Category Archives for "Keynote"

Chief Executive Officer
Transport Education Training Authority, South Africa

Maphefo Anno-Frempong is an Enterprise Development and Empowerment specialist, a sought-after public speaker, minister of the gospel, and a qualified neurolinguistic science business and life coach. She has a passion for the development of disenfranchised youth, women, men and entrepreneurs across the spectrum. I am a coach with a passion for youth development, women and entrepreneurs across the spectrum. As a strategic thinker and a corporate governance expert, she has extensive experience in leading and inspiring consummate professionals to plan, execute, and deliver innovative and impactful programmes in the transport sector in South Africa.

She has a natural flair for stakeholder engagement that gives her a competitive advantage to partner with a variety of role players in the private and public sector organisations. Maphefo has more than 33 years of experience in the public sector spanning over 23 years in different leadership roles in Transport Regulation, Curriculum Development, Educator Development and Leadership Programme Development, Enterprise Development, Road Safety and Skills Development. The following reflect a summary of her strategic service; Mpumalanga Department of Education, National Department of Education, National Department of Transport, North West Department of Transport, Roads and Community Safety. She is currently the CEO of Transport Education Training Authority.

Director, Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division
International Maritime Organization

Dr. Jose Matheickal is the Director of the Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division (TCID) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. He reports to the Secretary General.

Jose is responsible for four sub-divisions dealing with the IMO member state audit and implementation, planning and programming of the IMO’s technical cooperation efforts,maritime development in developing regions through capacity development and resource mobilization and partnership building to support the technical assistance function of IMO.

Since joining IMO, Jose was involved in IMO’s technical cooperation programmes and major technical cooperation projects, as Chief Technical Adviser, specifically focusing on building capacity in developing countries to address
emerging marine environmental issues. He then led the IMO’s Department of Partnerships and Projects where he spearheaded IMO’s efforts to enhance its partnership and resource mobilization efforts, promote innovation and
develop the portfolio of major technical cooperation projects to support IMO’s technical cooperation function.

Dr. Matheickal is an ex officio member of the executive board of the World Maritime University (WMU). He also founded the innovative Global Industry Alliance, a flagship public-private partnership initiative of IMO.

Dr. Matheickal did his civil and environmental engineering at Kerala University, India before pursuing his post-graduate studies in Environmental Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and then at Griffith University, Australia as a Sir John Crawford PhD Scholar. He also holds an MBA in Technology Management. He has over 100 scientific publications and an international patent to his credit. His key areas of interest include maritime innovation, maritime training, blue economy, climate change mitigation, green financing, capacity building projects and technology transfer.

Director of Skills and Education
Lloyd’s Register Foundation

Tim Slingsby is responsible for building and leading a substantial and diverse portfolio of international programmes and activities to maximise impact in line with the Foundation’s charitable mission.

He is a highly-skilled science and engineering education specialist and science communicator with extensive understanding of working in academia and in both private and public sectors. He possesses wide-ranging experience of international science and engineering education agendas and providing strategic oversight of high-impact and engaging initiatives. He has been a researcher in industry and academia following his PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Leicester. He is also serving as the Chair of the Maritime Charities Group.

Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Director-General for Multilateral Strategy
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico

Aureny Aguirre O. Sunzais a Mexican career diplomat with 34 years of experience in the bilateral and multilateral fields.

She currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, and as Director-General for Multilateral Strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico.

She majored in International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and has a Master degree in High Command and National Security at the Naval Higher Studies Center (CESNAV).

During her diplomatic career, she has served in diverse areas at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the North American Unit (2021-2023), the Directorate-General of Protocol (2007-2011); Asia-Pacific (1990-1994); and International Organizations (1987-1989). She has been posted at the Mexican Diplomatic Missions in the United Kingdom (2019-2021); Hong Kong (2011-2015); Belgium (2002-2006); Israel (1997-1998); and Canada (1994-1997).

At the multilateral level, she has been Representative of Mexico before international organizations, namely the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC); the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO); the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the International Sugar Organization (IOA), and the International Whaling Commission (2015-2021); and has served at the Mission of Mexico to the European Union (2002-2006).

Within this framework, she was appointed Vice Chair of Committee 2 of the 31st IMO Assembly (Dec 2019) and second Vice Chair of the 1992 Fund Assembly and member of the Board of Appeals of the IOPC Funds.

She has outstanding leadership in promoting a gender equality agenda, in line with her country’s feminist foreign policy, being a promoter and founder of the IMO Gender Equality Network. She is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University, and Honorary Member of the Women’s Network of Maritime Authorities of Latin America (Red MAMLa).

Ms. Sonia Bautista Malaluan was appointed by the President as Administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority in December 2023. Before her appointment as Administrator, she was Deputy Administrator for Planning from February 2022. Her extensive professional career at MARINA includes more than 35 years of service in different capacities and units such domestic shipping, maritime manpower, planning, finance and administrative matters and even regional operations. She served as the Philippine Maritime Attache in London, United Kingdom from January 2019 to January 2022. Her primary responsibilities as Maritime Attache include, among others, representation in meetings at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other conventions, meetings & conferences and provide advisory and technical assistance activities to the Head of Mission on matters relating to flag administration, seafarers administration, including fair treatment of seafarers during maritime incidents, those detained on suspicion of maritime crime, cases of abandonment of seafarers and shipyard regulations.

Administrator Malaluan has been a representative or delegate of MARINA to different international fora, including: ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meetings and ASEAN Maritime Technical Working Group Meetings. She also led the successful Philippine hosting of conferences such as Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of the Amendments to the STCW 1978 Convention, now known as the Manila Amendments, the National Forum of Domestic Ships in 2013, the International Conference on Safety of Ships Carrying Passengers in Non-International Voyage in 2015 and the Women in Asia Conference in 2015 and recently the Regional Conference: Seizing Opportunities in for Green Shipping in Asia and the Pacific held in May 2023. As a staunch advocate of women empowerment and equality, she is a member of the Women in Maritime Association, Philippines, former President of WIMAPhil, MARINA Sub-Chapter, and now a member of the Governing Council of the Women in Maritime – Asia (WIMA-Asia).

She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and a Master of Science Degree in Shipping Management from the World Maritime University in Sweden (SMC 1998).

Annalisse Skelton is the Senior Director, Environment Policy and Standards, at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. As Senior Director Annalisse is responsible for leading and supervising the development and delivery of strategic policy and regulatory initiatives that protect the environment from the impacts of shipping within Australia. Annalisse also contributes to the development and implementation of international initiatives to protect the marine environment, primarily through the IMO.

APrior to this Annalisse was Australia’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (APRIMO) from October 2019- December 2022. Prior to the APRIMO role Annalisse held various policy and regulatory advisor roles in the Environment, Policy and Standards team from 2011. Annalisse has been active in the IMO for over a decade where she has formed part of the Australian delegation for a number of IMO Committee and Sub-Committee meetings and Chaired the Working Group on Marine Plastic Litter, established by the Marine Environment Protection Committee.

Annalisse has also been active in the IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme, undertaking engagement in the Asia-Pacific region on environmental shipping issues. Prior to joining AMSA in 2011, Annalisse worked in policy development for the prevention and management of marine pest incursions for the Australian Government.

President
World Maritime University

Professor Maximo Q. Mejia is an accomplished global leader and scholar in Maritime Governance, Policy, and Administration. With over three decades of professional and academic experience, Professor Mejia is a passionate international advocate for the promotion of safe, secure, sustainable, and efficient shipping on clean oceans.

Appointed by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Professor Mejia became the eighth President of the World Maritime University (WMU), a university established within the framework of the IMO and a global centre of excellence for maritime and ocean education, research, and capacity building. He is the first President from Asia and the first President who is a graduate of WMU. As the Chief Executive Officer, Professor Mejia oversees and directs the academic programmes, operations, and administration of the University.

Professor Mejia held various positions at WMU, as Director of the PhD Programme, Head of the Maritime Law and Policy Specialization, and Nippon Foundation Professor of Maritime Governance, Policy, and Administration at WMU. He also served as Associate Academic Dean and has been a resident Faculty member since 1998. During his tenure at WMU, Professor Mejia spearheaded the further development of the WMU PhD programme in Maritime Affairs ensuring a cutting-edge curriculum and a growing number of doctoral students. Professor Mejia is author/co-author of more than 70 published articles and book chapters and the editor/co-editor of 11 books. His multi-disciplinary research and teaching include maritime policy, maritime law, maritime labour law and policy, human factors, safety, and security-related issues. He is an International Labour Organization (ILO) Certified Trainer for the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006).

Alongside senior leadership roles within WMU, Professor Mejia served as Administrator/Director General at the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) from 2013 to 2016, heading the government agency responsible for integrating the development, promotion, and regulation of the maritime industry in the Philippines. From 1988 to 1998, he progressively held various positions in the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard including Deputy Chief of Staff for Navigational Safety and Deputy Executive Director of the Multisectoral Task Force on Maritime Development. In 2013, Professor Mejia was included in the Lloyd’s List 100 Most Influential Persons in the Shipping Industry. He served on several senior diplomatic assignments including Head of Delegation of the Philippines to IMO meetings (2013 -2016), Special Envoy of the President of the Philippines to the Inauguration of the Expanded Panama Canal (2016), and Chairperson of the 31st ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group (2016).

Professor Mejia earned his PhD from Lund University, Sweden, Master of Science from the World Maritime University, Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA, and Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy. Professor Mejia is fluent in Filipino, English, and Swedish and has a knowledge of Spanish and Chinese. He is married to Rebecca Hayes Mejia, with whom he has three children and three grandchildren.

President, WISTA International
Operations, Chartering & Business Development Manager, ENEA Management Inc
Second Vice President, Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (HSSA)

Ms. Petraki has been working for ENEA Management Inc. for the last 26 years, a Greek shipping company that manages a fleet of small sized, clean and specialised tankers. During this time, she has been involved in various parts of the business, with a primary focus on both operations and chartering of its fleet as well as business development.

Elpi is currently the President of WISTA International, the Women in Shipping and Trade Association, where goal is to encourage diversity and inclusiveness in the maritime sector, as well as to support women in furthering their careers, and ensure equal opportunities for all. Prior to her appointment, Elpi was the President of WISTA Hellas, a position she held for three and a half years where she was instrumental in the National WISTA Association’s growth, and a number of initiatives designed to support women working in maritime and encourage the next generation to consider a career in the industry.

Serving as the 2nd Vice President of the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (HSSA), Elpi is involved in the promotion and the overall development of short sea shipping within National and European borders. Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors for the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and is an active member of Intertanko. Elpi holds an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

Elpi is also a member of the board of the Hellenic Maritime Museum, assisting in the preservation of maritime history and the development of a culture whereby younger generations are exposed to and come to appreciate maritime and naval traditions. Additionally, in July 2024 Elpi joined the Executive Board of the World Maritime University.

Ranked for three consecutive years in the Lloyds List Top 100 maritime influencers, she is a well-known personality in shipping, both in Greece and internationally, and an active member of the shipping community. In 2024, Elpi was named Greek Shipping Personality of the Year at the Lloyds List Greek Shipping Awards.

Elpi regularly speaks at industry conferences and events on a wide range of topics, from diversity in maritime and attracting the next generation of talent, to decarbonisation, new technologies and how to address the challenges facing the industry.