Key speakers
Speakers (A-Z)
Sam Cho was elected to the Port Commission in 2019 and Commission President in 2023. He is the youngest and first person of color to become Commission President since the founding of the Port in 1911.
Additionally, Commissioner Cho is Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. He also held positions at the US Department of State as a Legislative Assistant and served as a political appointee under President Barack Obama. Prior to his election to the Port, Commissioner Cho was the founder and CEO of Seven Seas Export, an international trading company that exported throughout Asian-Pacific countries.
He earned his Master of Science in International Political Economy from The London School of Economics and his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from American University.
His priorities as a commissioner include creating economic opportunity; promoting environmental sustainability; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and ending human trafficking.
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Seokwoo Choi serves as the Director of the Port Demand Analysis Research Division at the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), a leading government-affiliated research organization under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Office of South Korea.
He earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in mathematical statistics with a focus on quantile regression and non- or semi-parametric statistics.
Since joining KMI, Mr. Choi has spearheaded a range of research initiatives centered on port policy and operations, port demand analysis, and the national blue economy. His work is pivotal in shaping strategies that enhance port efficiency and contribute to the broader economic framework.
Denis Choumert is chairing the global alliance of many shippers councils based in Asia, Europe and America, GSA, which is involved in various initiatives related to trade, maritime transport and decarbonization of freight.
He is Vice President of the European Shippers’ Council, the association representing European retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers, after having been its President for 10 years. He is President of the French Shippers' Council, AUTF, and in this capacity has been a Board member of various French infrastructure management organizations (rail, waterways, port) and of the merchant fleet high committee. He has also been a Director of the Board of TIACA, the global air cargo industry association.
Denis Choumert holds an engineering degree from Polytechnique School in Paris and a MBA from INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau.
Now retired he has held various senior management positions in engineering, project management, procurement, transport and logistics.
Johannah Christensen is Chief Executive Officer of the Global Maritime Forum.
The Global Maritime Forum is an international not-for-profit organization committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing. It brings together a broad spectrum of leaders from across the industry to find new solutions to the most important challenges facing the industry today and in the future. The Global Maritime Forum is a Founding Partner of the Getting to Zero Coalition.
Prior to establishing the Global Maritime Forum, Johannah has helped businesses to address global challenges in a variety of different roles at INDEX: Design to Improve Life, at leading Scandinavian think tank Monday Morning, at the World Economic Forum and as an independent advisor.
James Clarke serves as President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) which helps local businesses prosper and grow by facilitating a more enabling business environment in Barbados and the CARICOM Single Market. BCCI’s areas of focus include assisting members make linkages in new offshore markets, business resiliency and sustainability, climate change initiatives and projects, and cost of living issues.
James is an Executive Director and Electrical Power Systems Engineer with experience in engineering company operations.
His interests are Business Process improvement, Electrical Power Generation and Distribution, Power Quality, Power System efficiency and reliability, Maintenance and Repair Operations, Energy Efficiency, and Green Building Science.
James has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and a Bachelor of Engineering Science (Electrical) from Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
James is a Registered Professional Engineer in Barbados and a Certified Power Quality Professional.
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Dr. Harry T. Conway is the Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization. He was Vice Chair for five years before ascending to the chair's position in December 2022.
He chaired the 78th and 79th sessions of the MEPC in the absence of the Chair. It was under his leadership during MEPC 80 that the IMO 2023 GHG Strategy was unanimously adopted by Member States. He has also chaired several steering committees of the MEPC, including that for the Comprehensive Impact Assessment on States of IMO GHG Short-Term Measures and the IMO 4th Greenhouse Gas Study.
Dr. Conway has been part of the Liberia delegation to IMO meetings since 2006, and participates actively in all Working, Drafting, Correspondence and Intersessional Groups of the Committees and Subcommittees of the IMO. He is a member of the International Quality Assessment Review Body (IQARB).
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Santiago Cornejo has been the Executive Manager for PAHO's Regional Revolving Funds since 2022.
Before joining PAHO, he held several positions in the Gavi Alliance. At Gavi, he led the development of the COVAX Facility, Gavi's Co-financing, Transition, and Eligibility, the Transparency and Accountability policies, and Gavi's Middle-Income Countries Strategy. Santiago also served as Senior Portfolio Manager for Latin America and Lusophone countries and as acting Director for Country Grants and Renewals, overseeing Gavi's review process for country proposals, monitoring progress, and renewal of support.
Santiago has over 20 years of experience. He started his career in 1999 with PAHO and has held roles with WHO, the Vaccine Fund, and the World Bank in Washington, DC.
Roxana is a Peruvian lawyer specialized in international law. She collaborates with the UNCTAD Trade Facilitation Section since 2021, assisting countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia in the implementation of trade facilitation reforms and the empowerment of National Trade Facilitation Committees.
She holds an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree from Columbia Law School and an executive master’s degree in international law in armed conflict from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. She also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and has studied Political Science in the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).
She is fluent in English, French and Spanish.
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Shelly-Ann Cox is the appointed Chief Fisheries Officer of Barbados. She took up her role in January 2023 with a mission to improve the country's fishing industry and guide it to new heights.
Her role as Chief Fisheries Officer is extraordinarily dynamic and multifaceted. Her days often provide new experiences and require a balanced solution-oriented skillset.
However, she enjoys connecting with her stakeholders and is dedicated to breathing new life and advancements into the fisheries sector.
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Charles Bud Darr is the Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, MSC Group.
An experienced global maritime leader in the areas of policy, government, and related law, Bud Darr is Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs of MSC Group which operates in 155 countries.
Having served in the US Navy, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard, as well as being an accomplished ocean yacht racer, Bud’s longstanding connection with the sea and ships is both personal and professional. Bud began his education in Submarine Nuclear Engineering and later obtained his formal undergraduate education at the US Merchant Marine Academy, where he was trained as a Deck Officer. During his service with the US Coast Guard, he studied law at the George Washington University Law School. He most recently led the Maritime Policy efforts of the Cruise Lines International Association prior to joining the MSC Group in 2017.
Today, Bud is engaged across MSC’s Cargo and Passenger divisions, developing the company’s central Government Affairs function, based at the Group’s headquarters in Geneva. He is closely involved in MSC’s response to developments in environmental public policy and regulation and other industry wide issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, maritime security, safety at sea, and international shipping policy.
He serves on the Boards for the UK Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners’ Council, and Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel.