Speakers

Lars Robert Pedersen
Deputy Secretary General, The Baltic and International Maritime Council

After a career at sea, Lars Robert Pedersen became involved in technical management of the Maersk fleet of container ships. Holding various positions within the Technical Organisation’s fleet management division he finally became deputy to the Fleet Manager for all large vessels. Gradually he became increasingly involved with regulatory work with special focus on IMO and in 2006 formed a new department tasked with managing A.P. Moller – Maersk’s handling of regulatory challenges to its technical management operations. Specifically, Lars Robert has been involved in revising MARPOL Annex VI and development of the Energy Efficiency Design Index. In early 2010 he joined BIMCO as Deputy Secretary General, responsible for consolidating BIMCO's Industry Affairs activities involving political and regulatory developments at international, regional and national levels.

Saleem Alavi
Maritime Advisor/Director UAE Ship Registry, National Transport Authority, Government of UAE

Captain Alavi is the Maritime Advisor and Director of the UAE Ship Registry, reporting directly to the Director General of the National Transport Authority (NTA), Government of UAE in Abu Dhabi.

He has responsibility for operating the UAE Ship Registry. Captain Alavi is a member of the committee for rewriting the maritime law of the UAE, and acts in an advisory role in the development of the maritime education and training institution in the UAE, development of the maritime economy of the UAE, and policy making.

Prior to joining the NTA, Captain Alavi was head of Business Development & Research for the Department of Transport (Maritime Sector) for Abu Dhabi. From 2006 to 2008, he was Director of Business Development for Dubai Maritime City, joining DMC from DVB Bank AG in Rotterdam, where he was Senior Vice President/Senior Analyst in Research & Strategic Planning Department.

Captain Alavi has over 40 years of all round Maritime Industry Experience. He served as the President at Sea Commerce America in Houston, served as Managing Director of Project Asia Line and has also worked with other Shipowners, Charterers and Traders in Europe and USA. He sailed as Master for two years before taking shore assignments, and has sea-going experience on nearly all types of vessels including Bulk Carriers, Tankers, MPP/Container, cattle carrier, reefer and passenger vessels.

Tamer Masoud
Harbour Master, Port Of Fujairah

He is a holder of B.Sc. in Naval Science; Master Mariner F.G. and Nautical Surveyor Diploma. Captain Tamer Masoud has more than 40 years of Marine experience of which 12 years at sea with Egyptian Navy, 2 years as a Master of special support vessel, 9 years as a Harbour Pilot and 19 years as Harbour Master. In 1988 joined the Port of Fujairah as a Harbour Pilot and became Harbour Master of Port of Fujairah in 1992 with responsibilities for Port of Fujairah and Dibba Sea Ports.

He is registered as a Marine Expert in the Egyptian Insurance Supervisory Authority, Abu Dhabi and in GCC Arbitration Centers.

He is also Member National and Regional technical groups in the field of Port Safety, Security and Environment Protection and International Harbour Masters Association (in 1992 in the Founding Group, and in 2000 till now, as Council Member).

He has played leading roles in Port of Fujairah development and growth of Oil Terminals, Bulk terminal, Harbour Tug’s fleet and Fujairah Offshore Anchorage Area.

In Dec. 2005 he nominated as Man of the Year of Arab Maritime Excellence.

Abdellah Dakkoune
Senior Bunker Manager, United Arab Shipping Company

Abdellah Dakkoune has been involved in Shipping industry and Oil Trading since 1992 and has gained a wide range of International experience in most businesses & businesses developments, including the development of projects in Bunker industry and Oil products from an idea stage to reality. Operating in National and International companies at managerial level in the MENA region ( Middle east and North Africa ) ,and Europe Mr. Dakkoune has got a wide range of knowledge in creating ,developing and managing businesses within oil industry.

Julius Rodrigues
Operations Manager, United Arab Chemical Carriers

Capt. Julius Rodrigues an Indian started his sailing career as a cadet and rose to a Master in ESSAR (1981–1997), later sailed in Qatar Shipping as Master (1997 – 2004) then from Sept. 2004 joined Qatar shipping Co - Doha office as a Port Captain and then as a Marine Superintendent till May 2010, and now with United Arab Chemical Carriers ltd. from July 2010 as an Operations Manager.

Morten Dehn
General Manager Bunker Department, Mur Shipping

Morten Dehn is M.Sc. in Finance and Accounting. He comes from a background working for Reuters where he did financial modeling for various parts of the financial sector. After a few years Mr. Dehn began working for O.W. Bunker as a Risk Manager in 2005, responsible for trading derivatives and selling Risk Management solutions to the shipping community.

In 2006 he became General Manager for Risk Management Sales in O.W. Bunker and responsible for growing this area of the business for O.W. Bunker.

