Wajdi Abdmessih, the founder and the President of Seahawk Services, has over 25 years’ experience in fuel oil testing and inspection.  Wajdi has held various positions in a Marine fuel inspection and testing company as a laboratory manager, branch manager, technical director,  vice president and president. He has personally analyzed hundreds of thousands of Marine fuel oil samples from across the world, work with fuel oil refinery’s as well as fuel suppliers on fuel blending and troubleshooting hundreds of fuel problems and effectively help fuel oil management/operator on navigation problematic fuels.

Captain Mohamed Al Ali is the Senior Vice President, Operations (Offshore Logistics) at ADNOC Logistics and Services (L&S). In his current role at ADNOC L&S, he oversees the commercial logistics and operational activities of the ports, offshore supply and support fleet to provide end to end Offshore Logistics Solution to the customers including Warehousing, Material Handling, Port and Offshore Supply Operations.

He has over 27 years of successful experience in oil and gas and shipping. He started his career as a deck cadet with National Gas Shipping Company Ltd (NGSCO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADNOC in 1996, and rose to become the first UAE National Master on an LNG carrier in 2008. 

Captain Al Ali was the Senior Vice President Ship Management at ADNOC Logistics and Services (L&S) since 2013. In his previous role at ADNOC L&S, he was overseeing the operations of ADNOC L&S’ shipping fleet, including LNG and LPG carriers and oil tankers as well as chemical, Sulphur and dry bulk carriers and containers. He spearheaded a number of joint energy efficiency and optimization projects. 

Captain Al Ali holds an Executive Master Degree in Business Administration from Zayed University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Maritime Business and Management from John Moores University in Liverpool, UK.

Elshan Aliyev is the editor of Argus Mideast Gulf and Indian Ocean products report (AMGIO) and is in charge of price assessments in the Middle East. 
He graduated from the University of Linguistics in Azerbaijan and started his career as an assistant to the United Nations ambassador in Baku. 
He joined BBC World Service in 1994 as a radio presenter and producer, covering a wide range of issues, including politics, economics and culture. 
He joined Argus Media in 2012 and has been working in its Dubai office. 
Since 1984, Eugenia has worked with major oil company Terpel, handling various positions, such as sales assistant, marketing director, operations, sales, commercial manager, and company’s legal representative  Currently she is the Director of Marine Fuels  and  has been an active member of various professional and community organizations such as ABSA, ACSA,  Marymount School Parents Association, GranAbastos, SACSA, Promitel, Transoccidente and today in  Actuar Famiempresas, Marymount Alumni Association, WISTA Colombia and IBIA and  participates  in SPE Colombia committee.
She has been a speaker-panelist  at the Bunker News Conference, Maritime week Americas  events  worldwide, Wista conference, Exportuaria, SPE and has conducted various Basic Bunkering Courses in English and Spanish.

Filimon Antonopoulos, is the Managing Director of the London based, FCA Regulated, Tallon Commodities LTD which offers integrated trading services and risk management solutions on energy, shipping and environmental commodities. He has graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens and received his MBA on Finance from the University of Florida (USA). He is a certified Derivatives Market Maker/Trader from the Athens Derivatives Exchange, Certified Investment Manager from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA -London), the Hellenic Capital Market Commission and the Bank of Greece. Filimon has been trading energy commodity derivatives for more than 20 years and is a strong advocate of continuous professional development and knowledge dissemination having organized and/or participated in a significant number of commodity workshops and conferences with leading market practitioners.

Aaron works for Marsh, one of the world’s leading professional services firms in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Aaron’s current role lies within the firm’s Credit Specialties Practice which spans Credit & Political Risk Insurance, Surety Bonds & Guarantees. He leads the practice’s Global Commodity Trading Solutions offering and has experience working with commodity traders, private equity investors, financial institutions and global corporates. He aims to provide bespoke payment, performance and country risk solutions that helps clients to identify economic, political, credit, liquidity and ESG factors that may inhibit growth, arranging risk solutions that can help mitigate volatility, secure finance, increase sales, and secure sustainable returns.

Haydn has worked in various strategic roles across the Middle East, Africa and Europe in trading, supply chain claims management and operations since 2000. He has been actively involved in worldwide back-to-back bunker trading and is a supply specialist in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent. He began his career at World Fuel Servies and has had subsequent roles at Peninsula Petroleum and Sing Fuels. He has also served as IBIA (Southern Africa) Chairman 2012-2015 and served on their Exco since 2010.
He has recently moved to Dubai from Cape Town as PMG Holding’s UAE Sales Manager and Global Head of Supply for the groups worldwide bunkering activities.

