2017 SPEAKERS

Dr Jonathan Beard is an Executive Director of Arcadis and Asia Head of Business Advisory and Transportation. He also co-chairs the Company's "Belt Road Alliance" for Infrastructure Advisory Services.

A veteran with 20+ years' industry experience, his expertise covers strategic master-plans, feasibility studies, national blueprints, M&As, PPPs, competition and regulation. Jonathan has advised on transportation policy and related infrastructure development in over 25 countries, and directed the master-planning for some of the world's largest and most successful ports.

Recent work includes leading airport and port pre-feasibility studies in the Middle East, the development of Malaysia's National Port Strategy, toll road PPPs in the Philippines, market advisory for a major e-commerce facility and cruise terminal due diligence.

Jonathan holds a BA, MA and PhD from Cambridge University, and is a Certified Management Consultant, a former President of the Hong Kong Institute of Management Consultants and Director of the Hong Kong Management Consultancies Association.

Edvins Berzins is the chairman and president of Latvian Railway and a member of the supervisory board of JSC “RB Rail” (Rail Baltic). His career has included senior positions at the ministry of the interior of the Republic of Latvia and the Police Academy of Latvia and a lawyer at Lattelecom. 

Berzins joined JSC Latvijas kuģniecība, the Latvian Shipping Co., and served from 2006 to 2010, as the director of their legal department. He has served on its board from 2010 and as chairman since 2016. From 2014-2015, he was interim CEO of JSC RB Rail, or Rail Baltic.  

Berzins has a master’s degree in law and an MBA, and has completed the  Norwegian-Latvian Master Study programme Innovations and Entrepreneurship. In 2016, he completed the Professional Board Member Education Program at the Baltic Institute of Corporate Governance. He is chairman of Latvia-Belarus and Latvia-Kazakhstan Business Cooperation Council, council member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Alexis is a Director of Thomas Miller Law, Australia, marine and logistics lawyers specialising in advising on all legal aspects of the supply chain including cyber risk. Thomas Miller Law is part of the international Thomas Miller mutual insurance group which underpins the TT Club, UK P& I Club, ITIC and TMS Specialty Risks, a cyber risks insurer. Prior to joining Thomas Miller Law, Alexis handled liability claims for the TT Club in the Asia Pacific region and managed claims as correspondent for the UK P&I Club. She has been a partner in leading maritime and transport law firms in Sydney and in house counsel for consulting engineers and an offshore mineral exploration company. Alexis holds degrees in Arts and Law and Master of Laws degree with a focus on Insurance Law and International Commercial Arbitration. Thomas Miller Law also has offices in the UK and Switzerland.

Gordon has well-balanced perspective from all sides of the shipping industry. Prior to joining NYSHEX, Gordon was an executive at SABMiller, a large multi-national shipper. He has also held numerous leadership positions at Maersk Line, the world's largest shipping line, and Damco, a global freight forwarder. Gordon has lived and worked in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

Gordon holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, as well as a bachelor of commerce degree majoring in maritime economics and a post graduate degree in maritime law.

Born in 1962 in the Northern part of Germany, Joerg Hoppe completed his schooling in Bremen, Germany, and obtained a vocational training certificate in "International Freight Forwarding" with a global mid-sized forwarding company in 1983. In 1986, he transferred to the USA where he spent 16 years building a career in international forwarding with Hermann Ludwig (USA), Inc. and from 1990 onwards with Conterm Consolidation Services (USA), Inc. in ocean cargo consolidation.

In 2002, Joerg Hoppe accepted a Corporate Management position with Schenker AG in their global head office in Essen, Germany, from which he then moved on to Schenker's Regional head office in Singapore in 2005 in a regional Product Management role.

On August 1, 2007, Joerg Hoppe was appointed as Director and Head of Ocean Freight for Schenker China Ltd. based in Shanghai responsible for the Central China region.

As of April 1, 2014, he took additional responsibility for Schenker's larger, newly formed North/Central China region as Head of Ocean Freight.

