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.

General Manager, SEA-LNG

Director, Intertek Lintec

As Director of Intertek Lintec for over seven years, Sue leads a global business offering bunker assurance, testing, inspection and certification services to ship owners and operators worldwide.

Having qualified as an accountant  in the early years of her career, Sue held a several finance & commercial roles  in a number of leading companies.

Sue  joined  Intertek Lintec in 2001 as the company’s  Head of Finance and now over twenty years later is responsible for  the formation & delivery of the company’s strategy when it comes to growth, business development and delivering best in class service in relation to bunker fuel testing, bunker quantity surveys, oil condition monitoring and other associated services.

Shareholder & Attorney, Liskow & Lewis and WISTA USA

Lauren Bridges is a maritime and environmental lawyer focusing on toxic torts, personal injury, property damage, economic loss, and other disputes in the maritime and energy industries. She has experience advocating for her clients in federal and state courts, at the trial and appellate levels, in both single-plaintiff and mass tort actions. She also handles discovery and docket management for Fortune 500 clients. Lauren often takes a lead role in complex litigation involving multiple defendants and often hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs where the scope of discovery and e-discovery can be particularly voluminous.

Throughout her career, Lauren has represented a variety of maritime operators, including international shipping lines, in personal injury suits involving seamen and longshoremen as well as cargo claims. She has also gained extensive experience representing and defending clients in the maritime and energy sectors in Jones Act and Longshore Act claims, disputes involving land contamination, toxic torts, and personal injury toxic tort exposure from Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), refinery emissions, and oil spills.

Lauren’s passion for maritime law began well before her legal career. She grew up in a shipping family living in various ports in the southeastern United States. In addition to her formal legal education, she gained valuable insight while interning on the London marine insurance market and for a major shipping company in Hamburg, Germany.

CEO, Barbados National Oil Co Ltd

James Browne, a trained Chemical Engineer has years of technical experience working in oil and gas exploration and production in onshore oil fields in Barbados. He also held senior engineering positions in the manufacturing sector in a regional distribution company . After pursuing his Master Degree in Business Administration, Mr. Browne in 2005, took up the position of General Manager of the National Petroleum Corporation where he managed the distribution of the natural gas throughout the country.  In 2018, he took up the job of CEO of the Barbados National Oil Company Limited and now leads the evolution of the Company from a 100% fossil fuel entity to one which has embraced the country’s energy policy of transitioning to 100% RE.  While championing the pursuit of the renewable energy paradigm (solar, wind and biofuels), the advancement of the company as a regional fossil fuel trading enterprise, the company development and establishment within the offshore oil and natural gas sector, he still continues to emphasize of progression of the LNG/natural gas supply which is an integral part of his portfolio since BNOCL first installed the first small scale LNG regas facility in 2015.

Head of Business Development, Fratelli Cosulich, Italy

Guido Cardullo is the Head of Business Development of Fratelli Cosulich, a world leading bunker trading company with offices in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai, Athens, Genoa, Monaco, Paris and New York. Before that, he was Managing Director of the Singapore office of Fratelli Cosulich, where they operate as a physical supplier with a fleet of 6 owned bunker barges. Mr Cardullo joined Fratelli Cosulich in 2011.

Senior Pricing Specialist - US Bunkers, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Experienced Editor / Pricing Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in energy industries. Strong professional skilled in News Writing, Analysis, Journalism, Accounting and Bilingual Communications.

Director Transport Services and Global Supply Strategy, CSL Group

Frank Dahan is the Director of Transport Services and Global Fuel Strategy for Montreal-based worldwide shipowner Canada Steamship Lines, also known as CSL Group.

With offices in Canada, USA, Australia, London, and Asia, he heads all commercial operations for the Canadian fleet. He also leads the Global fuel desk and oversees the fuel procurement strategy.

He has over 25 years of experience in the oil and energy industry and in bunker procurement strategy..

