SPEAKER PROFILES

Founder & President, Seahawk Services

A geology graduate, chemist and computer programmer, Wajdi has accumulated more than 25 years’ expertise in fuel oil testing and inspection, launching Seahawk Services in 2014. He works with refiners and fuel suppliers on fuel blending and helps vessel operators navigate through problems with bunker fuels. Wajdi was the first to analyse and report on the quality of 0.10% sulphur fuel before it became widely available in January 2015. He has experience in fuel troubleshooting and has published numerous papers on fuel quality.

Publishing Director/Executive Editor Petrospot Ltd & ship.energy

Lesley Bankes-Hughes is a highly experienced editor, news journalist and features writer. After a number of years as business editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, she worked for the International Stock Exchange and Euromoney Publications. She also established a specialist newsletter covering European corporate mergers and acquisitions, and later spent several years at Christ Church, University of Oxford, with responsibility for developing educational outreach projects.

At Petrospot, she has taken a lead on editorial projects relating to the marine fuels sector since 2007.

Managing Director, Petrospot Ltd 

Llewellyn has worked in bunkering, oil and shipping since 1980, as journalist and broker, in London and New York, working for Argus, Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, Eperon Petroleum, Albion Oil and Energy Information. He joined MRC in Oxford to launch BunkerNews, before establishing Petrospot in 2003 to publish Bunkerspot magazine, news and pricing services, and highly-respected bunker and shipping books.

He has created and run globally-recognised events in 25 countries around the world, including Maritime Week Americas, ARACON, London International Shipping Week and European Shipping Week, and runs internationally-renowned training programmes, including the Oxford Bunker Course and BunkerExperience.

Team Leader, Senior Broker & Trader, Dan-Bunkering (Connecticut) LLC

Sara Brady is a team leader, senior bunker broker and trader at Dan-Bunkering Connecticut. She began her career in the bunker industry in 2004, working at LQM Petroleum Services as a bunker broker. Sara joined Dan-Bunkering Connecticut in October 2021 following the company’s merger with LQM.

Sara has expertise in the South American bunker markets, where she fuels the largest shipping companies in the world. She has built a healthy portfolio of global customers, assisting them with their bunker requirements in every major time zone. Before joining the bunker industry she worked as an auditor in her home country of Ecuador.

Sara earned a degree in International Business and is a member of the Connecticut Maritime Association, WISTA USA.

Manager, LNG Business Development, Pivotal LNG

Robert Butts was named Manager, Fuels, July 25, 2016. He is responsible for expanding Pivotal LNG and JAX LNG sales, marketing, and business development within the maritime industry primarily in the Southeast United States.

Robert uniquely developed 26 years of leadership, management, and maritime specialty knowledge while he served the United States Coast Guard (USCG). As a Marine Safety Officer, he led and managed regulatory compliance programs responsible to verify safety, security, and environmental compliance with domestic and international law & regulations governing the marine transportation system, port operations, offshore oil & gas exploration and passenger vessel operations. Robert led, managed, and taught the USCG marine casualty investigation process at the agencies Marine Safety School. During which time, he participated in the joint agency investigation of the DEEPWATER HORIZON marine casualty. While serving in Jacksonville, Florida, his responsibilities included offering advice and guidance to USCG Captain of the Port(s), Maritime Stakeholders, and LNG industry representatives of federal regulations & policy governing siting, risk, and operation of LNG waterfront facilities, simultaneous vessel operations, use, and transportation of LNG as a marine fuel.

Director, Business Development, Crowley LNG

Arturo Joined the Crowley LNG team in 2020, the main focus of his team is to promote and grow small scale LNG distribution as the means to continue the industrial transition to a cleaner and safer environment in regions where the gas pipeline does not exist. Also, he is part of the Crowley marine LNG Ship-to-Ship bunkering solution.

Arturo holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and electrical engineering and a master’s in business administration from Nova Southern University. With 30+ years in the energy industry, he has participated in various disciplines within the energy and marine supply chain. To name a few, he has held positions at corporations such as General Electric, Woodward Governor, and Aggreko PLC.

