Pilbara Ports Chief Executive Officer
Samuel McSkimming was appointed in May 2023. Mr McSkimming has extensive experience in multi-user bulk infrastructure, including in operations, marketing, commercial negotiation, and corporate affairs. Prior to joining Pilbara Ports, Mr McSkimming was in an executive general management role in bulk export railroads and has a background in competition law and regulatory economics.
Pilbara Ports Marine Technical Authoity
Amanda joined Pilbara Ports in April 2024 as Marine Services Superintendent. Amanda's marine journey began in South Africa, where she shone as a Marine Navigation Cadet becoming the first woman in active service to achieve the title of Master Unlimited. In 2008, Amanda relocated to the United Kingdom leading a maritime short course college - an instrumental role that resulted in Amanda securing the first-ever Global Wind Organisation short course approval, paving the way for future programs. In 2016, Amanda joined Associated British Ports as the manager of training across 21 ports, securing UK Government accreditation and funding for four brand new Marine Apprenticeship Standards. Amanda was recently promoted to Marine Technical Authority, where she is responsible for providing technical expertise to ensure safe and compliant marine operations.
Maritime Industry Australia Ltd Chief Executive Officer
Angela has been Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Industry Australia Ltd (MIAL), the national peak body representing Australian shipping and the broader maritime sector, since 2022. Angela is known for her strong advocacy on behalf of industry to strengthen and safeguard Australia’s maritime capability and security, which played a key role in the Albanese Government’s introduction of its strategic fleet initiative following the last election.
Angela has participated in landmark domestic industry policy reform programs and represented the Australian industry at international forums, such as the International Chamber of Shipping, and as industry adviser to the Australian delegation to the International Maritime Organisation.
Pilbara Ports Harbour Master East
Behrouz joined Pilbara Ports in July 2023 as Deputy Harbour Master of Port Hedland and was promoted to Harbour Master East in March 2024. With more than 25 years of maritime experience and 112 months at sea, he is passionate about enhancing safety and maximising port throughput through efficiency at the world’s largest bulk export port, while preparing for future challenges including the adoption of new fuels and the evolving use of big data in marine environments.
Rio Tinto Senior Manager Strategy
Garrett Ripa is Senior Manager Strategy for Rio Tinto’s Marine & Logistics business, based in Singapore. As part of his end-to-end strategy scope, he looks after Rio Tinto’s approach to shipping decarbonisation and partnerships.
Republic of the Marshall Islands Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs
Gaurav Dewan is a dynamic maritime engineer with over 25 years of cross-cultural experience, dedicated to enhancing safety culture, compliance, and operational efficiency. Currently, Gaurav is the Deputy Commissioner of the Maritime Affairs Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Pilbara Ports Marine Services Delivery Manager
Pilbara Ports Executive General Manager Marine
Philip Christy joined in December 2020. Mr Christy’s marine career spans more than 30 years. Mr Christy served in the British Merchant Navy for a decade before moving to Associated British Ports where he held several senior roles before relocating to Australia to take up his role with Pilbara Ports.
Australasian Marine Pilots Institute President
Captain Josephine Clark is the current President of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute (AMPI) and an unlimited pilot at Port Kembla, Australia. She has worked as a marine pilot for a total of 19 years across two ports. This time has included responsibilities as Check and Training pilot at Port Kembla and as Harbour Master/Pilot at Eden on the NSW south coast.
Her earlier career commenced in 1989 as a deck oficer cadet on bulk carriers, LNG Tankers and general cargo ships. A total of 14 years at sea led to promotion through to Master served with Inco Ships P/L. In 2000 – 2002, Josephine worked a two-year career diversion in Chartering Operations with BHP Billiton in Melbourne and The Hague. Her particular interests in pilotage are training standards, simulator use in training and the development of alternative pathways.
Pilbara Ports Executive General Manager Customer and Strategy
Karlene Bylund joined Pilbara Ports in 2010, serving in property and commercial management roles before being appointed Director Commercial in 2017. In 2020 she was appointed General Manager Port Hedland Maritime Precinct, before taking on the role of General Manager Customer and Strategy in July 2023.
Ms Bylund is responsible for customer relationships, enterprise strategy, port planning and development, and critical port services. She also leads Hedland Maritime Initiative (HMI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pilbara Ports. HMI is responsible for the administration of the Port Hedland Voluntary Buy-Back Scheme.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority Chief Executive Officer
Marine Consultant
Kevin has over forty years’ operational experience in the marine industry both ashore and at sea and is a past President of the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) and a past President of the UK Harbour Masters Association (UKHMA).
