Joan Amorós occupies various positions for multiple respected organizations. Joan is currently President of Euro-Mediterranean Business Association, Executive Secretary General of R+D+4i Euro-Action Group Association and President of Fundació Occitano Catalana. This he manages alongside his current role as FERRMED President. Previously, Joan has worked for NISSAN Motor Iberica as Director General of Programming and Supply and as President of NISSAN Distribution BCN, has been Councillor of Administrative Council of Port of Barcelona, member of the Board of the Association of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia, Director General of Eurocongrès 2000, etc.

David Bendall is managing director of MariTrade. His company advises investors in shipping, port and related infrastructure with emphasis on improving productivity and adding value to commodity exports. He is a director of ICHCA Australia and a director, fellow and trustee of the Nautical Institute. He is also a former executive director of the Australian Shippers Council and of the International Chamber of Commerce (Australia).

Günther Bonz has been the president of FEPORT since 2011, joining from Eurogate where he was the executive director. Graduating in Law, he joined the department of Law & Urban planning in 1984. Since then he has worked for the Senate Office for The Public Administration and The Ministry for Economic and Transport and Agricultural Affairs. Here he became Head of EU- and Free Port Affairs before moving on to Head of the Senator Office and then Deputy Head of the Central Administration. In 1999 he Head of the Department for Economic and Agricultural Affairs where he worked as the Project Co-ordinator for Airbus A 380.

Richard Brough started his career in 1969 with the Merchant Navy, culminating in command level. After 20 years at sea, he came ashore and worked in various port and stevedoring management positions until 2004, when he established his own port and logistics consultancy. From 2008-2011 he also launched, ran and sold UK Port Services Ltd. Richard provides ICHCA International’s Technical Advisor service and is deeply involved in the association’s work with various international agencies and regulatory bodies. 

Daniele Ciulli graduated in Economics with a Masters Degree in Total Quality Management. Since then, he has worked for Contshipitalia Group since 1995. Currently working as a Health and Safety, Security, Quality and Environment (HSSQE) Manager, Daniele is also responsible for Operational Training. Based in La Spezia since 1995, Daniele coordinates HSSQE issues and Internal Auditing activities for all Contshipitalia Terminal Business Units. Daniele is a member of National Maritime Safety and Security Committee and the Chairman of Feport Environmental, Safety and Security Working Group.

Michael Dempsey is the Vice President, Container and Port Solutions at ORBCOMM.  Michael leads the enterprise solutions team delivering solutions for the visibility and control of marine and intermodal transportation assets. Michael has more than 25 years of experience in process automation technologies and is an industry thought leader in the application of technology for shipping, container terminal and port operations.

Jorge Martín is a MBA Industrial Euro engineer with over 20 year experience in the shipping/ports industry, developed within different technical and logistics fields: procurement, fleet management, facilities and equipment maintenance & repair, quality assurance, security, HSE, due diligence site audits, etc. He has worked for both domestic and global companies such as AP Moller group and today for Noatum Ports at its headquarters in Valencia where he holds different responsibilities in the operations department at a corporate level. Before that he had the opportunity of getting his hands dirty with first hand experience at the pier and the yard for quite some years, developing green field projects and running existing terminals. Regular speaker at international conferences and forum as well as a frequent article producer among prestigious magazines.

James Douglas is a Director of Exis Technologies and has been with the company since 2009. He has been involved in the transport and logistics industries for over 30 years at a number of IT and consultancy companies and previously worked with Exis as a customer and consultant on dangerous goods-related projects. At Exis, he works with global partners in the sea transport chain to increase safety and improve productivity in dangerous goods logistics, and raise awareness of Exis's Hazcheck Systems and IMDG Code e-learning services within sea and shore side operations. Hazcheck Systems and IMDG Code e-learning are now used by 16 of the top 20 container lines globally and by many European ferry/ro-ro operators. With the launch of the new CTUpack e-learning course, he is now also raising awareness of the issues involved in container packing and promoting best practice in the industry.

John Edwards spent over six years at another multinational marine cargo insurer before Joining Chubb. Here, his principal role was providing supply chain risk assessments for companies operating in a number of industry verticals, such as: project and over-dimensional cargoes in developed and developing countries - hi-tech, high end fashion, and perfume - temperature-sensitive goods in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. John has co-authored an article on cargo security as well as made presentations to clients in UK and on the continent on a variety of marine/transportation loss control topics. Prior to transitioning into insurance, John spent eight years working in industry, including at a major UK port, at a heavy haulage company, and at a logistics facility of GE Energy in the Czech Republic. He has a degree in Business Studies with a specialization in French language.

Sghir Elfilali is the Director of Strategies and Regulation Division of the National Ports Agency of Morocco. The National Ports Agency is the authoritative and regulatory body of the new Moroccan port system.

Uffe Ernst-Frederiksen is the chairman of CINS. The objective of the CINS organisation is to highlight risks posed by certain cargoes and/or packing failures in order to improve safety in the liner shipping industry. This is done by capturing and analysing information within the CINSnet database, looking for specific incidents which may require immediate action or assessing incident trends. Uffe is also a master Mariner supplemented with an Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA) and Executive Board Leadership Program both from Copenhagen Business School. Experience includes various operational roles. Presently the policy holder for all container cargo, dry, military, liquid and dangerous goods. Actively engaged in safety improvement initiatives for the maritime container supply chain both from commercial and legislative point of view.

Andrew Francis has over 30 years’ experience in a range of technical, operational and training positions in shipping, port and logistics businesses. A qualified marine engineer and MBA graduate, he was appointed Director of the DP World Institute in 2011, having previously being responsible for the delivery of operational training programmes. Committed to lifelong learning, and passionate about developing others in the business, Andrew is proud to be part of the move to offer expert solutions to the wider maritime industry. He has managed container terminals in the UK ports of Bristol and Liverpool, and also worked for an International Port Consultancy business. Before joining DP World, Andrew held a General Management position for P&O Ferries, a Dubai World business operating freight and passenger service.

Sergio Galvan-Montesdeoca is the current Head of the Foundation Ports of Las Palmas and has consulted on several EU-funded projects across Africa and Europe. He has over 35 years’ experience in the shipping industry, previously serving as the Commercial Director of SOVHISPAN SA and as Head of the Exterior Commerce Department of the Chamber of Commerce of Las Palma. He holds a Master’s degree in International Commerce Management by the International Business School of Las Palmas (ESCOEX).

Matthew Gore is a Senior Associate at Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) and specialises in transactional corporate and commercial law, with extensive experience in container shipping. Matthew has worked on commercial contracts for shippers, forwarders, shipping lines and terminal operators. He also has particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional transactions and international infrastructure projects in a number of different sectors including shipping (container, roll-on / roll-off and dry bulk); ports and terminals; logistics contracts and arrangements; and multimodal transport. Before joining HFW, Matthew was employed by a global shipping and industrial conglomerate working in a variety of commercial and operational roles in the UK and Denmark which has provided him with a sound understanding of the liner shipping and logistics industries.

Laurence Jones is a qualified engineer with over 40 years extensive management, engineering, maintenance, operations, industrial relations and logistics experience spanning manufacturing, mining and the global ports and terminals industry. In his current role as Risk Assessment Director for the TT Club, he provides advice and support in underwriting decisions and claims assessment and works proactively with clients and industry worldwide to identify areas where risks may be reduced. In addition to his role as Deputy Chairman for ICHCA International, he is a Director of ICHCA Australia and sits on ICHCA’s ISP Expert Panel. He is a member of the IAPH Safety, Security & Environment Committee and the PEMA Safety and Special Events & Education Committees.

Mason Kratz is a logistics specialist, currently occupying senior positions at both Olitek and Conweigh. Previously, Mason worked for GE Energy as a commercial manager for South East Asia, joining from Cummins Power Generation where he worked on power electronics, also in South East Asia. Before this Mason worked as an application engineer in remote regions including the South Pole and Alaska.