Simon Bennett is Deputy Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, the principal global trade association for ship operators. As secretary to the ICS Board of Directors, Simon is responsible for co-ordinating overall development and representation of ICS positions on a wide range of issues, from environmental performance to the maintenance of free trade principles, and helping the Board to determine and deliver on ICS priorities. This includes the promotion of global regulation for a global industry, which is sound and carefully considered, and ensuring that shipping’s regulators fully understand the implications of their important decisions. A history graduate from Oxford University, during a 30 year career with ICS, Simon has represented the industry at, among others, IMO, ILO, the UN in New York, UNFCCC, UNCTAD, OECD, WCO and WTO, as well as APEC and the EU. A particular current focus for Simon is leading the industry’s response to the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

After her degree as a Chemical Engineer and a number of years in industrial analytical measurements, Claudia switched to the maritime industry in 2011 with selling and developing the Certified Bunker Measurement Solution for Emerson, focusing on shipowners and barge operators for conventional fuels and LNG.

In those days, she was also a member of the first working group in SGMF, developing the guidelines for Quality and Quantity of LNG as fuel.

That interest in LNG brought her into her next job at Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, where she was commercially responsible for LNG Bunkering systems and biogas upgrading and liquefaction systems (bioLNG).

Since September 2020, Claudia is working for the VT Group; an independent, global barge operator providing high quality maritime logistics and bunkering services.

In this role, she has the global responsibility for the commercial activities of the VT Group and is she developing and driving the VT strategy to enable transport and bunkering of alternative fuels on behalf of their customers.

Sean has been in the Shipping industry since 2004, working in various roles across Europe and the Middle East in both commercial and operations.  
Roles as a buyer, b2b trader, physical and supply trader with companies such as Maersk Oil Trading and Gulf Petrochem have enabled Sean to gain strong insights to various sides of the desk. 
Since 2018 Sean has been based in Dubai for Glander International Bunkering. The group are one of the largest re-sellers of bunkers in the region where Sean is leading the Supply Trading team for the group’s activities. 

Constantinos studied Law in Greece (LLB) and England (LLM in Maritime Law – University of Southampton). He is a qualified Greek lawyer since 1997 and English solicitor since 2002.
From 1998 to 2002 he was the Legal Counsel of Excel Maritime Carriers, a Piraeus-based shipping company listed in NYSE. From 2002 to 2004 Constantinos worked as a marine litigation solicitor at Holman Fenwick & Willan, both in London and Piraeus. Between 2004-2013 he was a shareholder and Director of Quantum Shipping Ltd., a shipping company of Constantinos’ family interests, where he was responsible for the company’s investment strategy as well as for all legal, commercial and managerial issues.
In 2014 Constantinos joined Star Bulk, serving as General Manager of a number of private vessels and subsequently as Executive Vice President – Control Director of the group’s procurement arm, Ship Procurement Services SA. Since 2019 Constantinos is serving as Star Bulk’s Bunker Director, responsible for bunkering procurement / strategy and Star Bulk’s cooperation with bunker industry stakeholders.
In 2020 Constantinos was, for the first time, a candidate in IBIA’s Board elections and got elected as IBIA’s Board Member.

Guido Cardullo is the head of Business Development of Fratelli Cosulich, a world leading bunker trading company with offices in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai, Athens, Genoa, Monaco, Paris and New York.
Before that, he was Managing Director of the Singapore office of Fratelli Cosulich, where they operate as a physical supplier with a fleet of 6 owned bunker barges.
Mr Cardullo joined Fratelli Cosulich in 2011.

Capt. Rahul Choudhuri is the Managing Director for VPS in Asia, Middle East & Africa(AMEA) based in Singapore. He has been involved in the management of fuel quality & quantity business for 30 years.

Full career details can be seen under LinkedIn profile as follows:

http://linkedin.com/in/rahul-choudhuri-91851a4

Rahul is a Member of the following Associations:

•    Chairman of the Singapore Technical Committee (TC) for Bunkering under the Standards Development Organization(SDO) (2022-2024).

•    Chairman of the National Mirror Committee for Fuel Quality Specifications review & development (2021-2023)

•    Chairman of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Asia Board (2022-2024).

•    Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) Marine Fuels committee (2021-2023)

•    Member of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) International & Technical Committees (2021-2023).
 