Kevin started his career as a Deck Officer and served for 18 years deep sea in all ranks up to Master on mainly reefer and container vessels trading worldwide. Kevin then came ashore and commenced a new career in Port Operations. He worked as a VTS officer, Assistant Terminal Manager and finally Chief Harbour Master in the Port of Dover, one of the busiest ports in the world. Following early retirement in 2014, Kevin set up his own independent Marine Consultancy.
Yara Pilbara Chief Operating Officer
Navios Maritime Partners Senior Vice President Maritime Compliance
Michael Lignos serves as Senior Vice President, Shipping Operations and Compliance at Navios Maritime Partners L.P., a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange operating a fleet of approximately over 170 vessels.
He is a U.S.-licensed attorney with over a decade of specialised experience in maritime law and environmental compliance, having dedicated his legal and operational career to the sector’s most demanding regulatory areas. In his SVP role, Michael leads Navios’ compliance strategy across global maritime operations. He routinely visits vessels and crew worldwide—not merely to verify adherence to laws, regulations, and corporate policies, but to understand firsthand the root causes behind any noncompliance.
Ports Australia Chief Executive Officer
Since his appointment as CEO in 2017, Mike has been instrumental in lifting the awareness of the Australian port sector and the important role it plays in Australia’s supply chain future. He represents Ports Australia and the wider port sector on a variety of state and federal government committees. Mike is widely recognised for his robust approach to policy development.
Before joining Ports Australia, Mike was appointed the role of NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Hunter and later the further role of Minister for Industrial Relations. Mike also served as a Police officer for over 16 years, including his appointment as a Detective.
Pilbara Ports Harbour Master West
Mike was inspired to pursue a maritime career by his father, a former seafarer and shipping agency owner. As a child, he fondly remembers visiting ships in port on Christmas mornings with his dad, delivering gifts and holiday wishes.
After finishing school, Mike began as a deck cadet and dedicated 25 years to the same company before joining the Port Authority. In 2013, he relocated from South Africa to the Pilbara as Deputy Harbour Master at PPA (then Dampier Port Authority). He became Harbour Master of Ashburton in 2017 and took over at Dampier in 2020.
ClassNK General Manager of Management Systems and Maritime Training Certification
Naoki Saito is presently General Manager of Management Systems and Maritime Training Certification Department in ClassNK headquarters in Tokyo. He received a B.Sc. in Navigation Systems from Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine in 1995. He is a Master Mariner and was engaged in on-board training for maritime cadets at the National Institute for Sea Training. Naoki earned his M.Sc. in Maritime Affairs in 2004 from the World Maritime University in Sweden founded by the IMO.
In 2008, he was Vice-Chair of Flag State and PSC Inspections Meeting under the MLC, 2006 in ILO, Geneva. In 2013, he joined ClassNK to establish the certification services of maritime education and training. Now, he is engaged in training for seafarers, alternative fuels, off-shore wind, cyber security and safety management system from human element approaches.
Oceania Marine Energy Managing Director
Nick is the Managing Director of Oceania. He is a marine de-carbonisation focused professional who champions identifying and unlocking sustainable shipping opportunities. Nick is a dedicated advocate of using Australia’s geographic and expansive natural resource position to develop a sustainable pathway to zero emissions. Nick has fifteen years’ experience in the marine sector, founding and building BE&R, an Energy Consultancy firm covering offshore energy assets, floating production, future fuels, marine bunkering, and crucially the logistics, transportation and storage of cryogenic liquids, including NH3, LNG and CO2.
The Mission to Seafarers Secretary General
Peter Rouch is Secretary General of the International Seafarer welfare charity, The Mission to Seafarers (MtS), which has been serving seafarers around the world for nearly 170 years.
With an extensive network of welfare presence in Australia, MtS operates in over 220 ports and 53 countries around the world. Mts also works online, amongst the families of seafarers in their countries of origin, and in maritime training institutions. Peter began his working life in financial services with 10 years working for Barclays Bank PLC. He has had a varied career thereafter including roles as a research fellow at Oxford University, senior positions in the Church of England and as a consultant to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office, as a charity CEO, and now as Secretary General with MtS.
Rio Tinto Director Marine Safety and Vetting
Dr. Sascha Pristrom is an internationally recognised expert in maritime safety, with two decades of experience spanning regulatory policy, shipboard operations, and strategic industry collaboration. Since September 2024, he has served as Director of Marine Safety and Vetting at Rio Tinto Marine, based in Singapore, where he is spearheading a transformation in safety culture and crew welfare across one of the world’s largest dry bulk chartered fleets.
