Top-Level Speakers Announced For The ESW 2020 Flagship Conference

European Shipping Week 2020 (ESW2020) is pleased to announce its line-up of high-level industry speakers for its flagship conference to be held at The Hotel in Brussels, on Thursday 20th February 2020.

Moderated by Carla Olival, President WISTA Portugal, the flagship conference will attract up to 400 top industry ship owners and Brussels-based regulators who will hear from industry specialists on key issues under the overarching theme of: Shipping: Europe’s strategic partner for sustainability, jobs and growth in uncertain times.

The Conference delegates will be welcomed by the Chairman of the ESW2020 Steering Group and ECSA Secretary General, Martin Dorsman, who will then hand over to Carla who will introduce Adina Vălean, EU Commissioner for Transport, to deliver the first institutional keynote. Additional keynote speeches will be delivered by Josip Bilaver, State Secretary, Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Croatia; and Claes Berglund, President of ECSA.

Delegates attending the conference will then be able to listen to important keynote speeches given by Norbert Brackman, Maritime Coordinator at the German Federal Government; and Henrik Hololei, from DG MOVE in the European Commission among others.

The ESW2020 Shipping and the Environment session will include addresses by Ioannis Plakiotakis, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Greece; Annaleena Mäkilä, Managing Director of the Finnish Port Association and Vice Chair of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO); and William Todts, Executive Director of the leading NGO Transport & Environment (T&E). Guilhem Isaac Georges, Sustainability Director at CMA CGM; Emanuele Grimaldi from the Grimaldi Group; Lasse Kristoffersen, NSA Chairman & ICS Vice President; as well as Bud Darr, Executive Vice President – MSC Group will also speak.

Following a networking lunch, the next session on Trade and Competitiveness will be debated by panellists Natasa Pilides, Shipping Deputy Minister, Cyprus; Annika Hult, Trade Director North Sea at Stena Line; Charo Coll, General Manager Offshore and Salvage at Boluda Corporación Marítima; Jan Hoffmann, Chief of UNCTAD’s Trade Facilitation Section; and also John Lyras, President of Paralos Maritime Corporation S.A, Board Member of ECSA.

Another topic to be discussed during the Flagship Conference is Safe and Social Shipping which will generate a lively debate as Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) and CEO of Tototheo Maritime; Agnes Jongerius, Member of the European Parliament, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats, Coordinator of the Committee on Employment & Social Affairs (EMPL); and also Margareta Jensen Dickson, Group Head of People at Stena A/B discuss issues with Pierre Jean Coulon, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society; and Livia Spera, Secretary General of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF).

The headline ESW2020 Gala Dinner, taking place on the evening of the 20th February, will provide an ideal opportunity for additional high-level networking. Both the Flagship Conference and the Gala Dinner will bring together major players in the shipping industry with the primary aim of promoting the strengths, and the importance, of European shipping to legislators in Brussels, such as the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council.
Source: ECSA

More information about the European Shipping Week here