Timothy started his career as a Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers first in London and then in Madrid, in the Valuation & Strategy department, focusing on M&A transactions. He then got his MBA from INSEAD and later on joined the A.P. Moller Maersk Group in The Netherlands as a General Manager, focusing on New Terminals acquisition and development. In 2010 Timothy joined his family business, Fratelli Cosulich, where he sits on the Group Board of Directors and holds the role of CEO - Marine Fuels.
Fratelli Cosulich is a diversified Group founded in 1857, fully owned by the Cosulich family, now at its sixth generation. The Group is active in a number of aspects of the Shipping Industry, from ship-owning, to ship-agency, freight-forwarding, catering, manning, yacht-services, and marine fuel trading and supplying. Fratelli Cosulich has offices in 15 countries, approx. 1,000 employees worldwide and a yearly turnover of USD 1.9bn.
Timothy is also the Chairman of IBIA Asia and sits on a number of boards, including IBIA, YPO Singapore, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Crystal has over 10 years of experience in risk underwriting both in the financial services and healthcare industry and joined Markel in 2017. Prior to joining Markel, Crystal worked with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Dubai and J.P. Morgan, India.

Crystal holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wollongong in Dubai and Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Mumbai, India. She is also a certified Credit Risk Specialist from London School of Business and Finance.

With over 15 years of board level Sustainability Strategy experience with public and private companies, Karl advises large corporations across multiple industries. He has led Sustainability Strategy creation and execution for well-known brands such as DHL, McDonald’s, Del Monte, BAT, and LG. As an engineer, Karl combines this with an in depth understanding of the real world usefulness of a plethora of different sustainable technologies.

Having founded the first biofuels refinery in the Middle East over a decade ago, and started the GCC supply of biofuels to the maritime industry in 2019, he is the acknowledged regional expert on supply chain sustainability and biofuels. Recently Karl’s company has supplied biofuels in the UAE for Astomos, Inpex, ArcelorMittal, Monjasa, and ADNOC.

Karl holds a B.Eng. (Hons.) in Industrial Engineering, an executive MBA, and is writing his Doctoral thesis on “The psychology of start-up teams.”
 

Beginning his career as an Officer in the German Air Force, Finn displayed unparalleled dedication and skill as a fighter jet pilot. Following his military tenure, he briefly explored the field of Business Law and soon found his niche in the Executive Aviation sector, advancing from a Purchaser to a Purchasing Director leading at team of 12. In a significant pivot since 2019, Finn transitioned to the shipping industry, taking on the critical role of Director of Global Fuel Purchasing. Now, his expertise primarily encompasses Middle Office operations, emphasizing IT System Integration, Innovation, Process Optimization, Digitalization, Risk Management, and Post Purchase Processes. With a blend of military discipline and industry-specific acumen, Finn drives forward-thinking strategies and solutions in the ever-evolving shipping realm.

Sofia Fürstenberg Stott founded FMA in 2017. Through FMA, she and her partner help progressive maritime stakeholders with their holistic transition journey, developing strategies for Better Business. Deep-diving lately into alternative fuels, they have assisted EPRI exploring energy transition pathways for US ports, co-developed industry Calls to Action, and facilitated numerous conversations between key major fuel stakeholders. They are consultant Maritime Directors to the Ammonia Energy Association, and in various outfits support the development of sustainable shipping.  Sofia has background from Maersk, Nor-Shipping and DNV. With 17 years’ experience in the shipping industry, having worked and lived in Oslo, Singapore, and Copenhagen, she is now back in Sweden. She has a MSc in Chemical Engineering from Lund Institute of Technology, an Executive Diploma in Innovation & Tech from Haas Business School, Berkeley, California, and is a 2015 graduate of the Blue MBA, Copenhagen Business School.

Mr. Martijn joined the Port of Fujairah in 2019. He is holding a Master Degree in Business Administration from the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has over 17 years of experience in various management, commercial and business development roles at multinational companies related to Oil & Gas, Logistics and Services. Prior joining the Port he worked 9 years in Jakarta, Indonesia, for both McKinsey & Co and Royal Vopak. 

Colin Holloway’s career in the oil and maritime industry spans more than 30 years during which he has gained extensive knowledge of a broad range of technical, as well as commercial and operational activities throughout the Middle East and Africa region. 
 
As Global Head Technical at Cockett Group, Colin is responsible for all technical aspects of marine fuel, reselling, petroleum products and services worldwide, while being in charge of the Group’s technical strategy and approach, including the implementation of new systems, tools, policies and procedures.
 
As part of his responsibilities, he overlooks the monitoring and updates of the Group’s accreditation to and in line with the most current ISO 9001 framework, ensuring all offered products and services meet international customer and regulatory requirements.
 
