Argus Sustainable Marine Fuels Conference

Kathryn Benz is the Senior Policy Manager for the Aspen Institute Shipping Decarbonization Initiative where she works with policy makers, businesses, non-profit partners, and external experts to build coalitions and develop policy strategies to accelerate decarbonization of maritime shipping in the United States and internationally. Kathryn has extensive policy experience working in and outside the federal government and has contributed to a wide array of environmental and natural resource policy issues, including maritime issues. Kathryn received a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Read less

Steve has over 40 years’ experience of the oil and gas and chemicals industries. He has been involved in exploration, industrial gases, low-carbon project development, hazardous waste and industrial services, green and blue hydrogen, green and blue ammonia, and carbon capture and sequestration. His recent assignments include managing the $2bn Jazan air separation project in Saudi Arabia. He also helped develop the Helios green ammonia project at Saudi Arabia’s Neom site and was involved in establishing a global supply chain to transport the ammonia to global demand centres, where hydrogen can be extracted for use as a transport fuel. Steve has held senior positions at BOC, Messer, Gulf Cryo, Shell Oil Products, Schlumberger and Romic Environmental Technologies, and has worked all over the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He holds a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of Salford, an MSc in power systems from the University of Manchester and an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management. He is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a chartered engineer in the UK. Read less

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Sean T. Pribyl is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Pribyl's practice focuses on maritime regulatory compliance matters, international law and trade, marine claims, autonomous transportation, civil litigation and dispute resolution, and white collar criminal law. Mr. Pribyl combines a common sense legal approach with an emphasis on personal relationships with his clients, and brings to bear a significant background with more than 25 years of combined experience as a federal regulator, international maritime and trade attorney, U.S. Coast Guard officer and attorney (JAG), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Special U.S. Attorney, merchant mariner deck officer and international protection and indemnity (P&I) club lawyer. With a focus on results, Mr. Pribyl combines the analytical with the practical to offer sound and timely advice on complex compliance matters so that clients can make informed decisions – to avoid potential issues. Mr. Pribyl has also forged a reputation as being an industry thought leader on developing areas of risk and innovation on the horizon to help clients stay "ahead of the game." Mr. Pribyl has significant experience in working with clients in regulatory, litigation and compliance matters involving maritime and international trade. He leverages his operator and regulator background to help clients navigate complex and shifting regulatory compliance and enforcement landscapes involving the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Military Sealift Command (MSC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others. Read less

Louise joined the Europe New Energy Team in 2022 as a business development manager and enjoys speaking to customers about their evolving needs as the energy transition gathers pace. She has been with Woodside for eight years based in their London office and during this time has primarily worked as a geologist and exploration manager on projects on three continents: Africa, Europe and Latin America. Prior to working for Woodside she worked in exploration and development with Tullow Oil, Hunt Oil and Shell Exploration on various projects worldwide. Louise is currently studying part-time for a Master of Science in Renewable Energy Development with Heriot Watt university in Scotland. Read less

Caitlyn E. Stewart serves as Vice President – Regulatory Affairs of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry’s advocate, resource, and united voice for safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation on America’s waterways, oceans, and coasts. In that role, she promotes the industry with the Administration and federal agencies to ensure its recognition as an essential sector of the domestic supply chain and the American economy, and advocates for sound regulatory policies that enable AWO members to succeed in a changing environment. Ms. Stewart joined AWO in May 2010 as Government Affairs Assistant, and served as Government Affairs Associate, Government Affairs Manager, Senior Manager – Regulatory Affairs, Director – Regulatory Affairs, and Senior Director – Regulatory Affairs before assuming her current position in January 2021. Ms. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Ms. Stewart now resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, Jon. Read less

