Adegbite Joseph Adewumi is the Assistant General Manager, Planning and Monitoring, in the Corporate and Strategic Planning Division of the Nigerian Ports Authority, where he supervises and coordinates strategic planning, traffic and revenue modelling, management reporting, operational performance monitoring, and the tracking of programmes, policies, and capital projects to support management decision-making.

Prior to his current role, he served in a variety of functions across the Nigerian Ports Authority, including assignments in Corporate and Strategic Planning, Special Duties, Monitoring and Regulatory Services, Operations, and Tariff and Billing. He also served as Personal Assistant to the Executive Director Marine and Operations, Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, and Special Assistant to the General Manager, Eastern Ports. He joined the Authority in 1992 as a Commercial Officer.

Mr. Adewumi holds a degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He has also completed extensive professional training and certifications in port management, shipping, environmental protection, organizational transformation, corporate governance, public-private partnerships, and leadership development, including programmes delivered by the Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering (IHE Delft), the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, the World Maritime University, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Margaret Aidoo Quarcoopome is a maritime and port management professional with over 12 years of experience in corporate planning, strategic management and port development. She has built her career with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, where she has progressed through various roles within the Corporate Planning Department to her current position as Deputy Corporate Planning Manager. Her areas of responsibility and expertise include strategic planning, corporate performance management, benchmarking, tariff management, research, knowledge sharing and the adoption of international best practices across the Authority.

She has served in various capacities in GPHA’s sustainability and organisational development initiatives, contributing to various committees, strategic programmes and professional fora. She is passionate about environmental stewardship, organisational culture, continuous improvement and people development.

Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from studies in Ghana, as well as a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs from the World Maritime University. Her professional engagement with UN trade and Development (UNCTAD) spans several years and includes participation in the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Series in Ghana, contribution to an official UNCTAD publication through the development of a port management case study and participation as a speaker at the Port Management Week 2022. She also serves on the UNCTAD Local Steering Committee and is a certified instructor and facilitator for the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management program. She is also a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Captain Kevin G. Allen is the Principal Marine and Port Operations Advisor at Belfast Harbour, President of the International Harbour Master Association (IHMA), and a volunteer with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), where he currently serves as Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redbay.

Prior to his current roles, Captain Allen served for 20 years with Belfast Harbour, including 18 years as Harbour Master. Before moving ashore, he spent ten years as Senior Master on RoRo vessels operating across the Irish Sea and English Channel. He began his marine career at the age of sixteen and has accumulated almost 45 years of experience in the maritime industry.

Captain Allen’s professional experience spans marine operations, port management, harbour administration, and maritime safety.

• More than 30 years’ experience in Customs, trade and border management.
• Globally recognized expert on strategy development, trade facilitation, Trade Compliance AEO/MRA, Risk Management, Digital Trade, Trade Single Window and Trade Portals.
• Led and managed extensive transformation and strategic projects globally – specifically on Single Window and Digital Trade Corridor concepts.
• Outstanding capability to understand business strategies and translate them into IT strategies and Solutions.

He is the Chief of the Human Resources Development Section - TrainForTrade at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

With over 25 years of experience in international trade, he leads global programmes in port management, trade statistics, e-commerce and the digital economy. He is a strong advocate for digital innovation, capacity building, and SDG 17, and he champions sustainable, inclusive trade policies and international cooperation. He started his career in the United Nations as a Junior Professional Officer for Belgium in 1998 based in West Africa.

He holds a master’s in economics from the Free University of Brussels (Belgium).

Celine Bacrot is an Economist in the Trade Facilitation Section, Division of Technology and Logistics, in UNCTAD. She has more than 25 years of work experience with a focus on trade and economic development, regional integration and political economy. From 2003 until 2008, she worked in UNCTAD as focal point of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (IF) for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the formulation of trade development strategies. Afterwards, she spent more than 10 years based in East Africa working for several UN agencies (UN-Habitat and UNICEF) and set up a consultancy firm in Arusha, Tanzania, working on trade development projects, mainly regional integration, trade development strategies, and trade facilitation in the EAC region and Asia-Pacific. From 2014 until 2020, she was the regional coordinator for the UNCTAD Trade Facilitation project in East Africa. She is now based in Geneva and works as Officer in Charge of the Trade Facilitation Section in UNCTAD, working on trade facilitation, global supply chains and regional integration. She has a Master in Economics with a specialization in Economic Development as well as a Degree in Political Science, Development and Co-operation from the University of Paris-La Sorbonne.

Kelly Blakeley is a twice-elected Global Board Director of the Business Continuity Institute and an international resilience and crisis management specialist.