The area grew to trading more than 15 Mio mts. Fuel oil derivatives per year, in the form of Swaps, Futures and Options as well as Physical Hedge Contracts to customers’ worldwide.

At the same time Mr. Dehn was involved in many aspects of the Risk Management chain, from negotiating ISDA’s to formulating rules and procedures for Back and Mid- office functions as well as doing presentations at conferences and doing internal education for O.W. Bunker.

In September 2011 he began working for MUR shipping as General Manager for bunkers, with the responsibility for Bunker purchase and Bunker hedging.

Dr. Khalid Bichou
Port and Transport Logistics Consultant, KB Associates,
Co-Founder and Visiting Professor, PORTeC - Imperial College london

Khalid Bichou is a port, maritime, and transport logistics consultant with advanced qualifications and over 22 years of international experience including periods in senior positions and as Consultant and Adviser to public and private bodies. His expertise spans economic, financial, operational, and policy areas with core competencies in port and maritime operations, transport economics and infrastructure, freight and distribution logistics, and supply chain risk and security.

Following a 16-year formal career which has included periods as transport economist in global shipping line, transport investment analyst in a leading investment bank, chief of transport investment section in a governmental agency, strategy and business development manager in two Nordic ports, director of a ports and maritime administration, port and shipping specialist in an international development bank, and transport and trade logistics specialist in a UN agency, he has operated for the last six years as an independent consultant. He has been involved in more than 60 consulting projects and advisory services in around 67 countries. He has also been active in professional training and capacity building, and he has designed and delivered over 45 workshops and seminars for the port, maritime and logistics industries.

Dr. Bichou is an internationally recognised port, maritime, and transport logistics expert and he is regularly called upon to advice governments, private firms, and international agencies on port, maritime, and transport logistics issues. He has acted as consultant and advisor to global port operators including APM Terminals, HPH, DP World, ICTSI, and KGL; global carriers such as Maersk, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and UASC; leading 3PLs such as DHL, UPS, and Agility, major financial institutions such as the World Bank, EBRD, ADB, EIB, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas; and leading legal and insurance firms such as Fresh-fields, DLA Pipers, Lloyd’s of London, and the TT Club.

His latest appointments include senior transport advisor to EBRD, maritime transport advisor to the World Bank, specialist port adviser to the UK House of Commons, international logistics advisor to the supply chain and logistics group, port policy advisor to the European Parliament, senior maritime advisor to the OECD, and transport logistics advisor to the MEDA forum. He is the co-founder of the Port Operations, Research and Technology Centre (PORTeC) at Imperial College London where he is a visiting professor. He also holds visiting professorship & teaching positions at other leading universities both the in the UK and abroad. He is a member and fellow of a number of professional and academic associations in the field. He has written widely and has published four books and over 60 academic papers and policy reports. His most recent book ‘Port Operations, Planning and Logistics’ received worldwide recognition in both industry and academia.

Khalid holds a BA (CIL) in Economics and Finance from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, an MSc with Distinction in Port and Shipping Management from the World Maritime University, an MSc with Distinction in International Logistics from the University of Plymouth, and a PhD in Port Operations and Logistics from Imperial College London. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.

Shahrin Osman
Head of Management Advisory Middle East, Det Norske Veritas

With more than 15 years in regional line management position with P&O Nedlloyd and Maersk Line, Shahrin has a proven track record in Maritime related Cross-Functional Business & Operations Process Re-engineering and Change Management. He has conducted business process improvement audits for end-to-end supply chain for all major ports in Asia. His responsibility in Procurement & Operations cost management includes managing regional feeder vessel performance, overseeing container terminal contracts, service level, productivity and cost improvement initiatives. He has also been involved in transshipment operations optimizations and integrations with entire cargo logistics value chain.

Since joining DNV Maritime Advisory Asia Pacific based in Singapore in early 2008, he has been involved with leading capability building projects in Ports & Terminals, Emergency Response, Maritime Procurement, Ship Management systems, Green Port Solutions and Maritime Industry Benchmarking studies. Shahrin has spearheaded the development of new advisory service line in DNV for Maritime Procurement and Ports & Terminals industry segment.

He moves to Dubai in March 2010, to establish and lead the Management Advisory unit within DNV Maritime Middle East. Since then, the unit has assisted clients in strategic advisory areas such as developing business expansion plans, developing governmental policies on Maritime matters, HSE and Operational Risk Services and Operational Excellence projects such as Energy Efficiency. The clients include all major spheres within the Maritime segment with HQ in Middle East. Shahrin has been a frequent speaker in industry seminars and conference focusing on Maritime safety and sustainability.

He holds a MSc in Maritime Studies from NTU, BSc in Management from the University of London and currently pursuing a Doctorate degree with research on Strategies for International Maritime Cluster.

