Svp & Chief Corporate Officer, Costa Crociere S.p.a.

Roberto Alberti is Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Officer of Costa Crociere – directly reporting to President Mario Zanetti – representing the company to external stakeholders and leading Finance, IT, Legal, Procurement, Government Relations to ensure a harmonious contribution of these functions to demand generation and impact on revenues.

Throughout his 20 year-career in Costa, he worked his way up through various positions of increasing responsibility in Italy and abroad. 

In 2016 he joined the CEO Office directly reporting to Group CEO Costa Group & Carnival Asia. After holding the position of VP Strategic Development, in 2019 he was appointed SVP & Chief Strategy Officer of the Costa Group contributing to the definition of a sustainable development plan, of the global source market strategy and Costa brand positioning.   

In 2021, he was named Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer at Costa Crociere, directly reporting to President Mario Zanetti. In this position, he was responsible for the definition and coordination of the company’s commercial strategies, leading at a worldwide level the Marketing Department, the Pricing & Revenue Management, Itinerary and Transportation Department and the whole Sales Area. 

In November 2023 Roberto Alberti took another important step in his career at Costa, with the appointment to his current position of Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Officer.

Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport, D1 – Maritime transport and logistics

José Barradas has been a Policy Officer at the European Commission, DG MOVE, since January 2025, where he focuses on the implementation of the FuelEU Maritime regulation. Before he has been working with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), supporting the negotiation and implementation of FuelEU Maritime and the extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to the maritime sector. He has also contributed to enhancing the THETIS-MRV system to support the effective implementation of FuelEU Maritime.

José has also actively participated in the development of the IMO Guidelines on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels and provided support to the European Commission and Member States in negotiating the IMO mid-term measures.

Prior to this, he has worked in maritime administration as a Flag State Surveyor and served as Chief Marine Engineer onboard ships.

Policy Officer, European Commission

Since 2018, Justyna BARTNICKA has been working for the European Commission in the Maritime Safety Unit, where she is responsible for seafarers’ education, training, and certification, as well as their living and working conditions at sea. Currently, her focus is on two major projects: the review and revision of the IMO STCW (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) and the amendments to the MLC, 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention).

During the COVID-19 pandemic and the early stages of the war in Ukraine, she played an active role in the European Commission’s efforts to facilitate crew changes, collaborating closely with the shipping industry and UN agencies. Her work involved engaging with stakeholders and creating policies for seafaring professions, often representing these initiatives at international public events.

Before joining the European Commission, she spent seven years at the Polish Permanent Representation to the EU, starting as a shipping attaché and later becoming the Head of the Transport Policy Division. She holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Szczecin.

Ph.D in behavioral psychology
over 28 years of experience in the cruise industry

Senior Vice President, Maritime Policy

Donald Brown is the Senior Vice President for Maritime Policy at the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In this capacity he coordinates industry positions on technical, regulatory and policy matters related to cruise ship safety, security, and environmental stewardship.

Prior to joining CLIA, he served as a Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. As the Chief of the Operations Law Group, he provided agency-wide legal counsel to senior officials and federal interagency leaders on transnational maritime threats, facilitating agency, national, and international consensus on policy matters. Previous assignments include U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, speechwriter and special assistant in the Office of the Coast Guard Commandant, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida, Rescue Coordination Center Miami and seagoing
assignments aboard Cutters ESCANABA (1st Lieutenant) and VASHON (Executive Officer).

Donald is a 1993 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and a 2003 graduate from the University of Miami School of Law where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Inter-American Law Review.

Barbara joined Cruise Saudi in 2021, and most recently has been appointed to Chief Destination Experiences Officer, overseeing all aspects of Destination Experiences including asset development, operations, shorex and business development. Previously, Barbara worked with the Port of Dover Group for 11 years and held several senior management positions across operational and commercial areas, including Group Chief Commercial Officer, leading the development of the group’s business portfolio including ferry, cruise, cargo, marina and property. A law and business graduate with over two decades of professional experience in the cruise and port industry, Barbara has been instrumental in developing relationships with international cruise lines and promoting Cruise Saudi to a global audience. With Saudi fast becoming an increasingly attractive tourist destination, a crucial element of Barbara’s role at Cruise Saudi includes overseeing the port and terminal development, operations and shorex teams at Jeddah, Yanbu and Dammam. There are ambitious plans to increase the number of ports equipped to welcome cruise ships to 10 within the next decade.