Joerg Hoppe is a German National, married and has two children.

Greg Knowler is a highly experienced editor and publisher with more than 20 years on mainstream titles and business-to-business magazines. His journalism career began in 1989 as a reporter for a daily newspaper in Durban, South Africa, covering the news during the turbulent end of apartheid. In 2000, he moved to Hong Kong and spent two years at the South China Morning Post sports desk before joining Cargonews Asia, and then IHS Markit in 2013 to cover Asia. After 17 years in Hong Kong, Knowler relocated to London in 2017 as Europe editor for the entire Maritime & Trade division of IHS Markit. His reporting and analysis appears on JOC.com, in The Journal of Commerce, and often in sister publication IHS Fairplay and its associated website. He regularly speaks to industry groups, chairs the annual JOC Container Trade Europe Conference, and serves on the programming committee for the annual TPM Asia Conference.

Benjamin Lai joined Modern Terminals as Marketing Manager in 2002. He became General Manager, Operations in July 2005. In May 2010, he was promoted to Managing Director, Hong Kong overseeing the Hong Kong Business Unit.  Benjamin took over the Managing Director position of DaChan Bay Terminals in May, 2012. Benjamin is also Vice Chairman of the Shenzhen Ports Association. Prior to joining Modern Terminals, Benjamin was the Director, Business Development for New World CyberBase, the IT arm of the New World Group. Benjamin also spent 6 years working in both United States and Canada for various IT companies in their business development function. Benjamin holds a Bachelor degree from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the United States and an Executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Tommy Lui is the Regional Managing Director and Executive Vice President of iDS Medical Systems Group, which is headquartered in Singapore and part of the Fung Group that also owns Li & Fung Limited, a leading global consumer product supply chain company, as well as three other publicly listed companies in Hong Kong.

A premier medical supply chain company, idsMED is in the unique market position of distributing medical devices and consumables and providing value-add services to more than 10,000 hospitals and healthcare organizations across Asia.

Lui works in the company's Hong Kong office and is responsible for the North Asia region and the consumables business. In addition, he is also the executive director of Innonix Technologies, a sister company of idsMED, which specializes in advanced technologies and materials against airborne infections.

Before his appointment to idsMED in January 2017, Lui worked in the Fung Group for more than 16 years, including in the positions of group chief representative for southern China, executive director of global freight management, and managing director of supply chain solutions in LF Logistics, and e-business director of Li & Fung Distribution Group.
Lui was born and raised in Hong Kong, and studied in Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

He has worked in eight different industries, with large companies such as Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong and Carlson Group in the United States, as well as with smaller entrepreneurial enterprises including a dot-com start-up and telecom equipment reseller in Canada.

John McCauley is vice president of transportation and logistics for Cargill, leading its global container freight business and its domestic transportation and logistics in the Asia-Pacific. He has a deep and extensive experience in container shipping and is close to attaining the status of industry veteran. He has lived in his native Australia, the United Kingdom (twice), Djibouti, Dubai, Geneva, and now Singapore. He has worked for two carriers, logistics companies, and on the beneficial cargo owner side in pharmaceuticals, logistics service, and laboratory services.

Paolo Montrone has 30 years of experience in logistics and transportation management covering a broad range of business functions. He is currently Senior VP Seafreight, Global Head of Trade for Kuehne + Nagel Inc., the world's largest provider of NVO seafreight services. In this position he is accountable for the acquisition of all vessel capacity, matching capacity and services with customers and their requirements, yield management and carrier relations. Prior to his current position he has held senior management positions with Kuehne + Nagel in Asia, Europe and the United States.

During his career he has focused on supply chain and logistics efficiencies, innovation, digital transformation and pragmatic solutions to customer, Kuehne + Nagel and industry challenges. He is an avid guitar player and lives in Hamburg Germany with his Wife and daughter.

