The Global Maritime Club Summit – in association with Seatrade Maritime – will make its debut at this June’s Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition.

Programmed by Emeritus Chairman of Seatrade, Mr Chris Hayman, the Summit will be preceded with a keynote address from Minister Giannis Plakiotakis, Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, Hellenic Republic.

Greece remains the world’s largest shipowning nation as country continues to increase its share of the European Union (EU)-controlled fleet. 

"… It is impressive that a country like Greece, which represents only 0.16% of the world population, has 20% of the world's available tonnage on ships.

We Greeks are proud of our shipping. A shipping industry that participates effectively and dynamically in the world economy by transporting goods and products to all corners of the globe with a modern merchant fleet, contributing significantly to global prosperity and development…”, said Mr. Plakiotakis.

According to Emma Howell, Director of Digital & Commercial Content, Seatrade Maritime, the Summit has been created to put a deep-dive focus on two key areas which impact everyone in the industry: Digitalisation and the Future of Seafaring.

“The extensive knowledge that Chris has of the industry has allowed us to create a Summit which will stand out as one of rich thought leadership but also animated panel discussion.”

The first session – Digitalisation Demystified – will seek to demystify the digitalisation process, identifying its potential benefits as an enabler of sustainable and optimised performance and considering the steps needed to ensure a return on investment.

Confirmed panellists include: Jesse Brink, Chief Executive Officer, ioCurrents; Sean Fernback, President, Wärtsilä Voyage; Mike Konstantinidis, Co-Founder & CEO, METIS Cyberspace Technology; Stephen Macfarlane, Chief Information Officer, V.Group; Mark Warner, Director of Marketing, Lloyd’s Register; Ben Palmer OBE, President, Inmarsat Marine; Darren Shelton, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder, FuelTrust (Moderator) and Caroline Yang, Chief Executive, Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd; President, Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) & ICS Board Member Singapore.

Gathering keen interest is the afternoon session – All Hands on Deck: Shaping the Future of Seafaring – which starts with a focus on ‘A New Dispensation for Seafarers?’.

“If the shipping industry is to succeed in meeting the challenges it faces in the years ahead, commercial re-alignment, de-carbonisation and digitalisation will mean its seagoing workforce will play a crucial role in making this happen,” said Emma Howell. “Recent experience, including the pandemic, has had a sometimes devastating effect on seafarer welfare and morale, highlighting structural problems such as crew change. How can, and how should, the industry and wider society respond, so that world’s seafarers are afforded the conditions and, just as important, the status they deserve as essential workers in a vital global industry will be addressed in this important discussion”.

Panellists include: Andreas Hadjipetrou, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Managing Director, Columbia Shipmanagement; Chris Hayman, Chairman Emeritus, Seatrade Maritime (Moderator); Henrik Jensen, Managing Director, Danica Maritime Services GmbH; John McDonald, Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer, ABS; Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, President, WISTA; John Platsidakis, Honorary Chairman, Intercargo and Guy Platten – Secretary General, International Chamber of Shipping.

Part two of this focus area  – A Better Life at Sea – looks at what more can be done to support and improve seafarers physical and psychological well-being and also how the shipping industry  competes to recruit the next generation of seafarers, and to ensure that it retains its existing workforce.  What is the vision of the seafaring role and career that will attract the first class talent it needs? What is the role and responsibility of maritime education in achieving this?

Panellists include: Domenico Carlucci, Chief Executive Officer, MarTrust; Dr Konstantinos Poulis, General Manager, Epsilon; Capt. Sudhir Malhotra, Senior Surveyor Loss Prevention, The Standard P&I Club; Peter Schellenberger, Vice President Supply Chain, Thome Group; Valentinos Steliou, Innovation Director, Mintra Ltd; David Taylor CEng. FIMarEST  FITOL, Head of Curriculum, Lloyd’s Maritime Academy and Dr. Capt. Ahmed M. Youssef, Associate Dean, College of Maritime Transport and Technology, AASTMT (Moderator).

The day-long Summit culminates in a Networking Reception which is by invitation-only and hosted by Isle of Man Ship Registry.

“Thank you to Posidonia for allowing us this platform for such key discussions and to our sponsors: ClassNK; ioCurrents; Lloyd’s Maritime Academy; Mintra Ltd.; Wärtsilä Voyage and Isle of Man Ship Registry,” added Emma Howell.

The one-day Summit will be held on Thursday 9th June in the Posidonia Conference Hall and is free of charge on a first-come, first-registered basis.

For more details and to register for this much in demand Summit, please visit: https://bit.ly/GMC-Summit-22