Pilbara Ports Chief Executive Officer
Mr McSkimming was appointed CEO of Pilbara Ports in May 2023. He has extensive experience in leading all aspects of 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. Mr McSkimming has a background in competition law and regulatory economics and has studied at Harvard Business School and the University of New South Wales, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws (Hons).
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.
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.
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.
Pilbara Ports Pilots Operation Manager
Heath has 35 years’ experience in the marine and port industry. The past 15 years has been spent in Port Hedland working as a Senior Marine Pilot before taking on the role of Marine Services Delivery Manager with Pilbara Ports. In his current role within Pilbara Ports Heath is responsible for the implementation of Pilbara Ports own Marine Pilotage service. Prior to coming to Port Hedland Heath worked in five other ports across the Northern Territory and Queensland in the roles of Harbour Pilot, Pilot Manager, Port Operations Manager and Harbour Master.
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.
Berge Bulk Chief Executive Officer
James Marshall is the founder and CEO of Berge Bulk, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies.
James began his shipping career in offshore supply vessels, before moving into container ships, and then into dry bulk. In 2007, James started Berge Bulk by purchasing 12 vessels and has since grown it to a modern fleet of more than 100 ships with a carrying capacity of over 15 million deadweight tonnes. Last year, Berge Bulk transported over 80 million metric tonnes of cargo.
Berge Bulk is leading an innovative decarbonisation programme, known as the Maritime Marshall Plan. The plan involves optimising efficiency, leveraging the latest technology, converting to new fuels, and capturing carbon. The company has a commitment to launch a zero carbon vessel by 2030 and to convert the entire fleet to zero carbon vessels by 2050. In the meantime, Berge Bulk is offsetting all Scope 1 emissions
James is Chairman of the Marshall Foundation, which supports philanthropic and impact ventures in Asia and Africa. He is also CEO of Kibo Invest, a private investment office focused on climate tech, impact investing, and private equity.
James sits on the Lloyd’s and DNV Shipowners committees and is a member of the International Advisory Council for Climate Impact X. He lives in Singapore.
Star Bulk Carriers Corp Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Rescos serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. since July 2014 having served prior as COO and Commercial Director of Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and Oceanbulk Shipping a joint venture with Oaktree Capital.
With 30 years of experience in the shipping industry, Mr. Rescos has held various senior commercial management positions, gaining expertise in the dry bulk, container, and product tanker markets. He has been involved in over 200 vessel acquisitions and various joint ventures in the dry bulk and tanker sectors.
Mr. Rescos holds a BSc in Management Sciences from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and an MSc in Shipping Trade and Finance from City University Business School.
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.
International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners Chairman of the Technical Committee
Dimitris graduated from Athens College, Greece and went on to undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Marine Engineering and Marine Technology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
He has over 35 years' experience in shipping, having dealt with a multitude of technical, purchasing, crewing, financial, operational and legal aspects within the industry as well as repairs, acquisitions and newbuilding projects in Japan, South Korea and China.
He is Chairman of the Technical Committee of the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) which represents over 500 members, operating close to 5.000 bulkers (40 per cent of the global deep sea dry cargo fleet).
Dimitris is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology and an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.
He presently sits on various industry bodies including DNV’s West Europe Owners’ Committee, Bureau Veritas UK & Ireland Committee, the Council of the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee and Technical Committees of Lloyds Register (Global), ABS (Europe), Korean Register (Greece) and the Union of Greek Shipowners.
Pilbara Ports Acting Executive General Manager Projects and Engineering
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 currently Acting as Executive General Manager Projects and Engineering.
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.
Pilbara Ports Acting Executive General Manager Customer and Strategy
Ash joined Pilbara Ports in 2010 and has built an impressive career across the organisation, holding roles in property, commercial management and port development.
In February 2024, Ash was appointed Customer Manager, where he has been responsible for major iron ore, energy and chemicals customers, while also leading initiatives with the State to progress strategic industrial estates in the Pilbara. His portfolio includes developing opportunities in cleaner fuels, carbon capture and storage and decommissioning.
Ash brings extensive experience in commercial management, port access arrangements and stakeholder engagement, and in April 2026, he stepped into the role of Acting Executive General Manager Customer and Strategy.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Environmental Compliance
Greg Witherall leads national efforts to uphold maritime safety standards and environmental protection across Australia’s waters. He was previously the National Operations Manager, a role he held from November 2021 to July 2026, overseeing AMSA’s vessel inspection program.
Greg joined AMSA in April 2010 as a Port Marine Surveyor in Gladstone and was appointed Manager Operations North in 2016, leading regulatory and operational activities across northern Australia. He brings extensive maritime experience, having spent much of his seagoing career on cruise ships after beginning in the fishing industry in his native Canada.
Greg holds a Master Mariner’s licence, a Bachelor of Applied Science, a Bachelor of Business, and an Executive Master’s of Public Administration.
Fleet Management Limited, Chief Executive Officer
Captain Rajalingam (Raja) Subramaniam serves as Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Management Limited, a role he assumed on 1 January 2025. Captain Raja oversees Fleet Management’s global operations, with overall responsibility for its 620+ ships under management and a workforce of 1,300+ employees and 27,000+ seafarers, as well as clients and partners.
Captain Raja brings a wealth of industry experience. He joins the company from MISC Group where he was President & Group CEO, reinforcing the Group’s position as a dominant force in the global shipping and offshore industry. He has served on a number of industry boards including as an Executive Committee member of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, a Board Member of GARD and Task Force Member of Shaping the Future of the International Chamber of Shipping.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Chief Executive
Virginia McVea is a lawyer who qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland (NI) in 1993 specialising in European Law, Human Rights and Litigation in private practice. An expert in the duty of the state to protect life, she is an advanced advocate in the jurisdiction, a former Committee member for the Law Society of NI and a trainer for the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.
Virginia McVea has developed and delivered decision-making training schemes to senior emergency service teams in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Health and Social Care Trusts. A legal adviser to the health and social care regulatory body she developed new inspection methodologies and new investigative methodologies taken up by the international ombudsman institute. Virginia has worked in the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and was a Trustee for the UK Stroke Association. Virginia was the first female Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland from 2017 to 2023, the largest electoral single jurisdiction in the UK.
In April 2023, Virginia McVea was appointed Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, bringing her extensive public service experience to oversee the organisation's work across the United Kingdom.
RightShip Chief Executive Officer
Steen Lund has 38 years’ experience in the maritime industry. He spent 21 years with A.P. Moller-Maersk, where he was ultimately responsible for the Maersk Line network in the Americas, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa.
He subsequently headed Asia Pacific at Germanischer Lloyd, and following the creation of DNV GL in 2013, lead the region of the merged company.
Steen left DNV GL to take on a two-year turnaround challenge with Radio Holland and on completion served as CCO and CDO at Executive Ship Management. He was a Council Member of the Singapore Shipping Association over a five-year period where he chaired the Technical and Digital Transformation Committees.
In 2020 Steen became the CEO of RightShip where he, based out of Singapore, leads the world’s largest maritime due diligence digital SaaS platform organisation, providing global safety, sustainability and social responsibility practices. RightShip is driven by its purpose to achieve a maritime industry that causes zero harm.
Steen is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the MPA Academy where he lectures on technology and digitalisation in the maritime industry.
He also serves on the MPA Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund Committee, reviewing and approving project applications towards research and development, innovation and test-bedding by start-ups that develop and commercialise maritime technology products through an accelerator programme.
Class NK General Maanger Ship Management Systems Department
Naoki Saito is presently General Manager of ClassNK’s Ship Management Systems Department in headquarters, Tokyo. He was engaged in on-board training for cadets at the National Institute for Sea Training. He earned his M.Sc. in maritime affairs in 2004 from the World Maritime University in Sweden founded by the IMO.
In 2013, he joined ClassNK to establish the certification services of maritime education and training. He has also been engaged in cyber security for ships since 2015 and led the development of cyber security related guidelines by ClassNK. He currently oversees a comprehensive portfolio of ship management-related functions, including cybersecurity, human resource development and alternative fuel vessel operations.
This will be his second appearance at Safe Ships Safe Ports Forum, following last year's event.
Hamburg Port Authority Chief Executive Officer
Jens Meier has been CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority since 2008. With more than 25 years' experience in the port, logistics, finance and IT sectors, the computer science graduate is a recognised leader in the maritime industry.
His previous professional positions include board positions at Fiege Holding, the tts Group, Systematics AG (later EDS) or Soft-ware Design & Management AG (Ernst & Young Group). Jens Meier, elected IAPH Vice President for Europe in 2019, served in this capacity at the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) for a four-year tenure, during which he also assumed a temporary vice-presidency for Africa. He was elected IAPH President in summer 2023 and has just been re-elected for a second term, which commenced October 2025.
He is a frequent speaker with a large media outreach, in particular on future maritime affairs and in the area of digitalization. With regard to his voluntary commitment, Jens Meier is a founding board member of the Hamburger Informatik Forum e.V. (Hamburg Informatics Forum). He is also a member of several supervisory boards and boards of trustees. From 2015 to 2018 he served as president of Hamburger Sport Verein e.V.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges Vice President International Relations and Networks
Mr. Luc Arnouts has obtained a Master in Law at the University of Antwerp and a Master in General Management at the University of Ghent. He has been active in the port and logistics sector ever since.
He started his career and gained operational experience in cargo handling, stevedoring, transport; warehousing and ocean freight forwarding at the logistics company Group Katoennatie from 1986 until 1992. He held management positions in sales and general management.
In 1992, he moved to SGS-Group Belgium where he officiated as General Manager of SGS-Van Bree. He was Member of the Central Management Committee and the Strategic Committee. He was in charge of the logistics and port handling business of SGS in Belgium.
In 2000 he became Vice President Cargo Handling Europe of Avia partner, European leading airport handling company. He was also Member of the Central Board.
In 2007, he joined the Antwerp Port Authority as Chief Commercial Officer. Since mid 2017 he holds the function of Vice President International Relations and Networks of the (new merged) Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Luc Arnouts is active member of different associations and coalitions, like IAPH, Chainport, GettingToZero Coalition, etc.
Port of Rotterdam Authority Director International
Martijn Thijsen is Director International at the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Responsible for the international portfolio of the port, he leads international strategy, foreign policy and high-level partnerships, driving bilateral and multilateral engagements to strengthen Rotterdam’s role as a leading global Industrial Cluster & Logistics Hub. With over 15 years' of international experience across Europe and Asia, he brings a strong track record in strategic leadership, business transformation and supply chain innovation.
Martijn focuses on positioning Rotterdam as a critical node in the global trade & energy infrastructure, advancing digitalization and resilient supply chains through close collaboration with governments, ports, and industry leaders. Previously, he held Senior International Management roles at TNT Express and the Holland International Distribution Council, shaping global logistics and market development initiatives.
Port of London Authority Director of Corporate Affairs
Siân is Director of Corporate Affairs at the Port of London Authority, where she is responsible for communications and stakeholder engagement, including digital channels, events and public affairs. She leads on the PLA’s long-term strategy, Thames Vision 2050, with a particular focus on community and social impact.
From 2018-2023, she was Director of Corporate Affairs at the Money and Pensions Service, an arm’s-length body of the UK Government, where she built Talk Money Week into an annual consumer campaign which reached 18 million people, raising awareness of financial wellbeing. Prior to this, Siân spent most of her career in the aviation sector including thirteen years at Virgin Atlantic Airways, where she was VP of External Affairs and Sustainability, and the Civil Aviation Authority, where she advised on crisis communications and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Port of Seattle Managing Director, Maritime
Stephanie Jones Stebbins, Managing Director, Maritime at the Port of Seattle, is a seasoned leader with extensive expertise in developing innovative business strategies. As Managing Director of Maritime, Jones Stebbins oversees a diverse and dynamic portfolio that includes Maritime Operations – cruise business, commercial fishing, recreational marinas, grain, and industrial properties – along with waterfront capital programs, planning, portfolio & asset management, and Marine Maintenance. With a strategic vision and strong leadership, she drives operational excellence, infrastructure development, and sustainable growth to ensure the Port’s long-term success and efficiency.
A dedicated Port of Seattle professional for nearly 30 years, Jones Stebbins brings expertise across policy, operations, and long-term planning in the maritime industry. She has a proven track record of leading large, diverse teams to execute complex projects that advance the Port’s business and strategic objectives.
Jones Stebbins holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University and a Master’s degree in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, equipping her with the technical and strategic acumen to drive sustainable growth and innovation across the Port’s divisions