In his role, he manages the Group’s vetting process, selecting the suppliers and service providers based on a strict auditing protocol, while addressing the technical needs of the Group’s globally diverse client base.
 
Additionally, Colin designs and implements training programmes for the Group’s technical staff members covering all technical aspects of the business and contributing to the Group’s consistent high-level performance.
 
Colin started his career as a chemist at the Coryton oil refinery in Essex, England, and eventually relocated to the Middle East for the SGS Inspection Group, where he gained extensive product knowledge, including the full spectrum of petroleum products, petrochemicals and bulk commodities.
 
Further landmarks of his career saw Colin at DNV Petroleum Services, where he was introduced to the technical world of bunkering and the maritime side of the business, as well as at a local bunker trader and Fujairah-based physical supplier strengthening his comprehensive industry know-how.  
 
Colin holds an MBA in International Business from University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), UAE.
 

Llewellyn has worked in bunkering, oil and shipping since 1980, as journalist and broker, in London and New York, working for Argus, Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, Eperon Petroleum, Albion Oil and Energy Information. He joined MRC in Oxford to launch BunkerNews, before establishing Petrospot in 2003 to publish Bunkerspot magazine, news and pricing services, and highly-respected bunker and shipping books.

He has created and run globally-recognised events in 25 countries around the world, including Maritime Week Americas, ARACON, London International Shipping Week and European Shipping Week, and runs internationally-renowned training programmes, including the Oxford Bunker Course and BunkerExperience.

Dr Hughes is Director of Green Marine Associates Ltd. an independent consultancy based in the UK specialising in maritime policy development, regulatory implementation and risk management with a focus on the control of emissions from ships. Recently, he has supported the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in its work to develop regulatory measures for international shipping to address GHG emissions from ships including a ‘Fund and Reward’ mechanism and a Simplified Global Fuel Standard. His current work also includes working as a Specialist Adviser to the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee for its inquiry into ‘Net zero aviation and shipping’.

Previously, Dr Hughes was Head, Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency in the Marine Environment Division of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). As a member of the IMO Secretariat he was responsible for MARPOL Annex VI, the International Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships, including regulations on controlling emissions to air including IMO 2020 and energy efficiency for ships. He was also responsible for IMO’s work to address GHG emissions from international shipping which included being Secretary to the IMO working group that developed the Initial IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG emissions from ships adopted in 2018.

Prior to joining the IMO, Dr Hughes worked in the UK civil service for some eight years. This included six years at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), where he held policy roles in safety management (ISM Code) and environment (Ballast Water Management and Air Pollution) including preparing and overseeing the implementation into UK law of IMO and EU instruments: MARPOL Annex VI and EU Sulphur Directive
respectively.

When in the UK civil service Dr Hughes spent two years in HM Treasury, the UK’s Finance and Economics Ministry, where he worked on risk management and corporate governance for the public sector. Before joining the civil service he worked in academia researching engineering design and systems failure at the University of Bath. He has a PhD and an engineering degree from Cranfield University in the UK.

+35 years international maritime work experience across shipowning and operations. Management Diploma in innovaton, blue ocean strategy and business development from INSEAD University in France. Methanol powered maritime green transition entrepreneur.

Ian Mathew is Senior Legal Counsel at Peninsula, the global marine energy company. An English qualified solicitor based in London, Ian advises primarily on Peninsula’s marine fuel supply operations, cargo trading, chartering and freight desks, and its sustainability initiatives. Ian is integral to designing and overseeing Peninsula’s sanctions compliance framework, including its procedures for responding to deceptive shipping practices. He was a shipping and commodities litigator in private practice who also has experience working for a P&I Club. Ian is graduate of Manchester University and the London School of Economics.   

Erik Jensby have been in shipping for more than 30 years in operational, sales and leadership roles. Since 2015 as Head of Membership and Business Development at BIMCO with ever increasing member numbers and closer engagement with the over 2000 members worldwide. Erik runs the Bunker Buyer Network in BIMCO and have been involved with BIMCO Bunker Terms 2018. 

Natalie has developed a reputation as an expert in the field of bunker disputes. She is currently handling a number of contentious matters for global traders and suppliers arising out of the sale of and supply of bunkers, particularly in respect of off-specification claims. Her expertise is not limited to litigation; she routinely drafts Terms and Conditions for bunker sales and purchases. This includes collaboration with some of the Middle East’s largest suppliers and traders of bunker fuels and drafting overarching contracts for long-term supplies. Natalie regularly advises her core clients in the bunker market on the ability to accept amendments made to standard Terms and Condition by counterparts and the risks of doing so. She is also regularly invited to speak at bunker focused events on current legal issues in the bunker market and has contributed literature to its readership.
 

Jack Jordan is an experienced financial editor and reporter with a degree in Arabic and Russian, a postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism and several years' history of covering the oil and shipping industries and capital markets. His career has included appointments with Bloomberg, Argus Media, and S&P Global Platts. Jack is based in London, UK

Kenneth Juhls has been working within the shipping, bunker trading and risk management space for 20+ years. He brings a wealth of knowledge surrounding the challenges and opportunities facing shipping companies, operators and traders. He graduated from Copenhagen Business School with a diploma in Finance and Risk Management; besides this he is a certified Financial Risk Manager and has attended leadership programmes at Insead. Before joining ZeroNorth, Kenneth served as Head of Risk Management with Maersk Oil Trading before moving over to Maersk Tankers, where he was ultimately employed as Chief Risk &  Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. Currently, through his position as Managing Director of ZeroNorth Bunker at ZeroNorth, Kenneth works tirelessly to promote the digitalisation of the bunkering process, help customers optimise the planning and procurement processes, increase collaboration and transparency between otherwise siloed stakeholders, and support shipping companies on their decarbonisation journey.

Fotios Katsoulas is a lead analyst covering Tanker Shipping and Alternative Fuels, as a member of the Shipping Analytics & Research team at FCRS, S&P Global Commodity Insights. Fotios focuses on the oil tanker freight markets, seaborne trade flows of crude oil and clean petroleum products and their impacts on the shipping cycles and investors' decisions, drawing from his experience in commercial shipping and energy sectors.

Previously, he gained experience in using the latest technology to provide insights to the shipping industry and to associated finance and insurance providers. As head of research for Affinity Shipping and as shipping analyst for Maritime Strategies International, he managed big shipping data, developed shipping cycle econometric models, and assisted with advisory projects and valuations for major international shipping banks and financial providers. Fotios regularly attends international shipping industry conferences and has professional experience in operational research and corporate presentations. Sectors covered include oil tankers, gas carriers, and offshore sectors.

He holds a Master of Science in shipping, trade, and finance from Bayes (former Cass) Business School, City University of London, United Kingdom, an LLB from Queen Mary University of London and a BSc in Business Administration from Athens University of Economics and Business.

• Kent Larsen is an experienced CFO at Bunker One, the physical bunkering division of the Bunker Holding Group. Bunker One is active within both physical bunkering and cargo supply and sourcing. The focus of the company is to have a unique local expertise, and a strong focus on global knowledge and coverage.   

• With more than a decade of experience in different management positions within the bunkering industry, Kent has a proven track record in managing, building, and maintaining not only within finance, but also commercial and operational excellence and efficiency. Combined with a pragmatic but also strategic mindset, Kent has a deep operational knowledge from his many years in the industry.

• As a key responsibility, Kent is heading the digitalization of Bunker One, including leading an internal software development project focusing on the full value-chain of a physical bunker supplier. 

• Business acumen, development, quality, adding value and digitalization are all key topics of Kent’s. 

Leon Ling is the CEO and co-founder of Bunkerchain. 

He co-founded Bunkerchain, a technology firm based in Singapore creating solutions for the Bunkering and Maritime industry.  Bunkerchain is collaborating with S&P Global Market Intelligence to create the World’s first verifiable credentials (Digital Identities) for Ships with IMO numbers called the Marine Vessel Pass which is used for the digital signing and creation of verifiable, tamperproof electronic documents and transactions at sea such as the electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (eBDN).

S&P Global Market Intelligence (previously known as IHS Markit) is the manager of the IMO numbering program for the International Maritime Organization and is the issuer of the IMO numbers. Digital Identities managed by Trust Anchors has been identified by Port Authorities globally as an essential part of the digitalisation road map.

Bunkerchain is also the creator of Touch and Sail eBDN solution and Vessel Pay which are going through trials in Singapore.
Together with a team of Bunkering and Technology professionals, Leon is focused on helping companies and organizations go digital safely and maintain full control of their data. He is a strong believer in Zero Trust systems and strategic partnerships to realize a seamless digital economy.
 

Speaker, advisor and founder, Deanna MacDonald is on a mission to build a better world. 

She has co-founded two startups, Bloc and BunkerTrace, each of which aims to apply digital technology and scientific solutions to create a more sustainable and greener society.

At BunkerTrace, she and her team are focused using blockchain and synthetic DNA to trace fuel and bring transparency to the bunkering sector to enable the transition to decarbonization with traceable, trusted and safe low-carbon fuels. She is part of several industry working groups at IBIA, the IMO and the OECD and advises companies and intergovernmental bodies on the green transition and decarbonization strategies for global transport. 
 