Santiago Yanez is a highly experienced professional in the maritime industry with nearly 9 years of working at AET both in Houston and Singapore. Throughout his career, Santiago has played a vital role in developing new business opportunities for AET including growing its Dynamic Positioning Shuttle Tanker Fleet, expanding the lightering business in the United States, Brazil, and Uruguay, as well as engaging in various traditional tanker shipping activities. His expertise extends beyond AET, as he also contributed to the development of the Latin American refined products trading business while working at Castleton Commodities International. Santiago holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. With his deep passion for sustainable shipping practices, he has also been involved in the development and implementation of AET’s long-term sustainability vision, mission, policies, and guidelines. Read less

Lieutenant Commander J.J. League is currently a National Technical Advisor at the LNG NCOE. LCDR League has served in a number of marine safety roles, most recently as the MSD St. Thomas Supervisor in the US Virgin Islands, prior to that he served as a staff attorney at the Pacifica Area Command, Senior Marine Inspector & Marine Investigator at Activities Europe in the Netherlands; Supervisor of the Resident Inspections Office St. Croix, USVI; and Marine Inspector at Sector New Orleans. Prior to the Coast Guard, Lieutenant Commander League sailed as a commercial mariner for 10 years in the oil and gas industry and served with the Naval Reserve. Lieutenant Commander League graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in Eugene, Oregon with a Juris Doctorate in May, 2017, a Master’s of Science from the National Graduate School in May, 2009, and his a Bachelors in Marine Science and a USCG Third Mates, Unlimited Tonnage License from Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston in 1994. Lieutenant Commander League holds a USCG Masters Unlimited, Oceans license and is licensed to practice law in Oregon. His individual military awards include the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal. Relevant Designations/Qualifications: Advance Journeyman Marine Inspector, Hull, OSV, Drydock, T-Boat, and Barge Inspector, Foreign Gas Carrier, Foreign Chemical Tanker, Foreign Tank Vessel, Port State Control Examiner, and Marine Casualty Investigator. Read less

Jon Scharingson is the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives for Chevron Renewable Energy Group. Chevron REG is one of the nation’s leading producer and marketers of biodiesel selling 621 million gallons of biodiesel, renewable diesel and blends in 2021. As Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives Scharingson oversees the company’s sales business development activities and is responsible for collaborations and strategic alliances in new market segments. Prior to joining REG, Mr. Scharingson spent 17 years in the seeds, crop protection and the agriculture biotechnology industries, having worked for Imperial Chemical Industries, AstraZeneca and Syngenta. He held several senior management roles in business strategy, business development and marketing. Mr. Scharingson has a BBA in Management and an MBA in Marketing from Iowa State University. Read less

Emily brings over 10 years of experience in investment banking and project development in the energy sector across the power generation, petrochemicals and synthetic fuels sectors. Emily is responsible for leading the strategy, development, and execution for Ambient Fuels’ western region. Before joining Ambient Fuels, Emily was a Director of Business Development at Proman, a global, vertically integrated petrochemical and energy company. While at Proman, she led the development of an 80 MW electrolyzer project in Canada and a 200,000 MTPA bio-methanol project in Texas, including the waste-to-methanol and electrolyzer components. In addition, Emily’s role included greenfield development of natural gas-derived petrochemical projects, corporate strategy and project financing. Prior to Proman, Emily held roles in investment banking at Barclays, J.P. Morgan and Merit Capital Advisors, where she worked on municipal financings for public power utilities and M&A transactions for power generation assets. Emily holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics (concentration in Finance) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she competed on the Women’s Varsity Tennis team. Read less

Ryann Child (she/her) is responsible for designing and implementing clean air and climate action programs to reduce air and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Port of Seattle’s maritime operations. Ryann is the project manager for the Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor Project, a partnership of ports, cruise lines, and nongovernmental organizations exploring the feasibility of zero-GHG emission cruising to Alaska. Ryann also developed the Port’s first ever Maritime Climate and Air Action Plan. Prior to joining Port of Seattle in 2020, she worked in environmental consulting and holds a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. Outside of work, Ryann enjoys running, biking, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. Read less