Frank Dahan also supports sustainable alternative fuel initiatives at Group CSL Inc, such as the biofuel fuel testing program, which was launched in 2019 and, to date, is one of the largest ongoing B100 biodiesel trials on marine engines in the world.

Frank Dahan graduated from the John Molson School of Business in Montreal with a Finance major and minor in Economics.

Alternative Fuels Program Manager, Transparency Fuels LLC

Margaret Kaigh Doyle has spent over three decades working in the maritime and energy sectors.  Doyle currently heads up the Alternative Fuels Program as part of the team at Transparensea Fuels LLC.  She is also the President and a founding Board Member of the non-profit PortVision50. (PV50).  The mission of PV50 is to raise awareness of the importance of decarbonization focusing on future infrastructure in North American ports. Margaret Doyle is a current board member of First10Forward,  an organization comprised of early women graduates of the US Merchant Marine Academy whose motto is, “Empowering Women to be Exceptional”.  Doyle is a founding member of F10F and served as its first President.  

Over the course of her career Doyle was responsible for developing and delivering the first set of LNG Bunkering Courses in North America. She also worked as a member of the prep team for Eagle LNG Partners’ Talleyrand Bunkering Depot, designed and built specifically to fuel the Crowley Dual Fuel ConRo Vessels. 

Doyle participates on various delegations to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) most recently focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships.  Margaret Doyle serves as a contributor to dozens of industry forums and organizations and is a 3-time recipient of the US Coast Guard Public Service Commendation.  She is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and holds advanced degrees in engineering from The George Washington and Pennsylvania State Universities. 

Technical Consultant, Lecturer, Author and IBIA Board Member

Nigel Draffin has been involved in shipping for over 50 years and in bunkering for over 25 years. He joined Shell Tankers in 1966, serving on all classes of vessel, including VLCCs and LNG tankers. In 1979, he joined the newbuilding department of Shell International Marine and later transferred to Shell’s R&D unit, specialising in control systems, fuel combustion and safety systems.

In 1986, Nigel moved to the commercial department as a bunker buyer and economics analyst, two years later becoming Head of Operational Economics, responsible for all of the fuel purchased for the Shell fleet. In 1996, he joined E. A. Gibson Shipbrokers which, in 2006, merged with US-based broking house LQM Petroleum Services, where he was Senior Broker and Technical Manager. He retired from LQM in July 2015.

Nigel is a founder member of IBIA, serving several times on its council of management, the board and as its Chairman. Nigel has written 10 books on bunkering, shipping and marine lubes published by Petrospot, and is Director of the Petrospot Academy. Nigel is a member of IMarEST and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Fuellers.

General Manager, Transfuel Group/Agnamar

Ramón Espinel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M (College Station, TX) University and an MBA with concentration in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Cost Management from Babson College (Wellesley, MA).

After experiences in the banking and shrimp industry in Ecuador, Ramón joined Transfuel Group 22 years ago. He has been Financial Manager, Commercial and Operations Manager, Project Development Manager, many held jointly, and, since, 2008 General Manager.

Among his proudest achievements in Transfuel Group, is, alongside Transfuel´s President, redefining the bunkering business in Ecuador after IMO 2020 and taking the company and industry to a regional level.

Principal Research Analyst, Fuels, Chemicals, and Resource Solutions, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Mark spent six years in New York City brokering crude and refined products futures and options on behalf of global oil companies and international financial institutions prior to joining IHS Markit (now part of S&P Global). Currently his focus is leveraging his experience in the financial markets to provide thorough analysis of liquid bulk commodity markets including crude, diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, jet fuel, LPG, and naphtha.

Trade flow intelligence, freight markets, and underlying physical trading contribute to a complete assessment. The focus of research lies within fundamentals to develop supply and demand balance models, while delivering concise insight of the refining industry, maritime trade routes, and geopolitical affairs.

Mark holds a B.S. from James Madison University.