Vp, Maritime Cyber Safety, Carnival Corporation & Plc

Leigh Carr is currently serving as the Vice President of Maritime Cyber Safety at Carnival Corporation. Before assuming this role in 2018, Leigh held the positions of Global Director, Security Portfolio, and Manager of the Global Infrastructure Project Portfolio within the company. Prior to joining Carnival, Leigh served as a Product Technologist Consultant at DELL Technologies, Director of Technical Services at The School District of Palm Beach County, the CIO and Vice President of Software Development & Services at SenTech Systems, and as the Director of IT Services at Citrix Systems. Leigh graduated from Carlow University with a BS in Business Management and a Minor in Finance. She also hold an MBA from Nova Southeastern University with a concentration in Computer Science. Leigh is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and holds a Master Certificate in Enterprise Cybersecurity from the Professional Development Academy.

Charles “Bud” Darr is President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the global trade association that represents an expansive community of the world’s most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; a highly trained and certified travel agent community; and a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services.

As President and CEO, Bud is responsible for leading the organization’s work as the leading authority and voice of the industry across the association’s five operating regions, including North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australasia, and Brazil.

Bud was announced in December 2024 as president and CEO of CLIA effective 3 February 2025—returning to CLIA, having previously held the post of Senior Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Affairs from 2010 to 2017. Prior to his return to CLIA, Bud served as Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, at MSC Group for more than seven years. During his accomplished career in maritime, he has also held positions within the U.S. Coast Guard, including Deputy Chief of Maritime & International Law, and he has served in the U.S. Navy, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard.

A highly respected figure in the maritime world, Bud’s leadership of CLIA comes at an important time for the industry as the cruise sector builds on a strong and responsible growth trajectory in support of its 2050 sustainability targets. He has exceptional maritime experience and over the course of his career has built outstanding relationships across the global cruise industry and with related trade, equipment, ports, shipbuilders, and service providers.

Bud has extensive experience across the broader maritime community, including through his involvement with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, UK Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners Council, SEA-LNG, Society for Gas as Marine Fuel, World Shipping Council, IMO World Maritime University, Cruise Safety and Sustainability Forum, and the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI).

He began his education in Submarine Nuclear Engineering and later obtained his formal undergraduate education at the US Merchant Marine Academy. During his service with the US Coast Guard, he studied law at the George Washington University Law School.

Matthew has been working as an economist for 15 years and currently leads the EMEA tourism consultancy unit at Oxford Economics. Throughout his career, he has conducted numerous tourism impact and policy studies for destinations around the world, focusing on specific sectors such as the cruise, accommodation, and aviation industries. Notably, he has provided economic impact consulting services to various cruise operators and stakeholders within the cruise ecosystem. His work includes conducting cruise destination and port impact studies across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. Additionally, Matthew has directed the development of a series of cruise economic impact studies—the first since 2019—in partnership with CLIA.

Dr Yigit Kemal Demirel is the Hull Performance Solution Manager at Hempel A/S. He is responsible for designing and developing hull performance solutions, as well as leading advocacy activities. He also currently serves as a Council Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA). Dr Demirel’s previous experience includes the roles of Senior Project Consultant at a venture studio and Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. He holds a PhD in Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering with a thesis entitled ‘Modelling the Roughness Effects of Marine Coatings and Biofouling on Ship Frictional Resistance’. With over 12 years of academic experience, Dr Demirel conducted world-leading research in his respective field, led and contributed to international projects, published in esteemed journals, and presented at global prestigious events. Dr Demirel actively contributed as a member of the Resistance and Propulsion Committee of the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC). As a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (MRINA), Dr Demirel brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his current role.

President, AIDA Cruises

Felix Eichhorn (44) has been heading AIDA Cruises, the German brand of the world’s largest cruise company Carnival Corporation & plc, as President since September 1, 2015.

The native of Rostock studied Business Management at the Economic Academy Hamburg and completed the General Management Program of Harvard Business School in Boston, USA. For more than 20 years already, he has accompanied the unique growth of AIDA Cruises in various management positions of increasing responsibility.

Felix Eichhorn started his career at AIDA Cruises in 1999 with a dual studies program. In the following years, he held a wide variety of positions on board and ashore before assuming responsibility for sales and yield management of AIDA Cruises as Vice President Sales, Yield Management & Flight Operations in 2012.

In December 2019, Felix Eichhorn was elected board member of the German Travel Organization (DRV). Besides, he is presidium member of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW), member of the administrative board of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) as well as member of the European Executive Committee of the Cruise Lines International Association CLIA.