Dr. Joseph Stark has 24 years of experience in the specialty chemicals industry supporting both upstream and downstream areas of the oil and gas markets. He obtained a Bachelor’s in chemistry from The Ohio State University and a PhD from Kansas State University. He has worked for Shell Chemical, Baker Hughes and Nalco Champion before having the opportunity to join Innospec Fuel Specialties. Joseph has focused on developing products and processes to mitigate H₂S and mercaptans in hydrocarbons and products for reducing fouling in hydrocarbons due to thermal degradation, asphaltene destabilization, or paraffin deposition. Over the past few years, Joseph has been applying this experience to develop products specifically for bunker fuels. He has had the opportunity to oversee multiple talented teams supporting oilfield, refinery and finished fuel market areas. Joseph has 26 patents and over 30 publications and presentations. Read less

Ilyas is Head of Green Fuels Team at Hapag Lloyd with the responsibility to develop the supply of green fuels. Ilyas has Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and brings 16 years of technical and commercial experience in green fuels and energy projects. Read less

Ben Parrish is the Project Manager for Kirby’s ESG initiatives across its marine businesses. Mr. Parrish is responsible for developing and managing decarbonization projects between Kirby and its customers and suppliers along with research and analysis of emerging markets and technologies in the energy transition space. Prior to his current responsibilities, Mr. Parrish managed the repair department for Kirby’s shipyard, San Jac Marine from 2017. His career took its start aboard inland towing vessels where he earned his USCG, Masters, Inland Towing license before transitioning to shoreside operations management. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech University. Read less

Samuel Norton was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of OSG in December 2016. Prior to this appointment, he served as Senior Vice President and President and Chief Executive Officer of OSG's U.S. Flag Strategic Business Unit from July 2016. Mr. Norton served as a non-executive Director on OSG's Board from 2014 to July 2016. In 2006 Mr. Norton co-founded SeaChange Maritime, LLC, an owner and operator of container ships, and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Norton previously spent 17 years as a senior executive officer at Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. In 1995, Mr. Norton initiated and led the entry of the Sammy Ofer Group into the container segment and acquired and operated the first container vessels in the group's fleet. While at Tanker Pacific, Mr. Norton also conceived and started a related business, Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals, which owns and operates a fleet of floating, offshore oil storage terminals. Prior to joining the Ofer group, Mr. Norton played a lead role in the Asian distressed assets group of the First National Bank of Boston, a position which acquainted him with the shipping industry and the Ofer family. Mr. Norton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Dartmouth College. Read less

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Ian Metzger is a market analyst at Braemar, a leading international shipbroker and provider of expert investment, chartering, and risk management advice to the shipping and energy markets. Ian’s work focuses on the energy transition, analysing trends and advising Braemar’s clients on the emerging challenges facing the industry. With Braemar operating across all major shipping markets, as well as energy derivates, corporate finance, and carbon markets, Ian brings a unique view of how the industry is facing up to decarbonisation. Read less

Ole Jacob joined Corvus Energy in May 2022 and is currently in the position of EVP Customer Facing Business Unit. In this role, he is globally responsible for all sales, marketing, aftermarket, and customer engagement strategies for Corvus. Previously, Ole Jacob served more than 25 years in the Marine Industries working in various positions for major OEMs such as Ulstein, Rolls-Royce and ABB. His last role before joining Corvus was global responsibility for the ABB Azipod product line, the market leader in electrical podded propulsion systems. Ole Jacob has a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is presently based in Houston, Texas and is a dual Norwegian and American citizen Read less

Jakob Krummenacher, VP of Clean Energy at LSB Industries, leads the clean energy strategy, which includes driving initiatives to lower the company carbon footprint, improving environmental sustainability, and developing markets for future low carbon products, like using ammonia as a fuel in marine applications and power generation. Mr. Krummenacher has over 17 years of experience in the energy and chemical industry, most recently with CF Industries where he was an integral part of the Clean Energy Solutions team. He began his career with BP, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility in the chemicals, oil trading, and energy trading businesses. Mr. Krummenacher has ample knowledge of commodity markets, energy trading, corporate development, technology, and strategy. Mr. Krummenacher holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Read less