Business Development Manager, Port of New Orleans

Cameron Gibson is the Business Development Manager for the Port of New Orleans, specializing in breakbulk and project cargoes. Before coming to New Orleans, he held chartering and project cargo positions at G2 Ocean in Atlanta. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and received an MBA from the University of Georgia. Passionate about solving complex logistics issues, he is excited to assist shippers and partners with their cargoes at the Port of New Orleans.

Senior Account Manager, 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.

Vice President Sales - Global Bunker, ZeroNorth A/S

Based in New York, Tammi Ingannamorte is the Vice President of Sales - Americas for ZeroNorth. Following ZeroNorth’s acquisition of ClearLynx, she is focused on business development and sales of the company’s bunker optimisation solutions, as well as the expansion of ZeroNorth’s offices, teams, and optimisation products in the Americas region. With a firm commitment to ZeroNorth’s mission to make global trade green, Tammi Ingannamorte understands the holistic approach of connecting the dots across global trade and combining voyage, vessel, and bunker optimisation to cut emissions and deliver savings from today.

She started her career in maritime as a bunker broker with LQM Petroleum in the 1990s. While she was Vice President of Marketing and Sales, she managed 17 brokers in five offices, which at the time was by far the largest international pure bunker brokerage company. Simultaneously, she began working with a team to develop ClearLynx, which became the leading bunker procurement system.

Editor Americas Freight Markets, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Catherine is currently a part of the Americas Shipping team in Houston, where she covers the freight markets for tankers carrying crude and dirty products. As a part of the team, she has been a part of several industry events, including S&P Global Commodity Insights events — the London Energy Forum, Rio Energy Forum, and Sao Paulo Energy Forum, as well as the Platts Refined Products and Transportation Fuels Market Dynamics webinar.

Prior to this position, she worked with both the Agriculture and Petrochemical teams as a part of the rotational Platts' Commodity Associate Program, covering US Grains, Biofuels, and Olefins markets.

Catherine received a BBA in Finance with a certificate of International Business from Texas A&M University, completing an internship with Platts prior to graduation.

Managing Director, Bunker One USA Inc

Georgette Kounalakis is a results-oriented senior manager with extensive experience in marine fuel supply & logistics, sales & marketing, business development, and M&A.

She has proven ability to develop and implement corporate strategic plans, and grow profitability in the bunker industry. A critical thinker, she is comfortable dealing with ambiguity and responds quickly to changing markets.

She is able to form strong working relationships and lead groups of diverse professional and cultural backgrounds to achieve common goals.

Founder & Board Member, GoodFuels

Dirk is a seasoned renewable energy entrepreneur- featuring in the prestigious “Biofuel Digest Global top 100” for many years in a row having founded both the global market maker in sustainable jet fuel (SkyNRG) as marine fuel (GoodFuels). Before his time at GoodFuels and SkyNRG, Dirk worked for 12 years in the airline industry in London and Amsterdam for both low cost as flag carriers, his last position being Vice President Business Innovation at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Dirk Kronemeijer (1974) achieved his MSc in Business Economics from the University of Groningen and completed executive programs at the IMD in Lausanne and INSEAD in Singapore and Fontainebleau.

CEO, Bay Islands Petroleum S.A.

Kenny McNab is a successful entrepreneur and CEO who has founded and managed multiple companies throughout his career. He is best known as the founder of Bay Island Petroleum (BIP), a marine fuel company that he started in 2008 with a small team of three employees on Roatan Island. Under Kenny's leadership, BIP has grown into a major player in the marine fuel industry, with a fleet of four bunker barges delivering fuel to a variety of vessels, including cruise ships, navy vessels, and local fishing boats. Through BIP, Kenny has also diversified the company's offerings and started BIP Gas, a division specializing in supplying LPG to the local market.

In addition to BIP, Kenny is the CEO and founder of Island Ferry, a ferry passenger operation connecting the Bay Islands and mainland Honduras, and Silver Seafood, a lobster fishing and export company. Through these ventures, Kenny has demonstrated his ability to identify new business opportunities and to deliver exceptional services to his customers.