Owner of Viking Shipping Services group of companies started in November 2014 (Fujairah, UAE), today has seven owned branches and the largest bunker surveying company in Fujairah, Singapore and Gibraltar. 
Capt. Vikram Mohan is the driving force behind Viking Shipping Services Group of Companies, a prominent surveying, inspection and agency service provider. 

From a seafaring background, has sailed for entities i.e. Wallem, BW and Worldwide during his tenure.
Having shifted ashore worked in the commercial departments for Frontline, ST Shipping (Glencore) and Navig8 having emancipated and all round understanding of the industry.

With over 150 colleagues in Fujairah, Singapore, Gibraltar, Las Palmas, Houston, Panama and Rotterdam and more verticals i.e. agency, bunker claims, hull cleaning to ensure fuel efficiency and formulating the first green energy building in Fujairah port.
Central to Viking’s philosophy is the belief in transparency, integrity and understanding the intricate technical and commercial aspects of clients' needs.
Today, Viking Group stands as a testament to a journey built on trust. The Viking spirit remains unyielding, our commitment to integrity unwavering.
www.vikingmarines.com 
 

Nicos joined Intership Navigation as CFO in January 2015 and was appointed as a board member of the Hartmann Group, a shipping network of specialist maritime companies with a fleet of about 150 vessels under management.  Prior to Intership, Nicos was the Finance Director of Klaus Oldendorff Limited, a position he held since 2005. Previously, he held finance positions within the shipping industry as well as a short spell in marketing and market research.

He studied in the UK and qualified with Deloitte as a chartered certified accountant (ACCA) and became a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Cyprus.
He also has an MBA in shipping and finance.

Nicos serves as a Board Member of Pelagic Partners, an alternative investment fund and fund manager managing over US$100m in shipping assets. Nicos is a joint Managing director of Hartmann Global IT, a Company undertaking the digital transformations and he heads the group’s AML, Sanctions and Risk Committees.
 

Christian is Head of Bunker Management product at StormGeo. He has worked with digitization of the bunkering industry since 2007 when he started at Maersk Oil Trading. He has achieved a PHD degree in algorithms and has published several articles on algorithms for container network design and bunker purchasing.
In 2018, he co-founded BunkerMetric, who built decision support tools for the bunkering industry, in particular BunkerPlanner, now s-Insight | Bunker Management, which supports bunker buyers in all aspects of bunkering. First planning by choosing the right Port, Volume and grade, to satisfy all operational and environmental rules, while minimizing costs. Then, Procurement by choosing the right supplier at the right price, accessing suppliers, documenting and guiding the process and lastly intelligence on bunkering decision, incl. pricing.

Alexander is the Executive Director of IBIA. Under the direction of IBIA’s Chair and Board he is leading the Secretariat, heading all the activities of the organization and he is responsible for the overall management of the Association.

Alexander was the founder and CEO of PRO Holdings and the architect of the probunkers project. Prior to founding probunkers, he served Mamidakis Brothers Group as a senior executive, leading all of the Group’s Shipping, Bunkering and Aviation activities, through its respective companies: JetOil, JetTank and STYGA Compania Naviera. Mr. Prokopakis has over 25 years of professional experience in leadership positions, over which he has attained deep knowledge and expertise mainly in the industry of shipping and bunkering. He is a Graduate of St. John’s University with an MBA in Executive Management and holds a BSc Degree in Business Management from the State University of New York.

Captain Walter P. Purio is the Marine Adviser to the Clean Combustion Research Centre at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a Director of the Pilbara Port Authority in Western Australia and is the Managing Director of P and H Marine Australasia Pty Ltd. who assists resource companies, financial institutions, shipping companies and their boards and executive teams to develop maritime strategies to provide sustainable marine fuel to the global maritime industry. 

Captain Purio served as the Executive Chairman of Rise-x Pty Ltd., was an advisor to ADP Clear PTE LTD in Singapore and was the inaugural CEO and Founding Director of the non profit LNG Marine Fuel Institute. 

In 2021 Captain Purio was elected Chair of the Asia Pacific committee for the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel, a non governmental organisation with consultative status to the UN’s International Maritime Organisation. Captain Purio serves as the Chair of Governors for the non profit Leeuwin Ocean Adventures Foundation, which provides at sea team building, collaborative learning and personal development onboard the sail training vessel Leeuwin for the youth of Western Australia. 