Spyros Sokaris
Managing Director, Henderson International

We are working as technical consultants and prime contractors for our customers. We also perform operation and technical support in Greece and abroad on request.

I had also many times on behalf of the company worked as surveyor on behalf of our customers. For all the repairs I was dealing with the flag,the class the insurance if involved and also with matters such as ISM,ISPS, SOLAS.

We were dialing with all kinds of vessels bulk carriers, passenger ships, ro-ros, chemical tankers,VLCCs from the birth in drydock, for all kinds of repairs to procurement of spare parts until delivery for charter. One major factor was always the rally against time since the operations departments of the companies had already arranged the next charter party after the service, were time is money. Our customers were Greeks,Swedish,Italians, Danish and others.

Another involvement of the company was with the oil and gas industry people. They were our customers for the repairs to their refineries, terminals and workshops and on theother hand we were doing the bungering with them for the vessels of our clients.

An affiliated company ARCHIPELAGOS MCPY is into yachts management and chartering of our own as well as our customers yachts. That was a personal goal since I am for twenty years privately involved into yachting and I deside it ot make it more professional. At the moment we keep two offeces one in Athens and one in Dubai where we are managing five yachts at each country.

Alessandro Tricoli
Partner, Fichte & Co

After a short experience at sea, Alessandro has been with Fichte & Co since 2006 and is a partner specialising in shipping and shipping litigation.

His broad practice encompass many areas of the firm’s contentious work, with a particular emphasis on charterparty and cargo disputes in which he advises a number of the firm’s shipping clients and P&I Clubs, representing them on behalf of their members and in their own capacity. Alessandro further advises clients in ship finance, ship sale & purchase, construction and conversion contracts, all matters in which he has acted for Owners, Yards and Banks.

Having specialised in shipping and shipping litigation, Alessandro now heads the award winning firm’s dry shipping team.

Alessandro is named in the Legal 500 (Shipping) 2011, where clients are “particularly pleased with the expertise and knowledge in the maritime field” and a regular speaker at presentations and seminars as well as a habitual contributor to different journals on various legal topics. He has further drafted many terms of business for Clients with special needs and gained valuable court experience by submitting different counter expert reports in the local Courts.

He is fluent in English and Italian.

Kalrav Dixit
Group Trading Manager, Gulf Petrochem

Kalrav Dixit, MBA in Marketing, based in Middle East for the last 8 years he is presently working as a Group Trading Manager with Gulf Petrochem FZC. He has 15 years of entrepreneurial sales management experience driving multimillion-dollar sales growth while providing strategic leadership in highly competitive markets in various global locations like Middle East, Africa, India and Singapore, he has worked for 8 years in the Oil industry with distinguished Oil companies in the region. Having gone through vigorous training modules like “Gemba Kaizen” “Hoshin Kanri” “VSM” (Value stream mapping) and worked trough operations, supply and trading and has gained prolific experience in understanding the entire oil supply chain. His previous experience includes working with ENOC Group selling Bunkers and with Chemoil Corporation, USA as Sales & Marketing Manager for Middle East.

Paul Young
Executive Pricing Editor, Middle East & Asia, Platts

Paul Young relocated to Dubai in May 2010 as part of Platt's expansion plans for the Middle East. Prior to the relocation, Mr. Young was Managing Editor of the Oil Markets team in Singapore for 5 years, having previously held a similar position with Platts in London. He has over 20 years of reporting experience in the financial sector, including 18 years covering oil and energy markets. Mr. Young has extensive knowledge of the oil industry, including the Middle East, North Sea, Africa, Russia and Asia, familiarizing himself with all aspects of oil supply and demand fundamentals.

John Phillips
Managing Director, Ocean Intelligence Pte Ltd

John joined Ocean Intelligence Pte Ltd as Managing Director in October 2011 following a short period of contracting to the business through Awyr Las Pte Ltd. He is also Managing Director of Petromedia Pte Ltd and the aforementioned Awyr Las Pte Ltd (in which he is the sole shareholder), and a director of Marine & Energy Training Pte Ltd. Johns role is to develop the businesses and products, add value and return market share and increased profits. Obviously our strategic approach remains private.

In addition to this John is a Divemaster with PADI at weekends and in evenings and remains a Visiting Research Fellow for Plymouth University.

Before joining Ocean Intelligence Pte Ltd, John was almost three years as Global Credit Manager for Chemoil Energy Ltd (SGX listed) and before that Operations Manager for Europe & Rest of the World at Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit in the UK and in Singapore.

John joined Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit in May 2002 with almost 20 years experience in the maritime industry, specialising in ports and port agency. Previous employments had been in the UK for Rowbotham Tankships Ltd (now James Fisher Everard Ltd), Graypen Ltd, Haven Marine Services Ltd (no longer trading), Gorman Shipping Ltd (now part of Braemar-Seascope) and Furness Marine Services Ltd, and overseas in Greece for Haven Marine Services (Hellas) Ltd, and in Saudi Arabia for Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo in Ras Tanura and J’uaymah. Positions ranged from Ship Agent/Operator to Agency Director.