CEO and Port Director, Port Everglades

Jonathan Daniels is the Chief Executive and Port Director for Port Everglades, a self‐supporting enterprise fund of Broward County, FL, that typically generates more than $30 billion in economic activity and supports 10,000 direct jobs annually. Port Everglades is the world’s third busiest cruise homeport and is ranked among the nation’s leading container ports. It is also South Florida’s main seaport for receiving energy products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The Port’s diverse business mix – cruise, cargo, petroleum, real estate – helps the Port maintain financial stability during economic downturns.

Port Everglades is currently undergoing a $3 billion expansion program to expand berth and crane capacity, deepen and widen channels and modernize cruise facilities.

Mr. Daniels comes to Port Everglades from the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi, where he was the Executive Director from 2013 until 2020. During his time in Gulfport, he led a $570 million restoration and expansion project and created a business development program that allowed the Port Authority to successfully fulfill a federal job creation mandate to generate at least 1,300 new jobs. Under his leadership, Gulfport became the first “green” Port in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by joining the Green Marine environmental program.

In addition to his time in Gulfport, Mr. Daniels gained valuable maritime experience as the Executive Director of Port of Oswego Authority in New York, Managing Director for the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and as Port Director of the Eastport Port Authority in Maine.

Mr. Daniels is a proponent of regional economic development having served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Maine Development Corporation and as the Director of the City of Bangor, Maine, Office of Economic and Business Development. He also served as Senior Trade Advisor and Director, Maine International Trade Center.

Mr. Daniels is the Chair of the Florida Ports Council, representing Florida’s 15 public seaports. He also serves on the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Board of Directors and is Chair of the National Defense Committee and is currently serving a two‐year term as the AAPA U.S. South Atlantic Ports Representative. He sits on the Boards of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and is an active member of the Alliance Partner Council.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – International Politics and Foreign Affairs from The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, and continued his education at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. He has a son in the U.S. Air Force and three daughters living in Florida.

President, Transparensea Fuels, LLC

Sandi Ennor is the President and CEO of Transparensea Fuels, LLC which she founded in June 2017.

Sandi and her growing Connecticut-based team have a breadth experience across the bunker landscape as brokers, traders, buyers and on the physical supply side. Transparensea Fuels is a 100% independent global brokerage only company focused on bringing clarity, professionalism, ethics, and expertise to marine fuels procurement.

Sandi is a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to entering into bunkering, she served over 9 years as a U.S. Navy combat helicopter pilot and is a decorated combat veteran for her work during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sandi is currently serving as the President of the Connecticut Maritime Association and is an active WISTA and IBIA member.

Transparensea Fuels is a US certified woman- and veteran-owned small business.

Evans Advisory LLC

Eric is a seasoned Executive with over 42 years of leadership experience and expertise in finance operations, global sourcing and fuel management of marine fuels, sales and marketing of global fuel supply, marine transportation and infrastructure management, development of alternative fuels, and managing environmental compliance and sustainability projects.

Eric is President of EVANS Advisory LLC, specializing as an Energy Consultant-Strategic Advisor for Marine Fuels, LNG, and Sustainability. He is supporting and engaged with various clients, cruise and shipowners, asset management companies in the marine fuels, finance, petroleum, and oil infrastructure operations. During his career he has worked for large NYSE traded companies Carnival Corporation, Coastal Refining and Marketing/El Paso and ICON International.

He currently sits on the Board of Directors of WEST Indies Petroleum, Serves as strategic advisor to K2 Capital and Florida Solar Partners. Eric supports various non-profit organizations and community interests.

Eric’s experience includes working on various projects including Carnival Corporation’s Exhaust Gas Cleaning Project with the USCG and EPA, and the development and implementation of bulk marine LNG as an alternative fuel. Leadership responsibilities also include lobbying and government affairs, international sales and marketing, asset management, human resources, and business development. He has experience in creative cost management of billion dollars spend through innovative strategies and market driven negotiations.

Eric is a founding and two-time Board Member of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), served as an oil industry liaison on the Florida Department of Natural Resource Oil Spill Council following the enactment of OPA 90, and universally recognized petroleum expert supporting the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). He has extensive public speaking experience at industry conferences and symposiums.

Vice President of Corporate Development and Sustainability, Eagle LNG

Matthew Fisher is a Manager of Business Development at Eagle LNG Partners. In his current role, he oversees the financial modeling for the project development teams, project financing and structuring for Eagle LNG’s infrastructure projects, and evaluates the economic feasibility for small scale LNG delivery models. Prior to joining Eagle LNG, Matt worked for Black & Veatch Management Consulting assessing North America natural gas market fundamentals. In his prior roles, he consulted on the commercial development of several large-scale US LNG exports projects and led analysis on pipeline cost of service and rate design studies before State and Federal regulatory agencies.

Managing Director, Arbutus Point Marine Ltd 

Marc Gawthrop is owner and Managing Director of Arbutus Point Marine, and has more than 25 years' experience in the Mexican and International bunker industry. Marc began his career as a shipbroker in 1979, and worked with SSY Shipbrokers (Canada) until moving to Mexico in 1984 to manage Remchart shipping brokerage. His years in Mexico provided Marc with insights into the unrealised potential of Mexican marine fuel service.

After returning to Canada, Marc joined ICS Petroleum Ltd. where, for 24 years, he established and managed the Mexican bunker trading desk, helping to develop an internationally compliant and competitive bunker industry in Mexico. Over those years Marc worked to develop Mexico's marine fuel service industry on both the Pacific and Gulf coasts, supporting fleet acquisition, international sales, and the expansion of barge and bunker tanker availability.

In 2012 Marc left ICS Petroleum and incorporated Arbutus Point Marine Ltd. to continue his work in development and management of direct commercial relationships with bunker traders, brokers and ship operators worldwide. His work with his Mexican colleagues includes empowering the next generation of Mexican bunker professionals with the ability to steer the country's growing bunker industry well into the future. In 2015, Marc established Arbutus Point Marine as the sole truck supplier of Non-Bio LSMGO for ECA compliance to vessels calling at Canada’s Pacific ports.

When not working ships and bunkers in Mexico and Canada, Marc enjoys composing and playing piano and ukelele at a variety of events in the Vancouver area and on Bowen Island, B.C. where he resides.

Director Carbon and Sustainability, Advanced Biofuels Canada
Chair, ABFC Marine Caucus, 

Fred Ghatala is the Director for Carbon and Sustainability of Advanced Biofuels Canada, a national industry association established to promote the production and use of advanced biofuels in Canada.

ABFC members are global leaders in commercial production of advanced biofuels and technology development, with over 15 billion litres of installed annual production capacity worldwide. Fred leads ABFC’s work to establish biofuel carbon value, lifecycle analyses in regulations, sector engagement in sustainability initiatives, and expanding advanced biofuel use into the marine and aviation sectors.

Account Manager, Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS)

Jack is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a degree in Marine Engineering Systems and a US Coast Guard license as a Third Assistant Engineer.  He also served in the US Naval Reserve, achieving the rank of Lieutenant.  After a brief stint in the aerospace industry, he worked as a Technical Coordinator for the largest, privately owned shipping company in the world.  In 1993, Jack entered the bunker industry full time as a Technical Coordinator for Coastal Corporation, a diversified energy and petroleum products company in the Fortune 500.  He later became a marine sales representative and then Bunkering Manager.  He joined Shell Marine Products in Houston in 2004 where he directed Shell’s bunkering activities in the Americas region. 

Jack joined Veritas Petroleum Services in 2015 and currently serves as Senior Sales Manager.  He has more than 25 years of dedicated experience in the bunker industry.

Partner, Holland and Knight LLP

Business Development Manager Americas, Marine Fuel Services, Bureau Veritas

Rob has a B.A. in political science from The University of Massachusetts Amherst and began his maritime career with Cast Container Lines in 1981. Following a 27 year career with various executive positions, Rob left Hapag Lloyd in 2006 and joined Oiltest Marine Services as Vice President Sales.