Maciek Lukawski leads commercialization of Amogy’s ammonia-to-power technology across the maritime, power generation, and heavy-duty transportation sectors, accelerating the global journey to Net Zero. Maciek holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a M.S. in Renewable Energy Systems from the University of Iceland. Prior to joining Amogy, Maciek worked at ExxonMobil in technical and commercial roles ranging from M&A to ammonia, hydrogen, and LNG. Read less

Mr. Littauer is President of Puget LNG and is responsible for all business development activities for the company. Located in the Port of Tacoma, WA, Puget LNG is the first LNG bunkering terminal on the west coast of North America. Prior to Puget LNG, Mr. Littauer was the Director of Sales and Marketing for Clean Energy and was responsible for developing natural gas fueling partnerships with over the road transportation fleets as well as policy development and government relations to promote natural gas as a transportation fuel in the United States. Read less

Hugh Eden is a Senior Vice President within the Maritime Group at Jefferies Mr. Eden has nearly 15 years experience in investment banking and asset management, including over 12 years focused within the maritime, oil & gas, and intermodal sectors Prior to joining Jefferies, Mr. Eden was Vice President at DVB Bank SE (DZ Bank) and Senior Associate at Clarksons Platou Securities Before entering the maritime and energy sectors, Mr. Eden spent over two years as Associate at Houston-based investment firm Salient Partners LP Mr. Eden holds a BA in English from Davidson College Read less

Mr. Chernyshov is a co-founder of Arkview Capital. Prior to Arkview, Mr. Chernyshov was a Managing Director and Investment Committee member at Ziff Brothers Investments, a prominent NY-based family office. At Ziff, Mr. Chernyshov was responsible for the private equity portfolio. Before his tenure at ZBI, Mr. Chernyshov worked at a private equity fund, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co., focusing on the technology and retail sectors. He successfully completed multiple transactions during his time at KKR. Mr. Chernyshov started his career in finance at the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley, where he was involved in several public listings, acquisitions, restructuring, and financing transactions across various industry segments. He holds a BA in Computer Science and Economics from Amherst College and was recognized as an Osathanugrah Scholar, as well as awarded the James R. Nelson Prize in Economics. Read less

Kevin Martel is the General Manager for Wilhelmsen Ship Management based in Houston. Kevin is responsible for the Ship Management of the fleet based in Houston. Wilhelmsen is among the top ten ship managers in the world and exists as one of the many arms of Wilhelmsen. Wilhelmsen Ship Management specializes in LNG, LPG, Container, Bulk, Cruise, Ro/Ro, Oil and offshore sectors. Wilhelmsen heritage runs deep in the value chain to deliver quality and transparency to our customers, which is the hallmark of our success. Prior to Wilhelmsen, Kevin has worked as a Fleet Director for ship owners, primarily working in the US Flag fleet. Kevin has also held roles as a Port Engineer and Senior Surveyor for class. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan. Read less

Kasra Makvandi is Senior Business Development Manager in Energy Markets team in A.P. Moller – Maersk. In this role, he is part of the team responsible for sourcing and securing zero- and low-carbon fuels for A.P. Moller – Maersk fleet. Kasra joined A.P. Moller – Maersk in 2018 and prior to his current position, he was most recently Energy Category Manager for APM Terminals, part of A.P. Moller – Maersk group, where he was responsible for energy category across APM Terminals portfolio globally. Kasra holds an MBA from Copenhagen Business School and M.Sc. in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology. Read less

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William Boatwright is the Senior Commercial Manager for Climate Solutions at NORDEN. He has been with NORDEN for over 10 years in both operational and chartering roles. His focus over the past few years has been for long term project development and helping clients understand new and upcoming climate regulations and reduce their emission intensity. William holds a bachelor of science in Marine Transportation from the State University of New York Maritime college. Read less