With more than 15 years’ experience across the UK and Middle East, Kelly has worked across government, critical infrastructure, businesses and multi-agency environments to strengthen preparedness, crisis leadership and organisational resilience. She has held leadership roles within two government institutions, leading national capability-building programmes focused on emergency preparedness and resilience. This experience informs her perspective on how organisational capabilities, cross-sector coordination and trusted relationships contribute to national resilience.

Her background in biomedical science and emergency response informs an approach that connects analytical thinking with the practical realities of managing disruption. Her experience spans strategic advisory, resilience frameworks and complex exercises, with a particular focus on coordination across organisational and sector boundaries. She also contributes to international standards development through ISO and BSI expert committees.

At the UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum, Kelly represents the BCI’s global, cross-sector perspective on best practice in business continuity and resilience. She brings insights into how organisations anticipate disruption, understand dependencies, sustain critical activities and adapt to changing conditions.

Based in the UAE, Kelly is also the Founder of Flex Story, a strategic resilience and crisis management consultancy supporting organisations through advisory, capability building and immersive crisis simulations.

Avelino Chimbulo is an economist witha master’s degree in African Developmentfrom the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a graduate of the Program for African Leadershipat LSE’s Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa.

He has over 14 years of experience in strategic planning, corporate strategy, and business development within the industrial and logistics sectors.

His professional experience encompasses the private oil sector, Sonangol Investimentos Industriais, and Unitel, where he held senior positions in project management and was responsible for developing strategic partnerships with private -sector organisations, governmentinstitutions, and multilateral entities.

Since July 2021, he has served as the Director of Strategy, Innovation, and Planning at ARCCLA; his responsibilities include acting as the Project Manager for the Lobito Corridor Master Plan.

Kailash Dhunnoo is currently serving as Senior Manager [Technical Services] at the Mauritius Ports Authority. With a keen focus on the energy transition and sustainable development of ports, Mr. Dhunnoo has been instrumental in driving initiatives towards greening ports in Mauritius, more specifically from a Small Island Developing States perspective.

Mr. Dhunnoo’s commitment to environmental sustainability has resulted in significant and tangible contributions to the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) and his active role in shaping the future of Port Louis Harbour towards becoming a Greenport.

Kailash Dhunnoo continues to advocate for innovative solutions that align with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote more sustainable practices in the port sector. He actively participates in the Technical Committees of the IAPH and also shares the experience of Mauritius on clean energy transition in ports & Green Port Initiatives in forums like the Blue Ports Initiative of the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the IMO CARES. He is currently spearheading UNCTAD Project on Sustainable Smart Port at Port Louis, including discussions on strategies and challenges for potential replication of the energy transition roadmap for ports in Africa and the Indian Ocean SIDS.

Mr. Dhunnoo holds a Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay), a Graduate Diploma in Maritime Management from the National University of Singapore and a MSc in Port Management & Shipping Administration from the University of Mauritius.

Khetsiwe Dlamini is the Senior Trade Policy Analyst in the International Trade Department, under the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade.

Ms Dlamini is part of the Secretariat that serves the National Trade Facilitation Committee in the Kingdom of Eswatini. She has been part of the coordination of the work on Trade Facilitation in Eswatini since the conclusion of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. She participated in the establishment of the National Trade Facilitation Committee by Government Gazette, managing the development of Eswatini Trade Information Portal. She has also seen the development of two Trade Facilitation Roadmaps the latest of which was developed with support from UNCTAD.

Ms Dlamini has represented Eswatini during the negotiations of the Agreement establishing the AfCFT and has represented the country in negotiations of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

Ms Dlamini holds a Masters in International Trade and Development obtained from the Adelaide University in Australia.

Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani serves as the UN Representative to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the highest-ranking UN official of the UN development system in Saudi Arabia. In his current role, Mr. Elzarkani leads the UN s strategic engagement with the Government of Saudi Arabia, the private sector, academia, and non-profit sector to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. He also coordinates the work of 28 UN agencies, funds and programs in Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Elzarkani has more than 18 years of experience in sustainable development, local economic development, international cooperation, research and innovation, labour market reforms, and migration environment and climate change, migration and development, human mobility management, policy development, and the coordination of operational activities for development by the UN system.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Elzarkani held senior roles in various countries in the region. He served as the UN Representative (interim) in the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 2020 until April 2022 and as the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where he was responsible for providing technical assistance to the Government of Bahrain. He technical cooperation programmes with the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Elzarkani also worked with the IOM in Egypt and Kuwait as the head of community stabilization and human development and labour mobility programmes. In addition, Mr. Elzarkani worked with UNDP in Egypt as the national coordinator of a Local Economic Development Programme.