Alan Murphy has nine years of experience in liner shipping research, analysis and systems development, with a focus on bridging the often disparate functions of management, analysis and IT development, having extensive practical experience in all three fields.

Murphy is a sought-after consultant, advisor and speaker at industry conferences and events, providing insight and intelligence to a broad range of stakeholders in the logistics community, through quantitative research techniques, econometric modelling, and systems and database architecture development.

Murphy has a degree in business economics, and joined the global market intelligence department of Maersk Line in 2004, coming from a position as finance research analyst at Copenhagen Business School. At Maersk Line he was initially responsible for developing, implementing and managing central systems for measuring and analyzing customer satisfaction, vessel utilization, market events and internal performance.

Later, as senior analyst of Maersk Line's intelligence and analysis section, Murphy was responsible for global supply/demand modelling, long-term forecasting, market and competitor analysis, and senior management reporting. After leaving Maersk Line in 2010, he continued to support the logistics community through ARM Consulting, helping companies automate manual processes, reduce costs and increase market reach based on actionable information.

Han Ning is a Director within Drewry Maritime Advisors and Country Manager for China. She has 10 years' experience in shipping and ports sector. She joined Drewry in 2011 and worked in Drewry's Singapore office prior to Shanghai. Whilst with Drewry, she has been involved in numerous port and shipping assignments covering commercial analysis and due diligence, company strategy formulation, IPOs and investment opportunity assessments. Her global experience is extensive with project work completed in China, SE Asia, America, Africa, and Mediterranean. Prior to joining Drewry, she has worked in PSA China investment department for five years. During her time with PSA China, she was responsible for market analysis and port development strategies in different regions. She has worked on two greenfield terminals as well as some M&A transactions. She holds an MA in maritime law from Shanghai Maritime University.

Victor Pettersson is Global Shipping Manager at H&M where he handles all incoming goods from H&M's suppliers to more than 60 receiving distribution centers located all over the globe.

Since joining H&M in 2013, Victor has been working as a business analyst with a big focus on reporting, analysis and BI, a transportation controller and E-commerce distribution manager.

He graduated in 2012 with a MSc in International logistics and supply chain manager with exchange studies in Hong Kong, Milwaukee and Guangzhou.

Nicolas Sartini is the chief executive officer and a director of the NOL Board. He oversees the global container shipping business of the NOL Group. Prior to joining NOL, Sartini has been CMA CGM Group's senior vice president of Asia-Europe and Asia Mediterranean Lines since 2008, and was also responsible for ANL and Cheng Lie Navigation. He oversaw Asia-Europe trades since 1999 after previously serving as vice president of the Mediterranean Express line beginning in 1993. He has been with CMA CGM for 25 years. Before joining CMA S.A., he worked with Delmas from 1985 to 1990, first as a line manager of its subsidiary, Octomar, then as director of African Island Shipping and finally as a manager in charge of the Indian Ocean line. Sartini graduated from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales business school in 1983.

Stuart Strachan is Senior Vice President, Maritime & Trade. In this role he is responsible for leading the business line within IHS that delivers shipping and international trade data, analytics, insight and events to commercial and government customers around the world. The Maritime & Trade business line was formed in December 2013 and includes 2014 acquisitions Global Trade Information Services and JOC Group.

Previous to leading the Maritime & Trade business line Stuart held commercial, product management and marketing leadership positions in the Technology, Energy, Chemicals and Automotive business lines, having begun his career at IHS as Head of Global Marketing at Jane's Information Group, acquired in 2007.

Prior to joining IHS Stuart held marketing leadership and management positions in the educational publishing (Pearson plc) and telecommunications (Cable & Wireless plc) industries. Stuart holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and Economics from the University of London and a Master's in Business Administration from Warwick University, UK.