Mr. Arguin brings over 30 years of experience in industrial process/product development, new technology commercialisation, engineering and operational management experience. He led over 20 plant start-ups across the globe in a wide range of industries from oil & gas refining, petrochemicals, biofuels, process minerals and metallurgy. Mr. Arguin held several management roles in Canada, USA and Europe with increasing responsibility, including Gulf Canada, Union Carbide, Kemtec (now Parachem), Minerals Technologies, Technologies Orbite and CelluForce. Mr. Arguin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering as well as an Executive MBA from Western University in London, Ontario. Read less

Michael is the Vice President, Global Fuel Sourcing for Carnival Corporation. He has a diverse set of experiences in the petroleum and shipping industries that spans over 30 years and covers all aspects of finance, production, processing, transporting, selling, buying and testing petroleum products. Prior to joining Carnival Corporation & PLC, he served Managing Director & President, Americas for Veritas Petroleum Services B.V. where he oversaw all aspects of Sales, Marketing, and Operations for North America and South America Prior to joining Veritas Petroleum Services, he was responsible for coordinating global strategies for all aspects of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines fuel exposure and energy expense across all of the corporation’s operations, including fuel procurement, emission abatement, fuel/emission regulation, fuel hedging, and energy efficiency programs. Michael holds an MBA in international business and finance from Oklahoma City University, and has completed the Executive Management Program at Wharton School of Business Read less

Rich Byrnes is the Chief Infrastructure Officer for the Port of Houston Authority with responsibility to steward over $2B in physical assets, and a multi-functional organization tasked with a dual value proposition of supporting public transportation and trade needs of the region, and enabling an efficient and effective base for Port operations. The Port of Houston Authority Infrastructure team’s areas of responsibility include facilities and master planning, strategic asset management, the non-federal role in Ship Channel Management, road and rail freight mobility, and environment. Rich’s career experience spans engineering, operations and consulting across shipbuilding, ports, manufacturing and oil & gas industries, and working with Fortune 100 corporations, StateOwned Enterprises and governments on every continent. He began his career managing supply chain and wintering over at the South Pole, Antarctica, and then as an oil field engineer in the Middle East. Subsequently, he has consulted to ports and shipping companies in the East, West and Gulf Coasts, Latin America and Australia; he worked with upstream, downstream and petrochemicals clients in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Middle East, and held executive positions at two global oilfield corporations. He has also been a Clinical Professor of Leadership at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School. Read less

Mr. Josh Messner is a technology manager with the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and holds a Project Management Professional certification. Working out of the Golden Field Office located in Golden, CO, Josh is responsible for a number of projects within BETO’s Systems Development & Integration (formerly the Advanced Development & Optimization) Program. He focuses primarily on strategies for scaling-up and reducing risks for biofuels and bioproducts. Josh is active in BETO’s efforts in biofuels for marine use, national laboratories process development units, and the utilization of high performance computing strategies to reduce scale-up risk. Prior to working at DOE, Josh received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with an interdisciplinary study in biotechnology from Colorado State University. Read less

Yuanrong Zhou is a Researcher on Fuels program at the International Council on Clean Transportation. Her work focuses on techno-economic performance and life-cycle carbon intensity of alternative fuel pathways. Yuanrong holds an M.A. in Climate and Society from Columbia University and a B.S. in Environmental Biology from the University of Toronto. Read less

Dean Mihalic is the CEO of FOWE. He has over 23 years of technical experience working with leading shipping companies in the marine sector. Based in Monaco, Dean has degrees in Mechanical and Marine Engineering from University of Rijeka and he holds a Marine Chief Engineer license. Read less

Matt Jackson is the Vice President of Business Development Crowley Advance Energy leading Crowley’s energy strategy and growth sectors. Some of these sectors include distribution, marine bunkering, renewable energy, electrification, microgrids, engineering, bulk transportation, and marine management. He joined Crowley in 2002 and has worked in several areas of the company including liner shipping, logistics, and petroleum transportation. Before joining Crowley, Matt worked for a major consulting firm and was a U.S. Air Force captain. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama and a master's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas. Read less

Langtry Meyer is the Founder of large-scale clean energy projects, currently leading the development of Texas Green Fuels' sustainable fuels export complex in Galveston Bay, Texas. Additionally, he founded the 4 MTPA Texas LNG export project located in Brownsville, Texas. Previously, Mr. Meyer held executive positions at organizations in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Notable roles include Chief Commercial Officer of the Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Authority in the UAE, positions within the Majid Al Futtaim Group in the UAE, the Samsung Group Office of the Chairman in Korea, and financial institutions such as ABN AMRO Bank in The Netherlands and France, as well as Hypo Bank in Germany and the USA. Having resided in multiple countries, including the UK, France, Mexico, Malta, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Germany, The Netherlands, Korea, and the UAE, Mr. Meyer brings a broad global perspective to his work. He holds a BA in Economics from Stanford University, an MBA from INSEAD, and is a CFA charterholder. In addition, Mr. Meyer has represented the England National and Stanford University basketball teams in games and tournaments worldwide. Read less

For decades, Gary Haer has been at the forefront of the renewable fuels industry. While serving as the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Renewable Energy Group (REG), now Chevron REG, his leadership led to the growth and development of the largest biodiesel sales company in the U.S. Haer also served as Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board's Governing Board (now Clean Fuels Alliance America) and helped guide the industry's market strategy, policy initiatives, governance, and development as an advanced biofuel. Haer has testified before Congressional Committee hearings and provided testimony and comments to EPA's rulemaking process. He continues to serve Clean Fuels in a consulting capacity focused on introducing biodiesel and renewable diesel as a low carbon fuel solution for the maritime industry's sustainability initiatives and regulations. After retiring from REG, Haer founded the Green Grass Cattle Company, a company providing sustainably and responsibly raised Black Angus beef directly to the consumer. Read less

Junya (JUN) Omoto is the President of NYK Energy Transport (USA) Inc. His responsibility is business development for energy related business including LNG, crude & product tanker, offshore and clean energy. He joined NYK group in 1993 and spent more than 30 years for container trade, corporate planning and energy transport business. Jun started his new assignment here in Houston since this April. Until then, he was senior general manager at NYK Tokyo Offshore Business Group and expanded business activity of upstream and midstream oil & gas value chain, e.g., 3D seismic research vessel, FPSO, shuttle tanker, etc. Among his carrier in LNG and offshore division, he had also proceeded business development of several gas to power projects in Asia and Africa. Read less

Ian Gansler is the Manager of Energy, Resilience, and Sustainability Policy for the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), America's trade association representing public seaports in Washington, DC. In his role, he advocates for the port industry's environmental and energy resilience goals. He lobbied the federal government for over $2 billion in port infrastructure funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $3 billion for the new Clean Ports Program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. Ian is a Master of Public Policy with a degree from the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. Read less

Beau Berthelot, is the Vice President of Business Development and Director of Government Affairs for Maritime Partners (MP). Beau is responsible for leading business development efforts in the maritime industry’s energy transition space, including the Hydrogen One methanol to hydrogen fueled inland towboat. Beau is also instrumental interfacing with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. Beau recently joined MP after serving as Director of Business and Government Relations for Conrad Shipyards since 2016. There Mr. Berthelot lead business development efforts in providing marine solutions using alternative fuels and hybrid propulsion technologies. Beau’s previous experience includes positions as General Counsel for a marine engineering firm and as a practicing attorney. His government affairs experience also includes a role as Legislative Counsel to former Congressman Gene Taylor (MS-4). Mr. Berthelot holds a BS in Microbiology with a Minor in Chemistry as well as an MBA from Louisiana State University and JD from Tulane Law School. Read less

Lawrence Navin joined the Methanol Institute in June 2013. Lawrence's background includes having worked for the US Chamber of Commerce's US-India Business Council, the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and in the US Senate. Lawrence’s role with MI includes managing the Institute’s government and public affairs activities in the Americas and Europe, and to direct the Institute’s communications and social media activities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Delaware, and a Master of Arts degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. Read less