Ceylan Erzi Yaman is the Marketing Director of Global Ports Holding. She has extensive experience in the cruise industry, having worked in various marketing roles within the company since 2014. She oversees all marketing and communication functions across GPH’s 32 cruise ports in 20 countries. She has been instrumental in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies that have helped GPH maintain its position as a global leader in the cruise industry Before transitioning to the cruise industry, she began her career in hospitality, working in sales at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. She holds a university degree in Tourism Administration from Bogazici University and a Master’s Degree in International Management from EADA Business School. In 2020, she completed an Executive Leadership Program at Koc University.

Chief Energy Transition Officer, MSC Cruises Sa

Michele Francioni joined MSC Cruises S.A. in September 2018 as Senior Vice President. On January 2024 he was appointed as Chief Energy Transition Officer, leading the decarbonization strategy of the Company. Among his current responsibilities, Michele leads the Sustainability team as well as the energy efficiency teams of MSC Cruises.

Michele has strong background in shipping and maritime technology. He holds a Master degree in Naval Architecture and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Genoa. He started his career at RINA, as a structural engineer and marine surveyor before being appointed as Asia General Manager and lately he served as CEO of RINA Services S.p.A. for over 6 years.

LR Advisory Director, Lloyd’s Register

James leads the Business Consultancy team at Lloyd’s Register, and has over fifteen years experience dedicated to maritime consultancy and research. Within LR, he leads a team of consultants working with senior management teams of shipowners, operators, charterers, ports and fuel suppliers, working to position their businesses for future success. His team works with clients to understand the impact of the energy transition on their businesses, from a commercial and financial perspective as well as a technical one.

Prior to LR, James was director of consultancy at Maritime Strategies International(MSI). His first job in shipping was as a market analyst at Clarkson Research. James holds an MSc in International Trade, Finance and Development from Barcelona School of Economics, a MA in Modern History from the University of Oxford, and an Diploma in Economics from the University of London.

Co-CEO, OneOcean and Ocean Technologies Group

Vice President, Membership Experience for Cruise Lines Internationa

Carla Guilbaud is Vice President, Membership Experience for Cruise Lines International. In this role, Guilbaud leads the Membership and Commercial elements that are so critical to support and provide value to our members and commercial partners around the globe.

She joined CLIA in November 2022 and has extensive experience in the industry, having spent her entire career working for one of the world’s largest cruise lines. As a result, she brings to CLIA insight and experience supporting a wide range of business structures in North America and globally.

Prior to joining CLIA, Guilbaud was with Royal Caribbean Group, most recently as Director, Supply Chain Management. In this position, she was responsible for marine and technical procurement related to new builds and special projects. Prior this position, Guilbaud held positions of increasing responsibility over her 23-year career with the company.

Guilbaud earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international business from Florida International University—College of Business, and recently earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering and Industrial Management from Florida International University—College of Engineering & Computing.

Heading up the People strategy for the newly combined Saga Cruise and Saga Holidays/Titan Travel businesses, Jana and her team are responsible for the recruitment, deployment, development and retention of cruise and river ship crew as well as portside and in-resort reps, as well as managing the onshore HR function.

Jana is a relative newcomer to the cruise and travel industry clocking in just under three years with Saga, having spent the majority of her career prior in HR roles across the London insurance and broking markets.

Let’s say she hasn’t looked back! Cruising is a fantastic industry, and Jana is extremely passionate about creating an inclusive culture on board, in particular developing strong female talent pipelines and increasing gender representation at senior officer levels.

Tino Hensel has been working in leading positions in the maritime industry for more than 25 years. Apart from previous assignments in a well-known ship management company he built up his career at AIDA Cruises and supported the company in its growth period by holding various positions in different areas of responsibilities. His focus is set on Human Resources. Besides establishing a sustainable organization, he constantly looks for innovative approaches in human resources management in the maritime area with special attention on education, development, and support of personnel on board of ships. In the year 2008 the European Cruise Academy was built up under his lead which included the introduction of state-of-the-art education and development programs for the cruise industry. Tino Hensel holds the honorary post as Chairman of Labour Subcommittee with CLIA Europe in Brussels and he engages himself actively for the interests of the cruisy industry in this position. Since April 2015 Tino Hensel has been in the position Vice President Marine HR with Carnival Maritime in Hamburg. Supported by 25 employees in his department he is in charge of the management of more than 4000 employees working in the nautical and technical areas on board of 26 cruise ships of the Costa Group (AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Costa Asia)

President Wärtsilä Marine, EVP Wärtsilä Corporation

Gudrun Janssens studied Chemistry in Ghent and began working at the Belgian Ministry of environment in 2000. She completed her studies at the Maritime Institute and shaped Belgian policy on ship waste management and recycling for over 15 years. In 2018, she joined ECSA, later becoming Head of Environmental Affairs at the Royal Belgian Shipowners Association. Currently, she leads the BIMCO EU office in Brussels.