Academically, John holds a first class honours degree in Maritime Business with Maritime Law (2001) and an MSc in Port Management (2003). He has been a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (since 1994), a Chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics & Transport (since 2002), and a Member of the Energy Institute (since 1988). John is regularly quoted, contribute to or have slots in Bunker Bulletin, Bunkerspot, and Fairplay. In 2002 his paper on ‘Is Russian Oil Viable for Japan’ was published in Energy Policy. He speaks on the circuit mainly on marine fuel credit and counter-party management, market awareness and understanding, and business development. Typically his involvement is with courses such as those run by Petromedia, ACE, Lloyd’s Marine Academy, Petrospot and bodies such as IBIA, IECA and Plymouth University. John was also a part-time lecturer at Plymouth University in 2002.

In 1994/1995 he was on the Management Committee of the South Wales Branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and in 1995 seconded to the Controlling Council of the Institute as representative for South Wales Branch.

James Walsh
Advisor - Maritime Strategy, Dubai Maritime City Authority

Abdulla Al-Hayyas
Senior Manager, Dubai Maritime City Authority

Thomas Tampi
Technical Manager of DNVPS Fujairah, DNV Petroleum Services

Thomas Tampi has been working with DNV Petroleum Services, since 1999. Presently the Technical Manager of DNVPS, Fujairah, he is heading the Technical and Bunker Quantity Survey Department at DNVPS, Fujairah. He is a regular contributor of articles regarding marine fuel issues to various technical publications and is a lecturer at the Fuel Management Courses conducted by DNV Petroleum Services. A Marine Engineer by profession, Thomas Tampi has 15 years sea going experience out of which he has worked as Chief Engineer for 10 years. He has worked as Superintendent Engineer with a company operating bulk carriers as well as with a company operating LPG vessels and oil tankers. He has also been a Classification surveyor attending marine, new build and industrial Surveys. A subsidiary of Det Norske Veritas, DNV Petroleum Services (DNVPS) introduced the first commercial bunker testing programme in 1980 and has since then been in the forefront of bunker fuels research and development.

Paul Waine
Director, Risk Data Services, Platts

Paul Waine has over twenty years leadership experience in finance and risk management in the global oil and energy trading sector. He has enjoyed roles with Royal Dutch Shell, Goldman Sachs, Enron and BP – including marine/bunker sector experience at both Shell and BP. On a smaller, national scale he directed SmartestEnergy from start-up to establish the firm as a profitable operator as a 3rd party risk manager in the UK power sector. Thoughtful and comprehensive knowledge of energy risk management were the foundations of this success. Paul joined Platts in 2011 as Director in their Risk Data Services division, leading the development of their risk management product services. Paul’s professional experience is defined by the identification and management of business risks – plus the implementation of strategies to maximize rewards. He holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and is qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and a Corporate Treasurer.For traders, brokers, operations, portfolio managers, sales, marketing, transportation, purchasing and analysts, Platts provides a wide range of market reports, price data and statistical data to help you make decisions.

Jan Jacobsen
Chief Executive Officer, Monjasa

Finished ‘The Higher Business Education’ in Denmark 1992. 1992-2002 Oil Trader with Danish co ‘USTC’ 2002-present CEO, Monjasa Group in Denmark. Achievements: Building Monjasa from 1 employee in 2002 to 200 employees in 2012. Monjasa group’s annual turnover is today 1,5 billion USD, through a bunker fuel volume of 2,5 million tons sold per year.

The passion of Jan Jacobsen is to develop bunkering supply structures in emerging shipping markets around the world by the ingredients of:
• Willingnes to invest in new markets
• Best industry practice business policy
• Proactive marketing style

Capt. G. Fekry
Managing Director, Red Sea Marine Services Ltd

El Sayed Mahmoud Ahmed Marie
Deputy Director of Planning, Research and Studies, Suez Canal Authority

• Bachelor of statistics- Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences – Cairo University- 1975
• Master degree in International Trade and Transport – Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport – 2006
• Diploma in Computer Science - Suez Canal University – 1987

• Working for Suez Canal (1975-2012)
• Deputy Director of Planning , Research and Studies Dept. – Suez Canal Authority – Egypt.
• Responsible for"
  o Crude Oil and Oil products sector.
  o LNG sector.
  o Long-Haul policy and Rebates .
  o Suez Canal Toll System and Studies.

Debasis Bose
Fleet Manager, D & K Shipping Ltd

Mohamed Zaitoun
Fleet Marine Technology & Development Manager, United Arab Shipping Company

A representative of DP World, Jebel Ali