Dr. Carr is the Vice President of Research and Operations at Energy and Environmental Research Associates, LLC. He is an expert in emissions, air quality, and economic analysis in the mobile, non-road, and biogenic sectors. He has worked on transportation air quality, fuels, and emissions inventory projects for federal, state, NGO, and industry clients. Dr. Carr’s recent publications include work on the air quality and health impacts of ship fuels, economic incentives for alternative fuels in the shipping industry, and macroeconomic modeling of transportation electrification and alternative fuels. He received his Master of Marine Policy, and Ph.D. in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware (Newark, DE) and an A.B in Biology from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME). Read less

Troy Hawkins is a Senior Scientist and leads the Fuels and Chemicals Group of Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center. His research focus is on improving the environmental performance of energy and product systems, with particular focus on decarbonization. His work contributes to the development of Argonne’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies Model (GREET®) for life cycle analysis of energy systems, products, and technologies. GREET has been widely used for the determination of carbon intensities for fuel pathways in connection with California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Dr. Hawkins leads the development of new pathways in GREET for alternative fuels for maritime shipping. His work also contributes to the International Maritime Organization’s working group developing guidance for the life cycle analysis of marine fuels. Prior to joining Argonne he worked as a consultant providing environmental and economic assessment for clients in the private and government sectors, led life cycle assessment research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and worked as a researcher in the Industrial Ecology Programme at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Physics from the University of Michigan. Read less

Peter Keller is the chairman of SEA-LNG, a multi-sector industry coalition established to demonstrate the benefits of the LNG fuel pathway for shipping’s decarbonisation. Until 2018, Peter was executive vice president at TOTE, and led the conversion of the company’s fleet to LNG. Prior to this, between 2000 - 2010, Mr. Keller was EVP and Chief Operating Officer of NYK Group Americas, Inc. and a member of the Governing Board of NYK in Tokyo. Mr. Keller was also a member of the Board of Directors of PMA, the PMSA, and USMX. He served for many years as Chairman of OCEMA. He was a founder of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT), now an Industry wide organization committed to environmentally responsible practices across the supply chain. Mr. Keller was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in 2006. Read less

David Cummins is President of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, a non-profit, strategic alliance formed to accelerate the transition of waterborne transportation in Canada and the United States toward net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Prior to his current role, Cummins worked as an executive with Shell with more than 35 years’ experience covering many locations around the world as well as many diverse businesses and skill areas. Cummins was Shell’s Commercial and Business Development Manager for Shipping & Maritime, Americas, and before that served as Vice President of Shell Korea Limited, managing relationships with Korean shipyards and heavy industry. Cummins previously contributed to Shell’s success in technical management, global strategy development, commercial deal making, new business development, strategic customer account management, divestment and portfolio deal teams, capital project planning & execution, and change management/corporate redesign. Cummins is a frequent speaker with various organizations on topics including Shipping Sectoral Decarbonization, Global/International Account Management, Strategy Development, Negotiation/Deal Making and Cultural Differences between Western and Asian Countries. In his personal time Cummins is an avid golfer and photographer and is also sole proprietor of a timber tract operations company in the US Read less

Stefka Wechsler joined Argus in 2012 as an editor and marine fuel analyst contributing to the daily price and news report Argus Marine Fuels. Formerly a residual fuel oil consultant with Poten & Partners (2006-2012) where she focused on market analysis and scenario planning for fuel oil production, consumption and regulations. While at Poten, she contributed to the monthly Fuel Oil in World Markets and Fuel Oil Opinion reports and co-authored the studies Fuel Oil Prospects 2010-2015, North America ECA 2012-2020 and Marine Fuel Regulations 2010-2025.
Stefka has an extensive network of international marine fuel suppliers, traders, brokers and ship owners and ship charterers. She created and maintains a detailed marine exhaust scrubber database and low-carbon fuels vessels database.
Stefka has an MBA from Fordham University. Read less