Judging Panel

Peter Blackhurst

Peter Blackhurst is Head of Maritime Safety Services at Inmarsat Global Ltd. Peter comes from a solid maritime background, responsible for Inmarsat’s provision of GMDSS and its public service commitment. Prior to appointment at Inmarsat, he was Senior Technical Standards Manager and policy lead for Communications and Navigational equipment at the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, formerly having been the Chief Radio Surveyor for the UK administration. Having been a seagoing radio officer he understands the life at sea. He has also enjoyed a long shore based career in the marine service industry as a service and installation engineer, service manager and in senior management positions in UK based companies. This has exposed him to many aspects of the industry including refi tting, repair, new building and some of the complexities of the shipping industry. He is a governor of the World Maritime University based in Malmo, Sweden and a Director of CIRM.

Arthur Bowring

Arthur Bowring is the Managing Director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and part time maritime arbitrator. He has a broad shipping background, which includes several years at sea as a deck offi cer, working as a ship surveyor for Lloyds Register, acting as an oil and dry cargo chartering and owning broker, and freight trader for a major international trading house, handling marine insurance placing and claims, and working as a consultant, handling investigative work, claims and project management. He is fellow and member of several professional associations and organisations.

David Chin

David Chin is the Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation. The Foundation was established to co-ordinate the various maritime sectors in the development of Singapore’s Maritime Hub. Mr Chin is concurrently a Consultant to the Ministry of Trade and Industry on trade issues. Mr Chin started out his career as an apprentice with a ship repair yard, later progressing through a variety of operational and commercial management positions. In 1985 he entered government service with the Trade Development Board, now known as International Enterprise Singapore, serving in a variety of positions to become deputy Chief Executive in 1994. Mr Chin was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) on National Day in 1993 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) on National Day in 2000 by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Makoto Hashizume

Makoto Hashizume has been General Manager, Liner Trade Management Division of Singapore-based “K” Line Pte. Ltd since 1st January, 2010. Prior to his current position, Mr. Hashizume has been in London as Director, Container Business Group, “K” Line (Europe) Ltd. In his 27 years various positions in working for Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (“K” Line) and various group companies, he has been working in Liner Business not only for trade management but also for sales and marketing including 15 years overseas working experiences including assuming the position of Assistance Vice President of “K” Line America, Inc and General Manager, Sales Group of Nagoya Branch, “K” Line (Japan) Ltd.

Kong-gyun Oh

Kong-gyun Oh, Chairman and CEO of Korean Register of Shipping (KR), was born in 1951 in the Republic of Korea. He obtained his bachelors degree in machinery engineering at Korea Maritime University from 1971 to 1975. He also obtained his masters degree and has completed doctorate degree studies in the maritime law at the same university. Prior to his appointment as Chairman and CEO of KR in 2007, Mr. Oh served in various maritime safety related positions within the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Korea for almost 30 years. The last position he had held at the Ministry was Director-General of Incheon Regional Maritime Aff airs and Fisheries Office. He is the Vice-Chairman of International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) at present.

Marlon Rono

Marlon Rono is the Head of the Human Resource Group of the Magsaysay Group of Companies. Marlon is actively involved in maritime industry associations’ efforts to promote seafaring as a career of choice. He is the immediate past president and a current director of the largest maritime employment association in the Philippines, the Filipino Association of Mariners Employment. Marlon also heads the Philippine Joint Maritime Group, which is composed of all stakeholders of the Philippine maritime and manning industries. He is also Chairman of MECADEC, the largest seafarers’ cooperative in the Philippines.

Johnson W. Sutjipto

Johnson W. Sutjipto is currently Chairman of the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Association (FASA) as well as Chairman of the Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA). He is also Chairman of the Indonesian Port Communication Forum and Chairman of the Indonesian Regional Center (IRC) of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST). He started his career as a Research & Develoment (R & D) engineer with the British Hydrodynamic Research Group (BHRG), London, England in 1991. In 1992 he returned to Indonesia and since then has been working in shipping industry. He holds senior position in several shipping companies and shipyard.

Beng Tee Tan

Beng Tee Tan is the Group Director (International Maritime Centre) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). In her capacity as Group Director (International Maritime Centre), Ms Tan is actively involved in promoting and developing Singapore into a premier International Maritime Centre. Ms Tan holds a degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and a Diploma in Shipping from the Norad Fellowship in Oslo, Norway. Prior to her appointment as Group Director in MPA, Ms Tan was the Director of Corporate Group in International Enterprise Singapore. In 2008, Ms Tan received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lloyd’s List Asia Awards for her work in the development of Singapore as an international maritime centre. She was also awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997 for her contributions to the development of the transport and logistics industry in Singapore.

Noboru Ueda

Noboru Ueda is the recently elected Chairman and President of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, a 39-year veteran of the Society, having joined the company in 1969. Mr Ueda joined Class NK after graduating from university, serving in a number of assignments in Japan, before later returning to the head office where he worked in the Development Department. In 1980 Mr Ueda was tapped to establish the Seattle Office in the U.S., where he served as the General Manager until 1985 – a rare feat to manage such a key location outside Japan as such a young age. After his five-year stint in the U.S., Mr Ueda returned to the Hull Department, where he served as a manager before being promoted to General Manager of the department in 1997. He subsequently became a Managing Director in 2002 and Executive Vice President in 2006 before being elected as Chairman and President of the Society on 1st March 2010.

Tim Wilkins

Tim Wilkins is Intertanko’s Regional Manager Asia-Pacific, managing Intertanko’s Asia representative office in Singapore and representing member’s interests in the Asia-Pacifi c region. He is Secretary to Intertanko’s Asian Regional Panel and is responsible for the association’s regional issues. Mr. Wilkins also fulfils the role of Environmental Manager in charge of coordinating and managing Intertanko’s environmental agenda, liaising with environmental organisations, national governmental organisations and international organisations such as the International Maritime Organization and the United Nations Environment Program. Mr. Wilkins graduated from Newcastle University with an honours degree in Marine Biology in 1996 and continued his studies in Marine Science at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, having completed his MSc in 1998.