Prior to working in the UN system, he worked with Nahdet El Mahrousa, an Egyptian nongovernmental organization focusing on promoting a culture of research and development for Egyptian youth.

Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani is a national of Egypt and holds Relations from Webster University in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is fluent in English and Arabic. Mohamed is married and has two children.

Patricia R. Francis is a global leader in international trade, investment and development, with more than three decades of experience working across government, the private sector and international organisations to strengthen competitiveness, connectivity and economic development. 

She is currently a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center’s Caribbean Initiative. Her current work focuses on strengthening Caribbean maritime, ports and trade connectivity. Earlier this year, she helped launch the US-Caribbean Maritime & Ports Forum 2026, bringing together policymakers, port and shipping leaders, financial institutions and regional experts to address maritime infrastructure, investment, technology and resilience. She has also supported regional analysis of the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Caribbean trade and supply chains. 

Patricia is also Chair of the Government of Jamaica’s Trade Facilitation Working Group overseeing implementation of WTO TFA Measures. She is also consulting with the World Bank to provide expert advisory support in the preparation of the Caribbean Regional Connectivity and Logistics Program (Caribbean RE-Connect), an initiative focused on strengthen connectivity, logistics, competitiveness and resilience across the Caribbean. 

Previously, Patricia served as Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, and prior to that was President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), leading Jamaica’s efforts to promote trade, investment and international business. 

Her international experience also includes heading the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment and serving as Special Adviser to the Executive Director of UN Women. 

Patricia brings a distinctive perspective on how trade, infrastructure, logistics, digitalisation and connectivity can strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of small and trade-dependent economies in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Dr Stéphane Graber has been Director General at FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations since 1 January 2020.

Prior to joining FIATA, Dr Graber was Secretary General at the Swiss Commodity Trading and Shipping Association and led the eGTSA as Chairman and Director General, a company that successfully developed a digital platform used by commodity trading companies and commodity trade-finance banks, which known today as Console.

He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standard Initiative and a founding member of the Future International Trade, which aims to raise awareness and accelerate the adoption of a standards-based electronic bills of lading across all sectors of the shipping industry. He also participates in Cargo IQ Board, an IATA interest group whose mission is to create and implement quality standards for the global air cargo industry.

Dr Graber previously worked for the Economic Department of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and was President of the Geneva Chapter of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) and a member of the SCCC’s national council.

Alongside his professional activities, Dr Graber also taught for 20 years at the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne on various Executive MBA programmes and was the Academic Director of the EMBA in Commodity Trading and Shipping.

In September 2021, Rebeca Grynspan was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), becoming the first woman to lead the organization in its 60-year history.

Rebeca Grynspan, an economist and former Vice President of Costa Rica, is an experienced leader of international institutions with a substantive track record in government, UN diplomacy, economic policy and multilateral cooperation at the global level.

Prior to joining the United Nations, she was Vice President of Costa Rica and held cabinet positions as Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs and Deputy Finance Minister.

Previously, she served as Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference (2014–2021), chairing regional summits of Heads of State and Government; United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. She was a member of the UN Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti, representing the UN Secretary-General.

At UNCTAD, Grynspan has been at the centre of critical negotiations to address global trade and development challenges. She played a decisive role in the successful Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered between the UN, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which enabled the safe export of over 32 million tons of grain, lowered global food prices by 22% and prevented millions from falling into food insecurity.  She also leads the UN Global Crisis Response Group on food, energy and finance, and has represented the UN in G20 summits.

Her leadership has been recognized widely. In 2024, she received the Doha Negotiator of the Year Award for spearheading UN efforts to restore Black Sea trade routes. In 2025, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation awarded her the inaugural Isabel Oyarzábal Women in Multilateralism International Prize for her contribution to multilateralism.

Ms. Grynspan holds degrees in economics from the University of Costa Rica and the University of Sussex, and honorary doctorates from several European universities.

Jan joined the World Bank Transport Global Department in January 2025, as Global Lead Maritime Transport and Ports. Responsibilities include the Container Port Performance Index, the Port Reform Toolkit, and support to World Bank in-country port and shipping projects.

From 2003 to 2024, Jan worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), since 2016 as Head of the Organization’s Trade Logistics Branch. He developed and led technical assistance programs in trade and transport facilitation, co-authored and coordinated the Review of Maritime Transport, and initiated the Maritime Country Profiles, the International Transport Costs Data Set, and the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index.

Previously, Jan spent six years with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago de Chile, and two years with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London and Santiago. Prior to this, he held part time positions as assistant professor, import-export agent, seafarer, translator, and consultant.

For eight years, he worked part time for the family tramp shipping business Hoffmann Shipping, based in Horneburg, Germany, with a tweendecker registered in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda.

Jan has studied in Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain, and holds a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Hamburg. He is member of the boards of various journals and professional associations, and from 2014 to 2018 was president of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). Dr Hoffmann has been to more than 140 countries and had his hair cut in 95. He has three sons and one wife.

James Hookham is Secretary General and a Director of the Global Shippers Forum (GSF), the voice of cargo owners in international supply chains. He is a graduate in Environmental Science from the University of Bradford and completed a master’s degree in the safe transport of dangerous goods at the University of Manchester. 

James early career was spent with Exis Technologies (now part of National Cargo Bureau) developing the world’s first remotely accessible computerised dangerous goods database and later served as deputy editor of Hazardous Cargo Bulletin.

Until 2020 James was Deputy Chief Executive of the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK) where he held numerous positions on UK, EU and global transport and logistics advisory bodies, as well as senior executive roles at one of the UK’s largest trade organisations.

Anna Larsson is the Vice President Communications at the World Shipping Council as of October 2020, responsible for WSC communications globally.

Prior to joining the World Shipping Council, Ms. Larsson served as Head of Corporate Communications, VP, for Wallenius Wilhelmsen ASA and has held several senior communication, marketing and sustainability roles for the company over the past decade. 

With over 25 years’ experience in international communication and sustainability, Ms Larsson holds a Master’s in Business and Marketing from Lund University and a post-graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Gothenburg. She has also certified as a “One Planet Leader” by WWF and IMD. Her professional background includes management positions within Corporate Communications at Akzo Nobel in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Marwan Naffi is the Chairman and General Manager of the Port of Beirut, leading a comprehensive modernization, transformation, and expansion agenda. His mandate focuses on restoring operational performance, strengthening governance, and enhancing the Port’s regional competitiveness.

With over 25 years of executive experience across the private sector in Lebanon, London, and the Gulf region, he has held leadership roles in business development, logistics, corporate structuring, and financial services. He brings extensive experience in organizational transformation and cross-sector strategic management.

At the Port of Beirut, he is driving a reform program aimed at rebuilding institutional capacity, modernizing operations, and upgrading infrastructure. He is also advancing medium- and long-term expansion priorities to reposition the Port as a leading logistics hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.

His work is centered on improving efficiency, transparency, and resilience, while reinforcing the Port’s role as a critical gateway for regional trade and economic recovery.

Graduated as a State Engineer in Geophysics, he also obtained a Master’s degree in Business Management.

Mr. Ould Mohammedi has built a rich career as an engineer and manager, holding various positions of responsibility within Sonatrach subsidiaries, the largest company in Algeria, before serving as CEO of a company in the hydraulics sector. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Réalisation et Grands Travaux holding for five years.

He also pursued a career as a senior civil servant, first within the Presidency of the Republic as Director, then as Inspector at the Ministry of Public Works, and finally as Director General at the Ministry of Industry.

Thanks to this extensive experience, he has become an expert in industrial strategies, industrial project management, logistics, and the leadership of multidisciplinary teams. As a business management and industrial strategy consultant, he was recently appointed Secretary General of the Trans-Saharan Road Liaison Committee.

Ms. Aishath Shimla is the Chief Learning & Development Officer at Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), where she leads initiatives focused on workforce development, institutional capacity building, and professional training.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Shimla served as a lecturer at the MPL Port Training Center from 2012, delivering port management modules and supporting the development of training programmes for both the port and corporate sectors. During her career with MPL, she has also overseen the development of two regional port projects and held a range of operational and administrative leadership positions, including responsibility for the Cargo Clearance Department. She began her career with Maldives Ports Limited in 2001 as an Assistant Secretary and progressed through multiple managerial roles over more than two decades of service.

Ms. Shimla holds an MSc in Maritime Affairs (Port Management) from the World Maritime University, as well as postgraduate degrees in Business Administration and Human Resource Management.

Since she joined UNCTAD in 2012, Arantzazu Sanchez has significantly contributed to enhancing National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs).

Passionate about innovation and driving change, she had had leading roles in key initiatives like the Empowerment Programme for NTFCs, the UNCTAD Reform Tracker, the UNCTAD Database for NTFCs, and the Trade Facilitation e-Learning Platform, having also a major hand in crafting its curriculum.

Her academic credentials include studies in Political Sciences across Spain and Germany, topped with a Postgraduate Master from the College of Europe in Belgium. A Spanish national, she fluently speaks English, French, German, and Portuguese.

Her prolific output includes a vast array of publications on NTFCs.

Marcelo Teper is the Director of the National Port Training Center (CENCAPOR) and serves as Argentina’s National Coordinator for the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Programme.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Teper held positions in Institutional Relations, Training, and Port Management at the Administración General de Puertos (AGP), where he has worked since 2010. Since 2022, as Director of CENCAPOR, he has been responsible for planning and coordinating port sector training programmes, national and international courses and seminars, institutional cooperation agreements, and initiatives related to port-city integration. He has also served as Argentina’s National Coordinator for the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Programme since 2016.

Mr. Teper is a graduate in Marketing from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE) and has completed additional training in advertising copywriting. He also holds specialized postgraduate qualifications as a Training of Trainers instructor for the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Programme.

Habib Turki is Secretary General of IRU, the world road transport organisation and the voice of more than 3.5 million transport operators. Since taking office in August 2026, he has led IRU’s global activities, working closely with its members to represent and support the road transport industry in advancing safe, efficient and green mobility and logistics.

Habib Turki brings more than two decades of international leadership experience across transport, trade, tourism and sustainable development. He began his career in project management, trade and customs roles at UNCTAD, UNDP and ITC.

He went on to serve as IRU’s Regional Adviser for the Middle East from 2015 to 2018, playing a key role in expanding the TIR system across the region. In 2019, he joined the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as Director of Tourism Services, later becoming its Chief Development Officer where he led strategic initiatives spanning tourism services, institutional development, public affairs and international partnerships.

Habib Turki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree of Research in Marketing from the University of Tunis El Manar, as well as a Master of Advanced Studies in International Relations and Policy from the Geneva Graduate Institute.

Born in Tunis, Habib Turki is a Tunisian and Swiss citizen. He is fluent in Arabic, English and French, and also speaks Italian and Spanish.

Jady Valladares Gudiel es Centroamericana, nacida en Honduras y Magíster en Integración Centroamericana y Desarrollo. Cuenta con más de 20 años de experiencia en facilitación del comercio, acceso a mercados y aranceles en la región centroamericana, y desde 2021 es la primera Directora de Facilitación del Comercio de la SIECA. Ha liderado, junto con los países de la región, la implementación de la Estrategia Centroamericana de Facilitación del Comercio y Competitividad, con Énfasis en Gestión Coordinada de Fronteras (ECFCC-2023-2030), y ha negociado diversos acuerdos comerciales internacionales. 

Desde su amplia experiencia, ha realizado aportes a la política pública regional en facilitación del comercio, transformación digital, armonización normativa, modernización aduanera, Gestión Coordinada de Fronteras, coordinación entre el sector público y privado e inclusión económica de género, así como en las relaciones con cooperantes y organismos intergubernamentales. 

Es docente universitaria y, en 2026, fue reconocida como una de las 50 Mujeres Poderosas por Forbes Centroamérica.

Frida Youssef has over 25 years of professional experience in trade, logistics, commodities, finance and sustainable development. Throughout her career, she has developed, led and managed research and technical assistance programmes supporting developing countries across a broad range of areas, including commodity supply chains and structured finance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), maritime transport and ports, trade, transit and transport corridors, as well as cross-cutting issues such as environmental sustainability, climate change, gender, resilience, finance and investment.

She is a co-author of UNCTAD’s annual Review of Maritime Transport and serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID), as well as the Steering Committee of the Port Chapter of the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals (WAPPP).

Frida holds an MBA from Boston University and an MA in International Affairs from the Hautes Études Internationales in Paris.

Zera Zheng leads Maersk’s Supply Chain Resilience & Consulting globally, helping organizations strengthen supply chains against disruption and uncertainty. With a background in political economy and certifications including AMBCI and CSCP, she combines resilience expertise with practical experience in strategy and implementation.

She has helped shape Maersk’s resilience capabilities, including co-developing the Supply Chain Resilience Model and leading the development of Maersk Risk Management (MRM), a digital tool that provides real-time risk visibility and actionable insights for supply chains.

Zera received the Business Continuity Institute Award in 2020 and the Women in Supply Chain Award in 2025. She has also contributed as an expert reviewer for UNCTAD’s Port Resilience Guidebook and regularly speaks at international forums on supply chain resilience, risk visibility, and future-ready logistics.