Michael Jaworski, Global Director Crew Government Relations, and Visas for Royal Caribbean Group has over 44 years of experience in Government Relations pertaining to global crew and passenger visas issues/processing with a direct relationship with U.S and foreign Embassies, Consulates, and Immigration officials in most countries, ports, and airports worldwide. An active member of CLIA U.S. / CLIA Europe Visa Labour Affairs Committee pertaining to maritime visas which has reshaped the landscape for seafarers. He is regarded as an industry S.M.E. for the Global Maritime Sector around the world to help resolve crew visa and port immigration / customs issues.

Special Envoy, European Region, CLIA

J.D. (cum laude) University of San Francisco, B.A. Michigan State University, Proctor in Admiralty (U.S.) Admiral Kenney joined the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) as a Special Envoy in October 2023. He is the former Director of the Legal Affairs and External Relations Division at the International Maritime Organization, where he was responsible for the delivery of legal services to the IMO Secretariat and the 175 Member States, with particular emphasis on the law of the sea and treaty law. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Admiral Kenney served as the Chair of the IMO’s Seafarer’s Crisis Action Team, providing intervention and support to seafarers stranded as a result of the pandemic. In 2022, Admiral Kenney was seconded to the United Nations, where he served as part of the negotiating team and later as the Initial UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Prior to his service with the UN/IMO, Admiral Kenney served for 33 years in the United States Coast Guard, ultimately being assigned as the Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel. Previous assignments include Chief, Office of Maritime and International Law and several other legal and operational tours, including Commanding Officer, USCG Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team and service aboard a polar icebreaker.

Admiral Kenney is currently Visiting Fellow at Swansea University and also lectures at the World Maritime University and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute. He previously was an Adjunct Professor of Maritime Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He has published numerous articles and book chapters. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Seafarer’s Welfare Assistance Network (ISWAN).

Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy

Manolis Koutoulakis serves as a General Secretary of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy responsible for the Aegean and Insular Policy. Holds a Degree in Spatial & Urban Planning and Regional Development (Dip. Eng.) and has a MSc in Spatial Planning and Regional Policy. He is PhD candidate in International and European Relations at the University of Piraeus specialized in the research and analysis of the spatial and economic impacts of selected European policies in Greece.

He served as a Special Advisor at the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness (2010-2012) on issues related to the evaluation of Public and Private Investments, preparation of special funding schemes for entrepreneurship and monitoring of implementation of Public Investments Program.

During the period 2014-2015 he was a Special Advisor at the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Welfare in the field of policy analysis and planning of Social Economy Programs, design of specific measures on the promotion of employment, formulation of Sectoral funding policy on Lifelong learning and Youth Guarantee Action Plan. He has participated as an expert in International and European Organizations on public sector reforms projects with an emphasis on Local Development and Public Administration.

He has also participated or coordinated the implementation of numerous development studies and programs for Municipalities, Regions and has acquired specialization in European funding, strategic and operational planning for public authorities regarding blue growth, insularity and localization of EU cohesion policy.

He was the head of the Liaison and Innovation Office at the University of Piraeus (2017-2019) and coordinator of the European Information Centre of European Commission Initiative “Europe Direct” for Piraeus and the Islands of Attica.

From July 2019 until April 2021 served as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy on the management of European Policies for the sectors of shipping, maritime transport, maritime security and surveillance along with blue economy, insularity and management of the digital transformation of the Ministry. He was the head of the team responsible for the drafting and final presentation of the new legal framework on the Integrated Maritime Policy in the Insular Territory (Law 4832/2021).

Fanny is the Senior Director for Climate, Environment and maritime Safety. She also leads ECSA’s work on offshore. She has been with ECSA since 2018. Originally from Brittany, she has been working in EU affairs in Brussels since 2007. She studied EU law at the University of Rennes, France, and at the University College Cork, Ireland.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Royal Caribbean Group

Jason Liberty is President and Chief Executive Officer for Royal Caribbean Group, which consists of three global cruise brands, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, as well as TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, of which it is a 50% owner in a joint venture. The company’s 60 ships carry more than 7.5 million guests a year to ports on all seven continents.