Kenny's entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence have earned him multiple awards for his business acumen, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. As he continues to explore new opportunities for growth and expand his range of services, Kenny remains dedicated to improving the quality of life for his fellow Roatan Islanders, ensuring the sustainability of the Bay Islands' marine ecosystem, and contributing to the region's economic development.

Vice President Global Fuel Sourcing, Carnival Corp

Succesful Executive with a proven track record of delivering bottom line results for over 20 years, with signifcant experience in business negotiations, mergers & acquistions, commodity trading, and risk management.

I have sharpened my analytical skills, and leadership abilities in a the oil & gas and travel & tourism industries.

Maritime Digital Solutions, 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.

CEO, Navalmex Combustibles

Leonor Mondragón López studied International Relations at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

In 1988 she began his working life in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the following year, she began his career in the maritime and port environment, taking charge of the affairs office of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the General Directorate of Ports and Merchant Marine of the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT). She was Deputy Director General of the National Chamber of the Maritime Transport Industry. She also worked in the SCT as General Secretary of the Harbor Master General Directorate.

In 1996 she was co-founder and partner of the shipping and bunkering company Naval Mexicana and in 2007 of Navalmex Combustibles in which she is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors.

She was co-founder and president of the Mexican Association of Ship Service Companies (AMISBAC). She has also been president of the Mexican Maritime and Port Council (COMPORT).

Chief Operating Officer, John W. Stone Distributor LLC

Anthony J. Odak has been the COO at John W. Stone Oil Distributor LLC., in Gretna, La, since 2008.  Odak obtained his BS in marine systems engineering and USCG Unlimited HP engineering license from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1996 and received his MBA in finance from Tulane University in 2006. Odak oversees the operations of Stone Oil’s inland fleet (17 boats, 49 barges), offshore fleet (five units), and eight docks and terminals located throughout the lower Mississippi River, Intracoastal Waterway, and Gulf of Mexico.  He also serves as director of business development.  Odak’s professional background includes marine surveyor and engineer for the American Bureau of Shipping, owner of Holly Marine Towing, and territory manager for ExxonMobil with specialization in marine lubricants and fuels. He has written and presented on various aspects of marine fuel and is an expert witness in cases related to the subject.  Odak is a participating member of the USCG CTAC and TSAC committees and has co-chaired multiple IMO and USCG sub-committees related to LNG as a marine fuel, LNG bunkering, traditional marine bunkering, midstreaming, and SIMOPS

Business Development Manager, ABS

Derek is an accomplished maritime professional with a diverse background in vessel and offshore new construction, operations and inspection, and regulatory compliance. He graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and also received an MBA from the American Military University. He currently works for the American Bureau of Shipping as a Business Development Manager for the North American Market, handling commercial related topics ranging from inland, offshore, wind, and sustainability markets. 

Global Operations & Key Account Manager, Bureau Veritas VeriFuel

Argyrios Schoinas began his working career in Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) working as a bunker surveyor. Since 2016, Argyrios has been with Bureau Veritas’ Marine Fuel Services. 

He has helped organize and coordinate all the various bunker fuel related inspections taking place in different ports in Americas under VeriFuel. His role was then expanded on 2018 to cover all work done globally and he is now the Global Operations Manager for the Marine Fuel Services.

Argyrios has presented at bunker conferences, conducted seminars and also written on quantity surveys and Tricks of the Trade for marine fuels.  His extensive knowledge on the field has helped shipping companies mitigate operational and financial risks as well as cost reduction on bunker operations.

Argyrios graduated from University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 2011 with a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering, while he also holds a MEng from the same university and a MSc in Chemical Process Engineering from UCL, UK.

Principal and Owner, Simms Showers LLC

J. Stephen (‘Steve’) Simms is Principal of Simms Showers LLP. He chairs the International Bunker Industry Association’s (IBIA) Legal Working Group and is Legal Advisor to SEA/LNG.