Robbert van Trooijen is responsible for Maersk Line's activities in North Asia. He joined the Royal Nedlloyd Group in 1990 as Management Trainee in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.  After assignments in São Paulo (Brazil), Seoul (South Korea), and Hong Kong (China), Robbert was appointed Director, Global Network and Equipment Flow Management in P&O Nedlloyd's head office in London (United Kingdom) in 2005. Following the acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd by A.P. Moller Maersk A/S, Robbert joined Maersk Line's head office in  Denmark as Vice President in charge of the Latin American Services in 2006. Early 2008 he assumed responsibility for the West and Central Asia Region, stationed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In January 2011, he assumed management of the Latin American Region, stationed in Panama City, Panama. Since July 2015, he takes over as Regional Chief Executive of North Asia. Robbert holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from his native country the Netherlands. Robbert was born in 1964, is married to Sandy and together they have 4 children.

Eric has recently started at K+N to head the International Supply Chain division, based in Hamburg.

Formerly with A.P. Moller-Maersk for almost 20 years and most recently heading up Marketing and Sales for United Arab Shipping Company based in Dubai.

Eric has experience working closely with supply chain customers from a European and Global scale while he was working at Mercantile and Maersk Logistics (Damco) in various customer facing and strategic roles. His new role at K+N brings him once again closer to helping drive value across customers´ supply chains.

Yating Xu is an Economist for the China Regional Service within IHS Economics & Country Intelligence Group, and is responsible for economic, political, and business environment analysis of China.

Before joining IHS Economics, Yating was a Statistician with China & National Bureau of Statistics & Department of National Accounts for seven years, and is responsible for GDP and national income distribution accounting. Yating is familiar with China & statistical indicators and methods.

Yating holds a Masters in Finance from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and is an Economics PhD candidate at Peking University. She speaks Mandarin and English.

Gerry Yim has been CEO of HPH Trust (HPHT) since July 2012 and is managing director of Hutchison International Terminals and a member of the HPH Trust Exco, a committee of executives that determines HPHT's strategy. He previously was managing director of the Africa, Middle East, and Americas division of Hutchison Port Holdings and was employed by the HPH Group from 2003 to 2009 in various senior positions before joining Hysan Development, a company listed on the main board of the Stock Exchange of HK Ltd., as executive director and subsequently CEO. He also has held senior positions in general management, finance, and investment banking at major organizations in Hong Kong. Yim also is chairman of the Shipping & Port Operations Group of the Employers' Federation of Hong Kong and a member of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board.

Mr Yochai joined Zim in 2011 with a long record of senior managerial experience in shipping and logistics. Before his current position, Nissim Yochai served as ZIM's VP Corporate Customer Relations at ZIM head officea and VP Global Sales.

Before joining ZIM Mr Yochai served as Managing Director of Aviv Shigur Ltd, a courier services company, and General Manager of Fridenzon Air and Ocean LTD. Mr Yochai worked for DHL express in variety of commercial roles including Commercial Manager for South East Europe, and Europe Sales Performance Manager among others..

Mr Yochai holds a degree in Business and Economics from Bar Ilan University, and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.

Mr. Zhang Ye is the President of Shanghai Shipping Exchange and the delegate of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress for consecutive three terms. He graduated from Wuhan University of Technology and got the MBA degree of Shanghai Jiaotong University and PhD degree of Shanghai Maritime University.

He has many years of job experience as the senior executive of state-owned shipping enterprises and has abundant know-how and attainments in the sectors of shipbuilding, shipping finance, transactions, maritime information, etc.

Zhang is the guest professor of Dalian and Shanghai Maritime Universities, Deputy Director of Municipal Promotional Panel Office of Shanghai International Shipping Center, Member of Shanghai Arbitration Commission, Shanghai Conference Ambassador and the Consulting Expert of News Agency Consultants Committee of MOT. He was awarded the honor of Shanghai Municipal Leading Talent, Top 10 Finance Leaders in Shanghai and Top 10 Most Influential Shipping People in China. He was honored as the Top 100 Most Influential People of Shipping Sector by Lloyd's List consecutively in 2010-2013 and 2015.