Speakers

Christopher is a Transport Senior Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) based in Washington DC.

As a Transport Specialist covering the English-speaking Caribbean countries, he is responsible for the design and supervision of loan operations and technical cooperation financing to the Bank’s clients related to highway and urban and public transport, aviation and maritime transport. These operations typically include provision of infrastructure, policy formulation and instructional frameworks and strengthening with the aim of providing economical, efficient, reliable, safe, resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure and related services in these countries.

He is also involved in dialogue with the Governments on the various areas in which the Bank can support the countries transport sector.

He holds a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering; Master's in Maritime Civil Engineering; Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental and Energy Law and an Executive Certificate in Public Policy.

Willard Phillips is a specialist in applied and environmental economics, and agricultural economics, with more than 30 years' experience in economic and development issues related to Caribbean SIDS.

He has worked for national and international organizations in Central America and the Caribbean.  

Since 2004, he has served in the United Nations, firstly as a Programme Specialist, with UNDP, and subsequently with UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, where he now works as an Economic Affairs Officer.  

His current work involves research into issues related to sustainable transportation, energy, tourism, maritime issues, and disaster risk reduction.

Ramón Pichs-Madruga was elected one of the three IPCC Vice-Chairs at the 59th Session of the IPCC held in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2023. During the sixth assessment cycle he was Vice Chair of Working Group III.

He is Director at the Centre for World Economy Studies (CIEM) in Cuba since 2013, where he has been a researcher since 1986 and was Deputy Director from 1999-2013. He is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Havana since 2004. He has been an IPCC Bureau Member since 1997 and was a Co-Chair of Working Group III from 2008-2015. Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Research on Global Change (IAI) from 2007-2013 and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba for the period 2012 to 2018; re-elected for 2018-2024.

He has a degree in Foreign Trade Economics from the University of Havana, a Master in Social Sciences from the University of Lund, Sweden, and a doctorate in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Zhao Ping is the President of the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, a PhD research fellow.

Ms. Zhao has profound experience in research, funded by international organizations and governmental institutions. She has been involved in economic and trade research work for a long time, and has worked at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Ms. Zhao focuses on consumer economy, international trade, and E-commerce. She is the member of e-commerce Expert Advisory Committee of Ministry of Commerce, and the advisor of China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone and China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone. She is also the academic advisor for the "China E-commerce Report" published by the Ministry of Commerce every year.

Andres Pizarro is currently the Head of Transport for South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Prior to working at AIIB, Andres Pizarro was an academic; he ran the Urban Planning Department in the Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento in Argentina where he taught transport policy, urban economics, and spatial planning.

Prior to this, he was Lead Transportation Specialist at the World Bank and earlier he worked in a large consulting firm (EGIS).

Andres Pizarro has worked in all continents and in 40 countries in all transport sub-sectors in policy, planning and engineering.

Nigel's career spans the breadth of the global shipping industry, highlighted by key roles such as Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk Line in Copenhagen and CEO of Container Inland Services within the AP Moller-Maersk Group. He further distinguished himself as CEO of The Maersk Company Limited (UK) and Non-Executive Chairman of INTTRA. Nigel's leadership prowess extended to his tenure as Chief Commercial Officer at Inchcape Shipping Services.

Prior to his time with AP Moller-Maersk, Nigel played pivotal roles at P&O Nedlloyd and P&O Containers, including positions such as Corporate Finance Director and Managing Director of Southern Africa. With his wealth of experience, Nigel is an accomplished maritime authority, driving innovation and excellence throughout his career.

Sean Rafter, Managing Director of HELP Logistics AG, spearheads innovative research, education, and consultancy programs to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian logistics. With over 13 years in the field, he is dedicated to optimizing supply chains to aid crisis-affected communities worldwide.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Mechanical Engineering, blending his technical understanding with strategic management skills to tackle complex operational challenges across varied settings, including Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

Previously, Sean significantly contributed to Save the Children International as the Head of Logistics in Asia, where he led strategic logistics planning and implementation across 15 countries.

His tenure as Emergency Logistics Manager across 7 countries further demonstrated his capacity for enhancing logistical operations in challenging environments. Sean's strategic vision focuses on advancing humanitarian logistics, through innovation, transformation, and collaboration; reflecting his unwavering commitment to fostering meaningful change in humanitarian efforts globally.

Vivian Rambarath-Parasram is an accomplished Attorney at Law, serving as an Assistant Professor of Maritime Studies and holding the position of Director and Head of MTCC Caribbean. With over 25 years of experience, she has cultivated expertise in diverse areas of maritime governance and marine environmental protection. 

Vivian has spearheaded the development and execution of numerous academic programs aimed at enriching the local and regional maritime industry. Her teaching and research concentrate on the law of the sea, maritime law, policies concerning maritime decarbonization, and the blue economy. 

As a trailblazing member of Women in Maritime Caribbean, Vivian actively promotes gender diversity and inclusion in the maritime sector. 

She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of the West Indies and pursued specialized training in maritime law at the IMO International Maritime Law Institute in Malta, complemented by various postgraduate degrees.

Edna Ramirez-Robles has 20 years of experience as an international consultant in 58+ jurisdictions worldwide. Her expertise is on legal and political issues of international trade and investment. She is the CEO and Founder of GoBizGlobal. She has carried out Technical Assistance Projects financed by USAID, EU, WTO, ICO, IsDB, TradeMark South Africa; UEMOA, IDB, UNDP, CIPE and UNCTAD. She worked at Secretariats of international organizations such as UNCTAD, WTO, and IDB.

Furthermore, she is a Professor at the University of Guadalajara campus Puerto Vallarta (CUC) and she has lectured at American University and worked at Georgetown University and at the Graduate Institute of International Studies.

Edna Ramirez-Robles graduated as a lawyer from University of Guadalajara, Mexico. Her PhD/SJD and LLM from the Universidad Complutense from Madrid (Ortega y Gasset Institute) are on European Studies and specialized on International Trade Law. Moreover, she has authored more than 60 publications.

Milaika Capella Ras is a seasoned professional with 25 years of experience in the maritime industry. She currently works as General Manager of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA), in charge of managing the general affairs of the association, including the implementation of strategic initiatives for further development of the maritime sector in member territories. Previously, she served as Account Manager for the Curaçao Port Authority (CPA).

In addition to her executive career, Milaika served on several advisory boards and committees. She was a member of the Curaçao Airport Partners' Marketing & Promotion Committee, the Curaçao Tourist Board's Product Development and Marketing Team, and the Curaçao Tourist Board's Marketing Steering Committee, entrusted with the coordination of efforts to implement Curaçao's Tourism Masterplan.

Milaika served the Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Curinde N.V. (Curaçao Free zone). She chaired the Cruise Committee at CSA and was also on the CSA General Council.