Capt. Sandeep Mehta is a dynamic and versatile personality in Indian Maritime sector. He has rich experience of 36 years in the maritime industry covering most aspects of ports, shipping, logistics & Infrastructure. His areas of expertise include International Logistics, Multi Cargo port operation, Global Shipping, Infrastructure development & Strategic infrastructure Management. He has been closely involved in development of Container Terminals, Private Rail Operations, Container Freight Stations & Inland Container and grain storage facilities for the Adani Group in India and has completed courses in Shipping & Transport in India and Overseas.

Olaf Merk leads the ports and shipping work at the International Transport Forum (ITF) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), international organisation in Paris. As such, he directs studies on ports, shipping and port-cities. Olaf Merk is the author of various OECD publications including “The Impact of Mega-Ships” and “The Competitiveness of Global Port-Cities”. As Manager of the OECD Port-Cities Programme, his previous post at the OECD, he directed more than a dozen studies on port-cities, including on Hong Kong, Shanghai, Rotterdam and Hamburg. At the OECD, he also worked on public investment, public-partnerships and fiscal decentralisation. He is Associate Professor at the Urban School of the Institute for Political Science (Sciences Po) in Paris. Prior to the OECD, he worked for the Netherlands Ministry of Finance. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam.

Richard Morton, spent his early career working in European road and sea freight operations and management and then brought that experience to bear in a series of international projects related to port and supply chain cooperation and development. In 2011 Richard was appointed as Secretary General of the European Port Community Systems Association. This new association was the first time that Port Community System Operators have come together in an Association. The Association provides a voice for electronic data interchange operators within the Maritime and Logistics sector. On 1st September 2014, EPCSA changed to the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) to take account of it’s growing global membership and now its members operate in ports handling in excess of 100 TEUs and 3 billion tonnes of cargo, the latest member being SEGUCE, Togo in West Africa. In his role as Secretary General Richard works to support international organisations including the UN, WCO, the European Commission, IMO and many others on the electronic exchange of information by providing experience and knowledge of practical trade facilitation.

John Noble has a career in marine surveying and consultancy spanning 35 years, which has taken him to the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Sweden, the UAE and Sudan. Alongside his current consultancy work for UAE-based Constellation Maritime Services, John is Director of Noble Marine Services. He regularly is interviewed as an industry expert on radio and television stations including BBC News, BBC Newsnight, BBC Radio 4, Sky News, ABC Australia and CNN.

Désirée Oen deputises for the Head of Cabinet of Violeta Bulc's team at the European Commission. She is involved in cabinet administrative and briefing coordination, has relations with the Council and works with the Group of Interinstitutional Relations (GRI), Inter-institutional relations, TEN-T and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Her work includes Logistics, Inland waterways, the Single European transport area, Infrastructure and Relations with the National Parliaments.

David Parrin completed an initial Higher National Diploma in Engineering before graduating from Sussex University with a Bachelor of Education in 1975. After moving to Germany, he started a carrier in the logistic sector (airfreight and express services) gradually progressing into sales. In 1986 he joined Cordstrap BV, The Netherlands and has held various positions within the company since then. First as sales manager, later as product development manager with responsibility for Cordstrap’s one-way cargo securing program and finally as Senior CKC Advisor and trainer at the Cordstrap Knowledge Center.

Javier Saavedra is the Head of the HSE Dept. of Terminales Maritimos de Galicia SL (TMGA). He oversees TMGAS’s main business located in the ports of La Coruna and Ferrol, NW Spain. Here it operates an environmentally friendly, ATEX dry-bulk cargo terminal; a project cargo terminal catering mostly to the windmill manufacturing industry. The terminal also operates as a multi-purpose terminal for containerized steel and heavy lift cargo, as well as engaging in general stevedoring work.

Darren Snow is the Business Development Manager for Strainstall. With a background in aircraft engineering, Darren now concentrates on international business development and is heading the Container Weight System project for Strainstall. Strainstall is a manufacturer of load measurement and monitoring systems with over 50 years’ of experience in subsea, marine, offshore, and industrial applications.

Peregrine Storrs-Fox has been with the TT Club since 1984, firstly handling claims and providing advice to all types of transport and logistics operators, including ports and terminals, until the late 1990s when he began directing claims operations worldwide for the Club. Since 2002, he has led the TT Club's internal risk management framework as well as directing its loss prevention services to Members. In this latter role he has particularly developed links with like-minded trade organisations and NGOs with a view to promote good practice in health and safety matters as well as general operations.

Daisuke Tatsumi is the Deputy Director of Engineering Administration Office, Engineering Planning Division, Ports and Harbours Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan. Previously he has worked as a research engineer for both The National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Japan and Tsunami Research Center, Port and Airport Research Institute, Japan. He has worked on a number of published research papers, specialising in Tsunami forecasting and prediction.

Hiroshi Ueda worked for the Ministry of Transport of Japan (later reorganized to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) for 30 years where he was involved in the planning and development of facilities including the ports of Tokyo and Yokohama and Haneda International Airport. After his retirement, he joined the Overseas Coastal Area Development Institute, a non-profit organisation providing assistance on planning, development and operations for ports in developing markets. He also served as a Senior Executive Director for civil engineering contractor Ohmoto-Gumi Co. Ltd.

Peter van Duyn is the Managing Director of Espero Logistics Consulting and also works as a Maritime Logistics Expert at Victoria University’s Institute for Supply Chain and Logistics in Melbourne, Australia. Peter has project managed a number of logistics chain studies for port authorities in Australia. He has written a number of media articles on port privatization, stevedoring operations in Australia and port planning as well as commentary in the media. Peter was the General Manager at Patrick Container Terminals from 2007 to 2009, responsible for the four main container terminals in Australia with a workforce of over 1300 employees and revenue of $ 500 million p.a. He has conducted due diligence on a number of merger and acquisition opportunities in the logistics sector.

John Warda has had an extensive career in the Australian Grains & Supply Chain Industries which has spanned over 42 years, the majority of which have been spent in senior management and Executive roles in logistics and operations. John is currently the Director - Global Supply Chain for Emerald Grain, a fully owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, and one of Australia’s leading integrated grain accumulation, marketing and logistics companies. His current role is focussed on growing Sumitomo’s and Emerald’s integrated and supply chain businesses both here and overseas.

Chris Welsh was appointed Secretary General of the Global Shippers’ Forum in 2011 after serving as Secretary General of the European Shippers’ Council (ESC) from 1997-2002 where he played a prominent role in deregulating EU shipping and air cargo markets. Chris has held a variety of senior management roles for the UK Freight Transport Association, most notably establishing the FTA’s operations in Brussels and Ireland. Chris holds an MBA and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CMILT) and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI).

Rachael White has spent 25 years in the global shipping, logistics, port and transport industries as a researcher, journalist, editor, conference and event producer, marketing and PR consultant. A graduate of Cambridge University, with a 1st class degree in English, Rachael has edited transport industry trade journals, including Container Management, Bulk Distributor and Cargo Systems. In the past 15+ years, she has created agendas and recruited executives to speak at major industry conferences, including the TOC Events portfolio and Intermodal Europe. Rachael acts as Secretary General to the Port Equipment Manufacturers Association and since 2009 has been co-owner of Cool Logistics Resources, providing specialist networking and education events for the global perishable transport and logistics markets. In addition to well-honed verbal and written communication skills, she has significant knowledge of the industry and worldwide contacts with senior industry and media figures.

Beat Zwygart established LASSTEC in 2004, a container load-weighing and accident-prevention system. Beat has accumulated many years’ experience in the container handling industry including founding and directing the marketing company for ELME’s Crane Spreader division. LASSTEC was aquired by Conductix Wampfler in September 2013 and Beat continues to work for Conductix to integrate the product into the group worldwide.