Efficient and competitive port management

Mr Ian Stewart is a results-driven Port Operations Executive with over 10 years of experience in process improvement and cost optimization, with a proven track record of increasing efficiency and productivity by 20%, while reducing operational costs by 15%. He has a passion for Technology Management and improving systems.

Ian has over 35 years of experience overseeing staff, budgets, Facilities and Port operations. Extremely knowledgeable of the analytics necessary to evaluate a Port's performance and the means to apply them to drive the Port forward and maximize profit, he is a strong leader, a skilled problem solver, environmentally focused and an innovative thinker.

Ms. Duncan is President of the Association of Executives of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan. Lawyer, Occupational Psychologist and Gender Engineering Expert of the regional UNESCO Chaire Office, Ms. Duncan is from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.

She has 30 years of professional experience in the port industry. She holds the position of Deputy Human Resources Director and is responsible for the development of human capital with the aim of maintaining the position of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan as a leading port in the West African sub-region.

The Autonomous Port of Abidjan joined the TrainForTrade Port Management Programme in 2014 and is entering its 6th promotion. Ms. Duncan is the Educational Manager and Permanent Secretary of the Programme's French-speaking network. She was recently elevated within the National Order of Merit for Labour for the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.

Jorge Durán has been Chief of the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) since 2013 and has served at the Organization of American States in several roles linked to development since 2003.

For over 30 years, Mr. Duran has assisted governments and private sector of the Americas designing and implementing development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Previously, Vice-President of International at the Latin American Institute of Educational Communication; Advisor in Science and Technology Policy for the Presidency of Mexico; Special Assistant to the Mexican Ambassador at the U.N.

Eranda Kotelawala was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Solomon Islands Ports Authority in February 2017. Prior to that, he was the COO of Fiji Ports Corporation Limited managing five major ports of entry into Fiji. Eranda brings 25 years of management experience predominantly in shipping and several other industry verticals from Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, South Africa, Sultanate of Oman, and Singapore.

He has consulted on Business Process Re-engineering Projects in major Port projects in the South Pacific, the Gulf Region and South Africa. Eranda holds a master's degree in management from Aberdeen Business School and further specialized in Business Process Re-Engineering and Franchise Business in Entrepreneurship.

He is a Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK, Fellow of Chartered Management Institute UK, Associate Fellow of The Nautical Institute UK, He is also a full member of Institute of Management Consultants Australia. Eranda is also the current IAPH (International Association of Ports and Harbors) Vice President for Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Dr Antonis Michail is Technical Director at the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) and coordinator of the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). As such, Dr Michail supervises the work of the IAPH Technical Committees on Climate and Energy, Risk and Resilience and Data Collaboration and oversees all initiatives under the WPSP umbrella.

Dr Michail is an engineer in background with 20 years of professional experience on port environmental and sustainability management. Before joining IAPH, Antonis worked for 8 years as Senior Policy Advisor on sustainability and safety matters at the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). Since 2003 and until 2017, Antonis has been involved in the EcoPorts network of ports from various posts, including managing projects and coordinating the network's activities and development.

Mr. Bismark Rosales Rojas is the General Manager of Port Jennefer located on the Paraguay-Paranà waterway of Bolivia.

He holds a Master’s in Port Management Planning and Intermodality from the Puertos del Estado-Universidad of Càdiz Spain. In 2020 Mr. Rojas was awarded an honorary doctorate in human rights from the UN Global Compact for his work with “Port Development on the Bolivia-Brazil Border.” Mr. Rojas carries with him maritime experience thanks to his time with the Bolivian Navy where he was recognized with silver and gold emblems (2014-2017).

Mr. Bismark Rosales has been a longstanding supporter of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Port Management Programme where he first began as a participant at the Training of Trainers workshops in Gijon and Valencia, Spain in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Today, he also provides instructor support to TrainForTrade’s Port Management Programme Spanish-speaking network assisting in teaching participants from Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Peru.

Mr. Francisco J. Trujillo Ramírez is currenlty Director of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. He has held different responsibilities in public and private companies in the economic and financial sector in Gran Canaria.

His professional career has been from Head of Administration and Financial Director in the private sector, Managing Director of the Economic Promotion Society of Gran Canaria, S.A. (2004-2008), Member of the Board of Directors of the Port Employment Center of Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Megaturbinas de Arinaga, to Head of the Economic and Financial Division of the Port Authority of Las Palmas (2008-2020).

He is a graduate in Business Management and Administration, Diploma in Economics and Business Sciences, has a Master in Business Taxation INESSE and a Master in Port Management and Planning and Intermodality.

Ricardo J Sanchez is Head of the Caribbean Research Institute and co-chair to the Kühne Professorial Chair in Logistics at the School of Management, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

Until 2022, he was Senior Economic Affairs Officer at United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Division of Trade, Integration and Infrastructure.

He has a PhD in Economics, and an internationally recognised expert in shipping and port economics, as well as in transport and infrastructure, with special focus on the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.

He has worked either professionally or academically in 30 out of the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean along 30 years, as well as in Europe and Asia.