Since joining the Company in 2005, Liberty has had many roles, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In his former role, Liberty was responsible for Finance, Strategy, Shared Service Operations, Legal, Technology, Silversea Cruises and the TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Joint Venture.

Before joining Royal Caribbean Group, he was a senior manager with the accounting firm KPMG LLP.

Liberty earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he now serves on the Board of advisors. In addition, he holds degrees in accounting and finance from the University of Miami School of Business and Indiana University, Bloomington, Kelley School of Business, respectively. He also serves on the board of directors of WNS Limited, a business process management public company.

Executive Vice President, Fincantieri S.p.A.

Alberto Maestrini is currently the Executive Vice President at Fincantieri S.p.A., responsible for the Offshore and Special Vessels business. He also holds the position of Chairman of Vard Group AS and serves as CEO of both Vard Holdings and Fincantieri Oil & Gas. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Naviris, a joint venture between Fincantieri and Naval Group.

Recently elected President of SEA Europe, Maestrini is committed to strengthening the association’s role in advancing Europe’s maritime industry, especially through the upcoming EU Industrial Maritime Strategy.

Prior to his current roles at Fincantieri, served as General Manager of Fincantieri S.p.A. from 2016 to 2020 and Executive Senior Vice President of the Naval Vessels Business Unit from 2004 to 2016. Maestrini’s career spans several leadership roles in the telecommunications and engineering sectors. He began his professional journey at GEC Group’s Hirst Research Centre in London in 1985, later moving to Marconi S.p.A. where he held various key positions until he became CEO of Marconi S.p.A. in 2001. He was also CEO of Telindus S.p.A. in 2003.

His extensive experience in leadership and business management has made him a prominent figure and been instrumental in the growth and development of major companies in the shipbuilding and telecommunications industries.

Deputy Director-General DG MOVE, European Commission

Maja held various positions in the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs between 1996 and 2016. Based in Brussels from 1999 until 2011, she was responsible for horizontal coordination of the Croatian accession negotiations. In 2011, she moved back to Zagreb and was responsible for setting up and management of the system of national coordination of European Affairs. In 2015 she became Assistant Minister for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

On 1 December 2016, she became Deputy Director General in the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, responsible for coordinating the activities related to investment, innovative and sustainable transport, in support of the Commission President’s priorities.

Managing Director, Windrose Finest Travel and OFT

Wybcke Meier (age 49) was appointed CEO of TUI Cruises in 2014. The qualified travel agent started her career at Fischer Reisen, where she held various positions with managerial responsibility for marketing and sales. After Fischer Reisen was sold to Condor Flugdienst GmbH, she was at the helm of the integration process of the tour operator into the newly established C&N Touristic AG. In 2000, Wibcke Meier become head of sales at Via 1 – Schöner Reisen online travel shopping channel in Hamburg, a position she held for two years. Following this, she headed sales and marketing for eight years as an authorized signatory and member of the Management Board at tour operator Oger Tours. Most recently, Wybcke Meier was managing Director at Windrose Finest Travel and OFT. d is the single point of contact for all cruise liner companies.
Simone started his career in 1997 in the airline industry, first in sales and marketing and later moved to terminal and airport operations. In 2005, Simone joined the Italian ferry Group Grimaldi/Grandi Navi Veloci and oversaw sales and marketing for the German-speaking countries. In 2010, he moved to Sartori & Berger, one of Germany’s leading port agencies and cruise service providers, where he was responsible for operations in all German and Polish ports.
In addition to his active role in Hamburg’s cruise development as a board member of the Cruise Cluster “Hamburg Cruise Net”, Simone is also involved internationally. Before being elected as the new Chairman of Cruise Europe in May 2024, he chaired the Cruise Europe Sustainability Committee and was active on the Marketing Board. Simone also serves as Chair of the IAPH Cruise Committee and is actively involved in association work for CGH as a member of CLIA. Simone was born and raised in Milan, Italy. 

CEO, Meyer Turku

Sean has a wealth of tourism, and specifically, cruise industry market research and analytics experience having spent nearly two decades undertaking a wide variety of research and consulting assignments in the UK and beyond. 