Simms Showers is one of the world’s most active law firms working in the area of bunker trader, broker and supplier representation.

Steve Simms was selected for the U.S. Department of Justice, Honor Law Graduates Program and was a federal prosecutor and Editor‑in‑Chief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business at Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago). He holds an M.A. in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.A. in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University.

He is the husband of his wife of 33 years, Denise, and Dad of daughter Alison and son John, and of Benson, the Coton de Tulear (the royal dog of Madagascar, somewhat removed from actual royalty).

Trading Analyst – Bunkers, Paria Fuel Trading Company

Arnold Soogrim is currently the Bunker Trading Analyst at Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited with over twenty – one (21)  years’ experience in the bunker business in Trinidad and Tobago. He is currently responsible for all strategic and operational elements relating to the Bunker Department . He is also tasked with ensuring all on aboard HSE statutory requirements are met and in addition, transitioned Paria seamlessly into the new IMO 2020 requirements and continue to be updated on all required changes in the industry.

His Academic background is a BSC in Management and an Advanced Diploma In Petroleum Engineering. It is his goal to ensure Trinidad and Tobago remains a preferred bunker location for all vessels.

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.

Vice President, V-TIC Services Inc.

Ananth currently serves as the Vice President at V-TIC Services. V-TIC Services focuses on the Supply side of the Fuel supply chain and is intimately involved in supporting suppliers across their business. From helping suppliers develop fuels for the future, to helping them develop the basis of design of their refineries, the V-TIC Services team was developed to be at the cutting edge of our customer’s next challenge.

Ananth Srinivasan has over eighteen years of experience working at Baker Hughes and in a startup, in a variety of roles including P&L Management, Sales, Operations, Engineering, Product Development, and Project Management. His breadth of experience spans the Oil and Gas sector from Upstream operations to the Marine Shipping business.

He has an Executive MBA from Texas A&M and a Masters in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines helping combine technical knowledge with commercial acumen to help clients succeed.

Managing Director, 2050 Marine Energy

Adrian Tolson is the owner of 2050 Marine Energy and is widely recognized as one of the shipping industry’s leading marine energy experts. With more than 35 years of experience, he has both detailed knowledge and unique insight into the bunker supply chain and its many related infrastructure developments.

2050 Marine Energy was formed in late 2022 to provide commercial insight to all stakeholders in the marine fuel supply chain navigating the disruption of this decade and future transformation. This new venture comes as Adrian leaves his role as Insight Lead at BLUE after more than decade of close cooperation with brand and communications consultancy. He will continue to act as a Strategic Advisor to the company, working with specific existing clients and providing consultancy on marine energy trends.

Adrian has led numerous global business development projects across the marine energy sector.  This includes assisting ship owners and physical suppliers on future fuel procurement and supply strategies; the development of bunkering infrastructure projects for existing and alternative fuels; as well as working with the financial and investment community on the opportunities in the future marine energy landscape.

Adrian’s experience spans leadership roles with some of the industry’s largest marine fuel suppliers, including Chemoil Energy, where he was responsible for successfully driving the company through to IPO; and as Vice President and General Manager of OW Bunker where he established its physical supply operation in the USA.

Elected to the board of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) in 2020, Adrian is currently its Treasurer and Chairman of the IBIA’s Americas Regional Board.

Senior Managing Editor, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Barbara Troner manages the Americas shipping team at Platts, which is part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, covering the container and tanker shipping markets in the Americas, including freight rates, analysis and news.

She rejoined Platts 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.

Head of Market Development, Americas, Neste US

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 Analyst, Infospectrum

Felix joined Infospectrum in 2016 and has over 25 years’ experience across the marine and commodity trading industries. As a Senior Analyst, he specialises in credit analysis and due diligence research, covering The Americas, Spanish and Portuguese markets.
His education includes a BBA in International Business Administration, Economics and Finance from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania