Director of College Education
Novikontas Maritime College
Maris Cirulis is a Maritime professional with vast experience in shipboard and shore-based roles, especially in MET. Maris has led training projects for shipping companies and pioneered tech-based solutions for seafarers’ wellbeing. Currently, Maris is advancing professional higher education program development at Novikontas for the Maritime and Offshore energy sectors.
Diversity and Innovation Coordinator
Swedish Maritime Administration
Jill Jarnsäter is a Gender Scientist and Human Ecologist with a BSc in Gender Studies and an MSc in Human Ecology from Lund University. Her work spans sustainable development, focusing on gender, social sustainability, and environmental justice. Since 2022, Jill has contributed to the Swedish Maritime Administration’s social sustainability initiatives, including REDO 2.0, a research project on inclusion, diversity, and work environment safety. Previously, she coordinated global maritime projects at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute and supported sustainable tourism at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Spain. Jill’s background also includes teaching, gender consulting, and advocacy for equality and ocean-related issues. Having lived and worked in multiple countries, she remains passionate about exploring marine social-ecological systems and their resilience to change.
Senior Director, Environment Policy and Standards
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
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.
Secretary-General
International Maritime Organization
Mr. Domínguez assumed his role as tenth IMO Secretary-General on 1 January 2024, bringing with him more than three decades of experience serving the global maritime sector, across a spectrum of leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility.
Initially representing his native Panama, first within the Panama Maritime Authority and in his lattermost appointment as Ambassador of Panama to IMO, his affinity for building consensus saw him elected by his peers as Chair of several flagship IMO intergovernmental meetings, including: the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the Technical Committee of the 29th Assembly, and the Maritime Security, Piracy and Armed Robbery Group, as well as a number of Vice-Chair and Board member roles.
A naval architect at heart and by training, Mr. Domínguez gained his first degree at Veracruzana University, Mexico. Recognising from the outset of his career the importance of a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial approach to the maritime sector, Mr. Domínguez later went on to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Hull, as well as an executive qualification in International Law and European Politics at Birkbeck University, both in the United Kingdom.
This agile approach served him well in better understanding the priorities and navigating the needs of the different stakeholders across the maritime sector, and indeed the complexities of a specialized UN agency whose mission is to support them. In 2017, Mr. Domínguez harnessed this extensive technical and diplomatic knowledge and experience as a delegate for the benefit of IMO. He joined the Organization, first as Chief of Staff, followed by Administrative Director – leading the Organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. Directly prior to his election in July 2023 as Secretary-General, he was the Director of the Marine Environment Division.
His initial term as IMO Secretary-General, approved at the 33rd Assembly in December 2023, is for a period of four years from 2024 to 2027.