Sean’s responsibilities include managing primary and secondary research activities, including survey work, for Tourism Economics’ consulting projects and collaborating closely with clients to enable a deeper understanding of tourism trends. He oversees Tourism Economics’ cruise market research studies which includes the delivery of regular cruise industry consumer and business research. 
A meticulous analyst with a deep understanding of the industry, Sean plays an important role delivering tourism research reports and regularly shares travel and consumer insights at industry conferences. 

Prior to joining Tourism Economics in 2023, Sean was a Director at STR for over 5 years and prior to that he was Managing Director of LJ Research, a boutique tourism market research agency. During his tenure at STR he was responsible for leading their Tourism Consumer Insights division which delivered a broad range of tourism and hospitality studies.  

Sean studied Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. 

I use my passion and 15+ year experience to provide Global Fortune 500 companies with practical, long-lasting and practical sustainability solutions. My career started in marine chemistry and I have been traveling the world, from Bermuda to Japan, learning the building blocks of sustainability programs. As a leader in sustainability, I prioritize creating internal buy-in and focus on consensus-building and stakeholder engagement, particularly when embarking on Net Zero roadmaps. As an expert in GHG inventories, CSR/ESG global reporting and climate strategy and governance, I understand how sustainability strategies are crafted in ways that reflect the culture and goals of the company. I strive in the space where my passion for science, sustainability, and climate action blend harmoniously. It has been a remarkable ride, driven by curiosity and a desire to protect our planet, and I hope it inspires many others to courageously lean into the world of sustainability.

Sigurður has an M.Sc. in marketing and international business from the University of Iceland. He is currently Chairman of the organization Cruise Iceland and marketing director of Faxafloahafnair (Port of Reykjavik, Akranes, Grundartangi and Borgarnes). During the last decade he has been working in various roles in the tourism industry, within the fields of sales, marketing, and business development. Previously he worked within the media industry both in Iceland and Denmark, also within the fields of sales, marketing and business development.

Gianni Onorato has been MSC Cruises’ CEO since 2013. In this position, he oversees the Company’s business from its global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, reporting to the Board of Directors and to the Executive Chairman.

With over 30 years’ experience in the cruise industry, Mr Onorato has a finely developed understanding of the cruise business and extensive experience in senior executive leadership, having served as President of Costa Cruises from 2004 to 2013.

Born in Italy, Mr Onorato graduated from Naples’ Istituto Orientale with a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature in 1983, and then specialized at SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan and INSEAD in Fontainebleau.

Mr Onorato began his career in 1986 at Costa Cruises as Food and Beverage Manager before becoming Cruise Product Director. From 1997 he served as Vice President & Cruise Operations Director and was responsible for logistics and provisioning, as well as all activities relating to calls, excursions and hotel operations.

Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

Petri Peltonen is Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. In this capacity, he oversees policy development and implementation in the sectors of industry, enterprise and innovation as well as foreign direct investments. Prior to taking his current position in 2016, Petri Peltonen was Director General of the Enterprise and Innovation Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Technology Department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. From 1996 to 2006, he worked at the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (Tekes), most recently as Executive Director and member of the management team. From 1987 until 1996, he held several technology development positions at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands and in the electronics industry in Finland. Petri Peltonen holds M.Sc. and Lic.Tech. degrees from Tampere University of Technology. He is an invited member of the Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences.

Director Future Curriculum And R&d, Carnival Plc Csmart

A deck officer by trade Gabriele started his seagoing career in the Italian Navy and continued in the cruise industry sailing for Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise line and back at Carnival Corporation as Marine Advisor prior pivoting to education and being one of the founders of the CSMART Academy. He spent the last 15 years growing with and within the academy, from a nautical instructor position to his current role in the Management Team. He covered meanwhile all different tasks and duties during the expansion of the training center to the current campus, developing on the way innovative programs and what is now known as SkillGrader.

President, Medcruise

Theodora Riga is the President of MedCruise and the recently appointed President of Corfu Port Authority (OLKE A.E.). She previously served as the Chief Commercial Officer & Director of Strategic Communications at ThPA S.A. – Port of Thessaloniki.
Born in 1973 in the USA, she holds an MBA in Business Administration and has over 20 years of experience in leadership roles across port, shipping, and financial services. Her expertise in strategic development, marketing, and communications has helped transform Thessaloniki into a thriving cruise destination, significantly increasing cruise traffic.

Theodora Riga is also a member of the National Cruise Committee and represents the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping (NEE) in the National Cruise Coordinating Committee. She is dedicated to promoting sustainable growth in the Mediterranean cruise industry through collaborative efforts.