Joining Bureau Veritas’ newly created VeriFuel team as Business Development Manager in 2012, Rob’s extensive knowledge and expertise has been instrumental successfully launching and developing VeriFuel as a well-recognised global brand.

Rob has been an active member of CMA and IBIA since 2006.

Head of LNG Bunkering, GAC Bunker Fuels Ltd

Beginning in 2014, John has worked in a variety of roles at GAC, most recently as Commercial Manager for LNG Services, North America. John has been focused on the development of LNG as marine fuel since 2016 by bringing together shipowners, bunker suppliers and port stakeholders to support successful projects. John believes that establishing meaningful partnerships is the only way to develop critical infrastructure that the shipping industry needs to decarbonize. Gulf Agency Company (GAC) is the world’s largest provider of integrated shipping, logistics and marine services. Established in 1956, the privately-owned group employs over 9,000 people in 300 offices worldwide.

Vice President Global Fuel Supply, Carnival Corporation

Founder, Vortex Development Group

Jeff brings 30+ years of software experience to the bunker industry and is laser focused on guiding marine fuel delivery paperwork into the digital age. We’ve been working to transform an industry reliant on rubber stamps, inkpads, and pens by ushering in 21st century technology. It was obvious from our humble beginnings in 2015 that handwritten, pen on paper delivery receipts for high-value cargo were destined to be replaced with a digital equivalency; we wanted to be at the forefront of the effort.

Digital Bunker® from Vortex (available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play) delivers accurate and secure Marpol Annex XI compliant Electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (E-BDN’s®) and ISGOTT-compliant E-Ship Safety® (Declaration of Inspection) reports. Designed for fuel and lubricant deliveries made via Ex-pipe, Truck or Barge, the software automates 2004 API Volumetric calculations, with an easy-to-use interface allowing receiving vessel Ship Stamps to be captured photographically and tagged with GPS location data. All stakeholders receive emailed PDFs and back-office data is sent electronically to CRM systems instead of being re-typed.

Like so many other aspects of business today, it’s about speed, legibility, accuracy, record keeping, and sign-on-glass compliance. Digital Bunker checks all those boxes and can also reduce the time-cost of money—the length of time from when a receiving vessel’s Chief Engineer authenticates a document before an invoice can be tendered. Digital Bunker can shorten that time from days or weeks to less than a minute.

Bunker & Lubricant Broker/ Trader, KPI OceanConnect Inc.

Chief product Officer / Co-Founder, FuelTrust

Darren Shelton is a 26-year veteran of the maritime industry having managed multiple shipping agencies, serving as lead auditor in ISO quality management systems and most recently being tasked with driving their digital initiatives for a premier global maritime agency. In 2018 he envisioned a blockchain startup for the downstream energy sector which led to his co-founding FuelTrust, a data science company with Greentech SaaS solutions. Darren studied at Stephen F. Austin State University and Hope International University, has received honorary degrees from Alvin Community College and presently serves on the Board of Regents at ACC. He is Chairman of both the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee and the Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce, in addition to serving on the boards of several other community organizations. He and his family reside in the Houston suburb of Alvin TX.

Associate Director, Global Marine Fuels, OPIS

Tom Sosnowski is Associate Director, Global Marine fuels for OPIS, A Dow Jones Company. Tom has more than 15 years of experience in the heavy fuels markets and currently oversees bulk and bunker fuel pricing for the Americas. In the past, Tom has been certified in ship chartering by the Law Society of England and Wales. Tom is a graduate of Gettysburg College, where he earned a BA in Communications. 