At Rio Tinto Asia Pte, Sascha Pristrom leads the development and implementation of comprehensive safety and welfare strategies designed to elevate standards across a fragmented shipping industry.
PHD
MOL Shipping Senior Expert, Carbon Solution Develop Unit
Shinichi Taguchi is a Senior Expert, Carbon Solution Develop Unit as well as Marine Fuel GX Division of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL). He joined MOL in 1991. After working in the Container Ship Division and Car Carrier Division in Tokyo, he moved to USA in charge of Trans-Atlantic Car Carrier Business in 2000. After his return to Tokyo HQ in 2004, Shinichi spent more than 10 years in Container Ship, Technical and Research Division.
In 2015, he returned to Car Carrier Division acting as the Project Manager of System project for reconstruction of global business support and management accounting systems for entire Car Carrier Business. In 2020, he was transferred to new energy business field as the Project manager of creation of company-wide GHG reduction roadmap towards 2050.
MOL Shipping
NH3 Chief Executive Officer
Mr Hall is an experienced executive with over 30 years of experience in the energy sector across the full value chain and asset lifecycle. He has led corporate strategy and business planning, developed and delivered complex integrated projects, and successfully led joint ventures through uncertain and evolving business environments.
Prior to joining NH3CE Mr Hall spent 28 years with Woodside Energy where he held roles including Vice President Strategy Power and New Markets, Vice President Strategic Planning, and Vice President North West Shelf Development. Through these roles he developed broad leadership experience and expertise in business development and structuring, project development and delivery, and stakeholder management.
Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Group Managing Director, Operations and Shared Services
Capt. Mondal is the Group Managing Director, Operations and Shared Services (Global head) at Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, where, as a part of the Executive Management Team, he plays a pivotal role in shaping corporate strategies and spearheading the company’s overall development.
A seasoned Master Mariner, Capt. Mondal brings over a decade of global sailing experience specialising in containers and bulk carriers.
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Assistant Chief Executive (Corporate and Strategy)
As the Assistant Chief Executive (Corporate and Strategy) in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Hoe Soon oversees the key functions of policy and strategy development, international relations, communications, finance and procurement, training, and legal.
Hoe Soon is Singapore’s representative at various international maritime meetings, including those at the International Maritime Organisation. Prior to joining MPA, Hoe Soon was the Director of Sea Transport Division in the Ministry of Transport, Singapore. He led the development of policies to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global hub port and international maritime centre.
Svitzer (Global) Head of Innovation
Thomas Bangslund is Group Head of Innovation at Svitzer, a role he has held for ten years since joining Svitzer in 2015. Previously with A. P. Moller Group for 14 years, Thomas has extensive blue water experience as an engineer onboard the Maersk fleet before transitioning to the shore side where he specialized in the development and application of the-then emerging field of alternative fuels.
At Maersk as Head of Innovation at Svitzer, Thomas is responsible for the overall pipeline of technical/operational innovation projects and Svitzer’s work with industry trends. This includes Svitzer’s leading development and research into alternative fuels, decarbonisation in equipment and design and was part of the small team that invented Svitzer’s revolutionary TRAnsverse tug design. These combined efforts led to Thomas being recognised as the first recipient of the Maersk Star Inventor Award.
CMB Tech Head of Global Operations
Wilhelmsen Ships Service Vice-President – Mooring Solutions
Veronika Aspelund brings 20 years of shipping industry experience. She began her journey at Norwegian ropes manufacturer Timm in 2004, excelling her skills in sales, marketing, operations, and business development.
Following Wilhelmsen's acquisition of Timm in 2015, Veronika took the responsibility of managing the mooring ropes product portfolio. As the Vice President of Mooring and Towing Solutions at Wilhelmsen Ships Service, Veronika plays a crucial role in developing safer and more sustainable rope solutions. One notable achievement under her leadership is the Snap Back Arrestor (SBATM), the first verified and tested solution in the market designed to reduce the danger of snapback. This innovation was developed in collaboration with in-house R&D experts, vessel owners, terminals, and international organisations.
Perdaman Chairman
Perdaman's Founding Chairman and Managing Director Vikas Rambal has more than 25 years' experience in business and a proven track record in delivering world-class businesses. Born in Delhi, India, Mr Rambal qualified as a chemical engineer specialising in petrochemicals, spending his formative years at Bharat Petroleum (formerly Shell).
Mr Rambal moved to Western Australia in 2000 and began in Collie, a mining town in the southwest of Australia, with plans for a revolutionary coal gasification plant. After realising the better and more promising prospects of urea fertiliser, particularly in Western Australia, Mr Rambal began establishing his now Project Ceres Urea Plant.
CMB Tech General Manager Operations