From 1999 to 2011 Captain Purio served on the Board of Directors and in 2011 was CEO of OSI Geospatial Pty. Ltd., a publicly listed Canadian company.

Captain Purio is a seasoned marine and maritime industry executive and is a Master Mariner Class 1, holds a BSc degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and MBA’s from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Simon is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the banking & capital markets industry. He is an expert in derivatives, trade finance, and Maritime sanctions compliance and held senior positions at leading financial institutions, including ICAP, Tullett Prebon and Cedef Capital Markets in Geneva . Simon is a member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) The Association of certified Sanctions specialists & has advised on Trade related sanctions with Government regulators.

Cem Saral is a seasoned industry professional with over 25 years of experience in the marine fuels and fuel oil trading sector. For the past 7 years, he has served as the CEO of the Cockett Group (www.cockettgroup.com), one of the world's leading resellers of marine and petroleum products and services, where he has played a pivotal role in driving the company's success. Throughout his career, Cem has held key trading and management positions in renowned oil trading and marine fuel oil companies, acquiring comprehensive expertise in the fuel oil supply chain and physical trading on a global scale. His diverse background spans Europe, Asia, the US, Far East, and the Middle East, giving him a broad perspective on international markets and business dynamics. Cem's proficiency in marine fuels and fuel oil trading extends beyond the trading floor. He has successfully leveraged his direct trading experiences to fuel business development, management, and strategic M&A activities, further enhancing the growth and profitability of the organizations he has been involved with. Prior to joining Cockett, Cem served as a fuel oil trader at Vitol (www.vitol.com), one of the world's leading energy and commodity trading companies and a 50% shareholder of the Cockett Group. Cem holds a BSc degree in Operations Research from the Turkish Naval Academy and has continuously expanded his knowledge through participation in a wide range of programs focused on trading, risk management, finance, and general management.

Clement is a Business Development Manager for Shell’s Marine LNG team based out in London, specialized in the tramp trading tanker and bulker segments, whilst working to develop and accelerate demand of LNG as a cleaner fuel for the marine industry globally. Previously from gas major BG Group, he joined Shell via the Shell-BG tie-up in 2016 and for the last 5 years had the pleasure of supporting marine customers in achieving many 'first' in multiple ports across ARA, Med, SE Asia, US and Carbs to successfully completed over 1,000th Ship-to-Ship LNG bunkering operations.  Clement is currently supporting Shell’s effort to further expand its LNG footprints globally including the Middle East, whilst rolling out bio-LNG offerings to customers as an intermediate transition step towards decarbonization, whilst developing renewable hydrogen-based fuel, e-LNG.

Maria Skipper Schwenn recently joined Bunker Holding as Director of Environmental Regulatory and Public Affairs. Her primary tasks include securing Bunker Holding staying ahead of the curve in the transition to a low-carbon maritime industry. Before joining Bunker Holding Maria worked as Executive Director, Climate, Environment and Security at Danish Shipping for 13 years. She has been deeply involved in shaping the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime regulations, served as advisor to the Danish IMO delegation and was a member of ICS Marine Committee and ECSA Safety and Environment Committee. In her current position, Maria has joined the Future Fuels Working Group of IBIA. 
Maria holds a master’s degree in Political Science from University of Southern Denmark as well as a master’s degree in European Politics and Administration from the College of Europe, Belgium. 

A 13-year voyage through the turbulent waters of the trading and maritime sectors, I have not only navigated through challenges but have also anchored teams and operations securely amidst market storms. My current endeavor as the Chief Operating Officer and Trading Head at Oilmar DMCC since September 2020 epitomizes a legacy of turning tides in favor of organizational growth. My forte lies in crafting business narratives from scratch, akin to the flourishing logistics venture in UAE and the thriving Marine fuels trading business under the prestigious Oilmar Group, which burgeoned from a modest team of 3 to a formidable force of 50. My recent venture into scaling dry freight trading in 2023 is yet another testament to my unyielding drive towards unchartered territories.

My earlier stints include key roles at Kyto Global, Refinitiv LLC, Kamca Trading, and Hazel (Veritas) among others, where my responsibilities spanned from trading management to external contributing, always with a keen eye on the horizon for emerging market opportunities. My academic voyage commenced with a BS in Marine Engineering from BITS, Pilani, sailed through an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, and further bolstered by a professional certification in Forex & Futures Trading from Professional Traders Group.

Among my notable triumphs are the establishment of two robust business units that now contribute a substantial turnover of more than $500M, procuring substantial credit insurance along with lending facilities of $15M, and achieving a coveted Refinery valuation.

These accomplishments are not mere milestones but exemplify my enduring commitment to fostering growth and ensuring smooth sailing even in tempest markets.

My professional memberships with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA, UK) further augment my resolve to stay abreast with industry evolutions and contribute to the collective maritime discourse. As I continue to navigate through the realms of trading and operational management, I bring to the helm a wealth of experience, a treasure trove of industry knowledge, and an undying zest to explore beyond the known horizons.

J. Stephen (“Steve”) Simms is a Principal of Simms Showers LLP.  He serves as Chair of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) Legal Working Group and is a past IBIA’s Board member.

 Simms Showers is one of the world’s most active law firms working in the area of bunker trader, broker and supplier representation, vessel arrest, maritime attachment, and related maritime remedies for creditors. The Firm has to date recovered over $700 million for its clients as the result of vessel arrest and maritime attachment proceedings throughout the world.

 Mr. Simms was selected for the United States Department of Justice, Honor Law Graduates Program and served as a federal prosecutor.  He was Editor in Chief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business at Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago),  holds an M.A. in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.A. in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University.

He is the Husband of his wife of 30 years, Denise, and Dad of daughter Alison and son John,  and of West Highland White Terrier Barrett, who enjoys chasing squirrels with the same enthusiasm that Mr. Simms has for chasing ships.

A highly experienced professional with over 20 years of trading and broking experience in the energy market. I joined Kpler in 2022 as Research Director for the Middle East, Africa and Asia.  I work closely with clients to provide advice and support across the energy sector. With my extensive knowledge and expertise, I was instrumental in supporting the launch of the AG fuel oil derivative contract in 2016 and continue to advise traders, exchanges, and PRAs across the sector.

My career in the energy market has included positions as a trader for energy house Trafigura, a director in London for Nigerian energy company Oando, and more recently, a director at the brokerage house Starfuels. Throughout my career, I have developed a strong reputation as an industry expert and regularly appear as a commentator on energy for newspapers, radio, television, and newswires. I am actively involved in the energy industry and sit on various panels as an expert, sharing my insights and knowledge with others in the field.

Adrian Tolson is the owner of 2050 Marine Energy and is widely recognized as one of the shipping industry’s leading marine energy experts. With more than 35 years of experience, he has both detailed knowledge and unique insight into the bunker supply chain and its many related infrastructure developments.

2050 Marine Energy was formed in late 2022 to provide commercial insight to all stakeholders in the marine fuel supply chain navigating the disruption of this decade and future transformation. This new venture comes as Adrian leaves his role as Insight Lead at BLUE after more than decade of close cooperation with the brand and communications consultancy. He will continue to act as a Strategic Advisor to the company, working with specific existing clients and providing consultancy on marine energy trends.

Adrian has led numerous global business development projects across the marine energy sector.  This includes assisting ship owners and physical suppliers on future fuel procurement and supply strategies; the development of bunkering infrastructure projects for existing and alternative fuels; as well as working with the financial and investment community on the opportunities in the future marine energy landscape.

Adrian’s experience spans leadership roles with some of the industry’s largest marine fuel suppliers, including Chemoil Energy, where he was responsible for successfully driving the company through to IPO; and as Vice President and General Manager of OW Bunker where he established its physical supply operation in the USA.

Elected to the board of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) in 2020, Adrian is currently its Treasurer and Chairman of the IBIA’s Americas Regional Board.

Chris Turner, Bunker Quality and Claims Manager at Integr8 Fuels, joined the bunker trading firm in 2017 and is based in Singapore.

During his career spanning over 30 years in Oil & Shipping Industries, Chris has vast experience in Laboratory Management, Physical Supply, Bunker Broking, Trading and, more recently, providing technical supervision of the exclusive buying for Owners, Charterers and Operators including the development and design of online bunker resources.

Chris is also a member of the IBIA technical working group and a regular speaker and panel member at many global bunkering conferences worldwide.

Since joining DNV in 2009, Martin has held various roles within the fields of decarbonization and digitalization in shipping. Martin is currently Product Manager for DNV’s FuelBoss platform, and fully dedicated to establishing a common industry platform for digital bunker deliveries, across all marine fuels. Since 2015 Martin have held positions as Product Manager and lead the development and running of several successful digital services within the alternative fuels space in DNV. Martin was the original Product Manager for DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, the industry go-to-place for status of the adoption of alternative fuels and technologies. Martin has more than a decade of experience on the topic of alternative marine fuels and cost-efficient compliance strategies for existing and future environmental regulations. Martin has an in-depth understanding of bunkering processes in general, and the entire spectrum of alternative fuels.