Speakers

Kjersti Aass works for the UN Global Compact and leads the Maritime Just Transition Task Force, an initiative started by the International Chamber of Shipping, International Transport Workers' Federation, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and UN Global Compact to ensure that shipping's response to the climate emergency puts seafarers at the heart of the solution.

In addition to her work with the UN Global Compact, she serves as Sustainability Development Director at Yara International. This large industrial and crop nutrition company is committed to driving a green transition in agriculture and shipping through clean ammonia production.

Kjersti also serves on the board of Höegh Autoliners, a global shipping company in the RoRo segment. Kjersti's previous roles include working with Doctors without Borders in Ethiopia and Afghanistan, and with the Red Cross in Nepal. She's on the emergency response unit roster of the Norwegian Red Cross.

Ramatu Abdulkadir holds a Ph.D. in Transport Logistics from Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. Before joining the Kühne Foundation, Ms. Abdulkadir made significant contributions to healthcare supply chain transformations in Nigeria, in collaboration with governments, donors, and private sector partners.

She led the transformation of the Kaduna State health supply chain systems, serving over 10 million people to save lives. She is recognised for her contribution to logistics and supply chain management as a policy analyst, development strategist, circular economy champion, and subject matter expert.

Ms. Abdulkadir is committed to assisting organisations and policymakers in resolving intricate supply chain problems by leveraging her knowledge and experience in creating impactful and sustainable solutions. Her collaborative and result-driven approach has made her a trusted partner in addressing the dynamic landscape of supply chain capacity development. She has been engaged in teaching and supply chain capacity building both locally and internationally.

Dr Raïssa is an economist specialized on Transport matters on the African continent. She graduated from the University of Lille in France with a PhD in Industrial Economics focusing on transport policy issues and regional integration. With over a decade of experience, she has provided a number of advisory and technical assistance to the African Union member states with projects supported by reputable institutions such as UNECA, AfDB, AFD, GIZ, ITF and the EU to support Africa's economic development planning and transformation agenda. Since 2017, she is currently working as a Senior Policy Officer in charge of maritime issues at the African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Noura Al Dhaheri, CEO of the Digital Cluster and Maqta Gateway at AD Ports Group, is a pioneering force in global trade digitalization.

With a vision to simplify trade through Abu Dhabi, she spearheads groundbreaking digital solutions that revolutionize transport and logistics worldwide.

Joining AD Ports Group in 2014, her foresight laid a scalable digital foundation, driving international expansion across 42 countries. Under her leadership, the Digital Cluster drives transformative initiatives, including Abu Dhabi's Advanced Trade and Logistics Platform.

Noura's achievements, recognized with numerous awards, underscore her impact, from Entrepreneur of the Year to Arab Woman in Technology.

A trailblazer, she holds patents and advocates for societal, environmental, and educational progress.

With a PhD in Multidisciplinary Engineering, she empowers women in digital sectors and cultivates talent for the future through initiatives like ATLG. Noura redefines trade and supply chains, pushing boundaries globally.

Abdullah AlMunif is the Vice President of Commercial Business at Saudi Ports Authority -MAWANI-, bringing over twenty years of profound experience in the maritime and ports sector, with a focus on shipping and terminal and logistics operations. His impressive tenure at MAWANI is marked by significant achievements, showcasing his relentless dedication and superior leadership skills in the maritime and ports sector.

Before joining MAWANI, Abdullah spent fifteen years at Maersk, a worldwide leader in shipping services. At Maersk, he rose to become the Head of Operations for an essential group of countries, including KSA, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq. This role demonstrated his outstanding leadership capabilities and operational expertise.

Abdullah's deep knowledge and strategic perspective on the maritime sector establish him as a key influencer in the evolution of port and shipping operations.

The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P., became Barbados' eighth and first female Prime Minister on 25 May 2018.

Ms. Mottley was elected to the Parliament of Barbados in September 1994 as part of the new Barbados Labour Party Government.

Prior to that, she served as one of two Opposition Senators between 1991 and 1994. One of the youngest persons ever to be assigned a ministerial portfolio, Ms. Mottley was appointed Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture from 1994 to 2001.

She later served as Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados from 2001 to 2008 and was the first female to hold that position.

Ms. Mottley is an Attorney-at-law with a degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in advocacy. She is also a Barrister of the Bar of England and Wales.

In 2002, she became a member of the Local Privy Council. She was also admitted to the Inner Bar, becoming the youngest ever Queens Counsel in Barbados.

Alina Monica Antoci, Senior Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank Group's Trade, Investment, and Competitiveness Global Practice since 2004, led the "Logistics Performance Indicators" project for the "Connecting to Compete - Trade logistics in the global economy" reports.

She authored the "Trade and Transport Facilitation Assessment - A Practical Guide for Country Implementation" and contributed to publications like the World Economic Forum's Global Enabling Trade Report and the World Bank Group "Border Management Modernization."

Currently, she co-leads a book on trade facilitation trends, contributes to high-level policy dialogues, and leads operational implementation of projects in Trade Facilitation, Border Management, and Customs Modernization across 70 countries.

Previously at Harvard, the European Commission, and the Romanian Ministry of Finance, she holds a Master's in Mathematics and Information Technology, a Certificate in International Tax Policy and Administration from Harvard Law School, and a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Patrick Antoine serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director of the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) Secretariat, mobilizing private sector participation in CARICOM.

Patrick Antoine is a respected Caribbean Intellectual and Region Thinker with vast experience in both public and private sectors. As an economist, he has over 30 years of experience across the Caribbean, North America, Latin America and Africa. He has consulted multinational corporations and governments in the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America on trade, investment, and macro-policy issues.

His extensive roles include serving as Ambassador to various organizations and countries, including the WTO and CARICOM. Dr. Antoine has also been a Special Advisor to the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). He is a director on regional boards and has lectured at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, and authored numerous papers on macroeconomic subjects.

Naa Densua Aryeetey is currently the Chair of the Trade and Gender Subcommittee, of Ghana’s National Trade Facilitation Committee. She is the Vice President (Maritime) of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Global Advisor of the Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT).

She is a trained Professional in Trade Facilitation, Trade and Gender, and Trade, Investment, and Climate Change. She holds a Master of Science degree in Maritime Affairs from the World Maritime University, Malmo, Sweden, and other professional qualifications.

Naa Densua, worked with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority for almost 30 years dealing with the large, medium, and small-scale importers and exporters to bring solutions to their shipment challenges. She is the founder of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Ghana, and a former Director of WISTA International.

Regina Asariotis is Chief of the Policy and Legislation Section in the Division on Technology and Logistics of UNCTAD, where she is responsible for work on transport law and policy, covering a broad range of substantive issues. This includes extensive research, expert dialogue and technical cooperation, on the implications of climate change for maritime transport and trade, with a focus on climate change impacts and adaptation for seaports and other critical transport infrastructure, including in SIDS. Before joining UNCTAD in 2001, Regina was a Senior Lecturer in Maritime Law at the University of Southampton. She holds a German law degree, an LL.M, as well as a PhD from the University of Hamburg and is a Barrister (England & Wales) and Attorney at Law (Greece), as well as Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).