Deputy Director-General & Chief Standardisation Officer, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW)

As Deputy Director-General in GROW, Maive Rute focusses on green transition of industries, resilience of supply chains, promotion of investments, standardisation and IP rights. In June 2022, European Commission nominated her the first ever Chief Standardisation Officer.
Between 2005 – 2019, she has worked as Director for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, and as Director and DDG in the research and innovation field of the European Commission. She has also served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Estonia and CEO of KredEx, the Estonian business and export financing body.

Moderator

Katrina is a London born-and-bred, Brussels-based moderator with a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University. Her eclectic career path to date spans steel-trading in West Africa, business development in the post-Soviet states, delivering presentation and media training at a unique television and film industry facility, and co-running an award-winning broadcast PR company producing broadcast news packages for BBC, Sky News, Channel 4, ITV and Reuters.

Since 2011, Katrina has been moderating events on diverse topics spanning R&I, technology and digitalisation; agriculture; marine and maritime affairs; environment, climate change and biodiversity issues; energy, mobility and transport topics; finance; health(care), and more. Alongside, from 2007 – 2017 she managed, at two big agencies in Brussels, the development and roll-out of EU multimedia communications campaigns for diverse stakeholders. She speaks French, rusty Russian and a bit of German alongside her native tongue.

For a fuller profile, see LinkedIn and here: www.moderatorseurope.eu

Boudewijn Siemons has been CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority since 1 February 2024. In the organisational structure, the commercial and staff departments are below Siemons in his role as CEO.

Experience
Mechanical engineer Siemons became interim CEO at the Port of Rotterdam Authority in July 2023. At the time, he was already COO at the Port Authority (since October 2020). Before joining the Port Authority board, Siemons worked at Royal Vopak as President of the North and Latin America division. He was previously a member of Vopak’s management and worked in that capacity in Europe, the Middle East and the US. Before that (from 1998 to 2006), Siemons held various management positions at Royal VolkerWessels. Boudewijn Siemons began his career in 1987 in the Netherlands Royal Navy, where he served until 1998. He studied at the Netherlands Royal Naval Institute and TU Delft.

Appointed:(CEO) from 01-02-2024
End of present term: 01-02-2028
Former position: President Vopak Americas

Additional positions:

Board member of VNO-NCW
Chairman of the Seaports Trade Organisation (BOZ)
Supervisory board member of the Rotterdam Maritime Museum
Board member of the Zuid-Holland Economic Board (EBZ)
Board member of the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce (DNHK)
Supervisory board member of Rotterdam Partners
Advisory board member of the DeltaPORT Community Fund

Principal Scientist, Endures B.v.

Dr Maria Salta (MS) is a Principal Scientist in Endures B.V. (Den Helder, The Netherlands) leading the Biofilms, Biofouling and Fouling Control group (Nov 2021 – current). Endures is an independent centre of expertise for corrosion, antifouling/biofouling, MIC and failure analysis. MS manages and conducts applied research projects for the maritime sector, working with research institutes as well as with the private sector and governmental bodies. In parallel, MS is a visiting Associate Professor at the University of Portsmouth (UK) where she had a faculty position from 2015 – 2021. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Southampton, UK, looking at marine biofilms on manmade surfaces under different test conditions. For the last 15 years, Dr Salta has been involved in and lead several research and commercial projects investigating biofilm and biofouling-associated issues in different maritime sectors including, shipping, naval operations, offshore renewable energy, as well as port infrastructure. Throughout her career, MS has been at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaboration, forging connections between microbiology, materials science, and environmental engineering. In addition, MS has published extensively on bacterial adhesion, biofilm dynamics on fouling control surfaces, and worked towards microplastic characterization in marine environments. Aligned with the IMO’s 2050 net-zero emissions target, MS leads projects on biofouling impact assessment, proactive in-water hull cleaning, and sustainable fouling control solutions. MS is frequently participating in regulatorily activities and consortia contributing towards the creation of standards and guidelines for the industry.

VP of People and Knowledge, Marlink Cyber

Ines Saric is the VP of People and Knowledge at Marlink Cyber, where she leads initiatives to strengthen organisational expertise and drive innovation in cyber security. Previously, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Diverto, a Croatian leader in IT and OT security solutions for enterprises and critical infrastructure.

Following Diverto’s acquisition by Marlink in 2024, Ines has played a key role in integrating its cyber security expertise into Marlink’s portfolio, further enhancing the company’s cyber security capabilities for its global customer base.

