & Transportation at Wells Fargo & Deutsche Bank. Mike has been named to Institutional Investor’s (I.I.) All-America Research Team in each of the past 5 years, finishing as the #1 ranked Shipping & LNG analyst in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, & 2015, and part of the #1 ranked Natural Gas team in 2019. He was named the sector’s best stock picker by the FT 2013, #2 in 2012, named in Business Insiders: Rising Stars Of Equity Research Under 35 in 2017, and is a NAMEPA award winner for his work in ESG. Mike graduated from the University of Virginia in 2004. | |