Business Development Manager / Trader, Parkland Marine

Vice President, Global Marine, Parkland Marine

James Stapleton is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science, Marine Transportation and a USCG Third Mate License.  His sailing experience includes time onboard product tankers, break bulk vessels, container ships, military pre-positioning vessels and bulk coal carriers. Mr. Stapleton has 25 years of professional Maritime and International Business experience that include vessel scheduling, operations, operations management, fuel buying, fuel treatment, fuel sales and sales management.  Mr. Stapleton joined Tropic Oil company in 2015 where he managed both commercial and marine sales of fuels and lubricants as the Vice President of Sales.  Parkland USA acquired Tropic Oil in 2019 and restructured the management team placing Mr. Stapleton in the role of Director, Marine Sales where he successfully managed the integration of the bunker teams of Tropic Oil and Sol (Caribbean) providing a platform for bunker sales extending from multiple markets in Florida to 17 markets throughout the Caribbean.  Mr. Stapleton was appointed to his current role as Vice President, Global Marine in April of 2022 and has been tasked with creating a “One Face to Market” strategy for all of Parkland’s marine business.  Parkland Marine was created shortly thereafter and is currently in the process of building the infrastructure and management team in order to be prepared for full operations and offerings in 2023.  

President & Co-Owner, National Maritime Services

Accomplished entrepreneur, lender, specialized asset custody executive and investor.  A finance industry veteran with nearly 40 years pleasure yacht loan experience.  He is expert in practical aspects of vessel seizure, having managed the arrest of over 300 commercial ships and superyachts internationally.

As President & Co-owner of National Maritime Services, responsible for oversight of operations, long-term planning, strategic partnerships and client relationships (which includes referral network of 400+ admiralty attorneys, maritime lien claimants and governmental agencies such as US Marshals Service).  He is also a Managing Member of ST Liberty, LLC an affiliated company which provides non-conventional yacht financing.

Previously owned, operated and sold two well-known specialty finance loan platforms, having managed the origination of over $4 billion in aircraft, yacht, and recreational vehicle loans and the acquisition of several specialty loan portfolios. Originally a Certified Public Accountant, he draws on his varied business experience to advise law firms, lenders, and government agencies.

Senior Managing Editor - Americas Freight Markets, S&P Global Commodity Insights 

Barbara manages the Houston shipping team, covering the container and tanker shipping markets in the Americas, including freight rates, analysis and news. She rejoined Platts, which is part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, in Houston in November 2015 after she had worked for the company first in London in the late 1980s and later in Singapore from 1993-1995, reporting on naphtha, fuel oil, and bunker spot prices and markets. From 1995-2015, she directed statistical research on East of Suez refining capacities, petroleum product balances, specifications, and pricing analysis at Asia Pacific Energy Consulting. Barbara also has experience in the coordination of commercial and marketing projects in the petroleum storage industry at Oiltanking.

Fuel Procurement Manager, RCCL

University of Miami Graduate in Business Administration, completed MBA in International Business

Started in Oil & Gas industry at Enterprise Products Partners overseeing distribution and logistics of pipeline systems transporting NGL product from gas processing plants to fractionators in Mt Belvieu Texas.

Moved back to Florida close to family starting the marine industry adventure procuring bunker fuel for Carnival Corporation for 4 years to then move to RCCL overseeing bunker sourcing and operations across the fleet during last 5 years.

Business Development Manager, Intertek Lintec

Hauk Larsen Wahl is the Business Development Manager for Intertek Lintec, responsible for the Americas and Scandinavian markets.

Prior to joining Intertek Lintec, Hauk spent 21 years in the Fuel Quality Testing and Bunker Quantity Survey business, holding positions in Sales and Management in Oslo, Fujairah and Houston.

Early in his career, Hauk sailed onboard container vessels and then later worked with sales of EPIRB’s, AIS systems and Marine VHF Radios.

Hauk holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Management from BI Norwegian Business School.

Hauk currently resides in Houston, and holds dual Norwegian/American citizenships.

Senior Director, Global Marine Operations, Parkland Marine

Kim received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Finance and a Minor in Accounting from the University of Central Florida. Kim has spent the last 11 years growing through multiple roles within Royal Caribbean's fuel department where she has been responsible for all aspects of bunker procurement, operations and planning.

In 2015, Kim became head of Fuel Supply Chain, where she built and led a team of experts responsible for the forecasting, contractual negotiation and operational execution of bunkers, lubricants and emission abatement chemicals for 63 vessels across 300 ports. She was a part of RCG’s Hedge Advisory Committee and managed the Fuel Risk Management Model. She was also influential in the development of RCG’s ESG initiatives as it relates to future fuels and Greenhouse Gas reductions.