With a background in leadership roles across the telecommunications and IT industries, Ines has extensive experience in business operations, product development and customer experience. Her deep understanding of technology and security solutions enables her to bridge the gap between business needs and cyber security challenges, helping organisations strengthen their resilience.”

Vice President, Energy Strategy & Decarbonization Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Anshul is a maritime executive with over 20 years of experience in strategic leadership and technical roles scaling sustainable business solutions and creating a multi-dimensional framework to accelerate innovation and change.

He’s currently serving as the Vice President, Energy Strategy & Decarbonization at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Prior to that he has been advancing the energy efficiency & Net Zero goals at Royal Caribbean Group and AP Moller-Maersk Group, with stints at different global locations.

Anshul has a marine engineering background and sailed the world’s ocean for many years and later moved to New York to attain his MBA.

He lives in Miami with his family.

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, European Commission

Apostolos Tzitzikostas was born on September 2, 1978.

He is a graduate of Athens College.

He obtained a BA in Political Science and International Politics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a Master’s degree in European Public Policy from the University College of London.

In 2002, he established his own company in Thessaloniki in the production and
processing of dairy products based on organic standards.

In the national elections of September 2007, he was elected Member of the
Greek Parliament with the Nea Demokratia party in the 1st Electoral District of
Thessaloniki.

As MP, he served as Secretary of the Hellenic Parliament, member of the
Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs, and member of
the Standing Committee on Financial Affairs.

Additionally, he was a member of the Special Standing Committee on European
Community Affairs and the Special Committee for the Reform Treaty of the
European Union.

He represented the Hellenic Parliament in the Euro-Mediterranean
Parliamentary Assembly from 2007 to 2009.

In the regional elections of November 2010, he was elected Deputy Governor
of Central Macedonia and Head of the Thessaloniki Regional Unit.

In the regional elections of May 2014, he was elected Governor of Central
Macedonia with 71% of the vote.

He was re-elected as Governor of Central Macedonia in the regional elections of
May 2019 and October 2023, receiving over 60% of the vote in both elections.

In November 2019, he was elected President of the Association of Greek
Regions and was unanimously re-elected President in February 2024, for the
first time in the institution’s history.

Since 2015, he has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions,
and in July 2017, he was elected Head of the Greek Delegation.

In February 2020, he was unanimously elected by all political groups President
of the European Committee of the Regions.

In July 2022, he was also unanimously elected First Vice-President of the
European Committee of the Regions.

He speaks English and French, and his articles are frequently published in
newspapers and magazines in Greece and abroad.

He is married to Eleana Vlachou and has two children, George and Natalia.

International CEO, Mercy Ships

Gert van de Weerdhof has many years of experience in managing several companies. Since 2021 he is serving as International CEO of Mercy Ships, leading the charity that uses large hospital ships to bring Hope and Healing to the people of Africa.

Senior Lecturer Stc, Rotterdam Mainport Institiute

After a seafaring career as a navigator and engineer with Nedlloyd, he became a maritime lecturer 28 years ago at the Shipping and Transport College (STC) in Rotterdam.
After a few years, he became manager of the training department and elderly education. He was responsible for implementing STCW education and developing all STCW courses.
In 2004, he became the director of maritime bachelor education in Rotterdam and was one of the founding fathers of the Rotterdam Mainport Institute (RMI). In 2020, he joined the SkillSea project as technical coordinator.
Currently working as a senior lecturer for the Master of Shipping and Transport education at the RMI, as chairman of the examination board of the vocational education of STC and as one of the founding members of Maritime Education and Training NETwork (MET-NET). Participated in the Dutch delegation to the IMO-HTW meeting in London.

Government Relations & Pub Affairs, Sr Director, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Sandi brings over 20 years of valuable experience to the vibrant tourism and hospitality industry, with a specialized focus on the cruise sector for the past 15 years. During her tenure with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, she has led NCL’s shoreside operations in Hawaii, spearheaded many business development initiatives, and held a key leadership position in Revenue Management. In her current role, she leads global government relations for all three of Norwegian’s brands alongside managing public affairs. Through her current responsibilities, she effectively integrates her extensive cruise experience, which encompasses shore excursion development and operations, port operations, contract management, community engagement, itinerary design, and optimizing revenue. Prior to Norwegian Sandi held positions at Cendant Corporation in their travel division. She began her career in the Oil and Gas industry in Calgary, Canada. Weir has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree in Finance and holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.