Andy Barrons is Chief Commercial Officer for NextPort, focusing on leading the Go-To-Market of NextPort solutions – prior to NextPort he had Senior Executive roles in Strategy and Marketing for relevant companies in the Maritime Sector like Navis or INTTRA. Business leader with strategic and operational experience with international technology, internet and media businesses. Proven ability to launch new businesses, manage marketing and sales operations, build brands and drive revenue in entrepreneurial setting in emerging and established organizations.

Kira Biernat blends industry expertise with creative marketing, translating complex logistics challenges into clear, impactful messaging for the container terminal and distribution center industries. New to the logistics world but already inspired by its complexity, she brings a fresh perspective to INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics division. Kira thrives on connecting people and sparking meaningful conversations, especially around important topics where differing opinions lead to richer insights.

Marcel Lindemann is a logistics enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the industry. He has held various positions, including roles in Terminal Software Implementations and Change Management as well as Trucking Operations, which have provided him with a comprehensive understanding of terminal processes and stakeholder interactions. As the co-founder of passify, Marcel is dedicated to enhancing terminal operations through innovative solutions that streamline accessibility and improve efficiency and resource planning.

Ramana Jampala holds the position of co-founder and CEO at Avlino, where he contributes a distinctive perspective on technology trends and market impact to the company’s overarching strategy. With a comprehensive professional journey spanning 25 years, Ramana Jampala has garnered a reputation as an entrepreneur and versatile Technology Executive, boasting expertise in Investments, Business Strategy, Advisory Services, and Design Engineering. His career encompasses the successful execution of digital undertakings for both Fortune 500 corporations and innovative technology startups. As a General Partner of SAS Investors, he has led early-stage investments and served on the Board of Directors of several successful enterprises.

With a decade of experience in the container terminal industry, particularly in fully automated terminals and Terminal Operating Systems (TOS), Bas Mötter is a seasoned professional specializing in automation and operational readiness. Known for his ability to optimize processes and translate complex technologies into practical, efficient solutions, he plays a key role in supporting terminals worldwide through his work with Solid Port Solutions. Leveraging his expertise, Bas Mötter helps ports achieve seamless transitions to new technologies, enhancing their efficiency, adaptability, and performance in an ever-evolving industry.

Marco Fehmer is Civil Chartered Engineer with a specialization in transportation and logistics. He joined DSP Data and System Planning SA in 2007 and since 2017 has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. DSP is one of the most worldwide recognized and valuable Terminal Operations Systems (TOS) implementation and process optimization consulting partner. In 2020 Marco has been appointed as President of the Board of DSP LAB Pvt, Chennai India and in 2021 Member of the Board of Directors of DSP TALUMIS BV and since 2022 is CEO of DSP AMERICA Inc.

At the beginning of his career, Marco served as officer in the Italian Navy Coast Guard and then joined the port industry and container terminal operations at the Contship Italia Group, gradually focusing on TOS management. He was project manager and business process advisor of distinct Container Terminals (Valencia, Jebel Ali, Constanta, Trieste, Manila, Los Angeles) and Ports (Piraeus, Auckland) worldwide, with hands on experience on process optimization and automation. In 2007 he was ICT Project Manager for the construction of new Eurogate Tangier Terminal in Morocco.

Strong believer in innovation and new technologies, in 2004 Marco was project manager for the implementation of the first worldwide Prime Route for Trucks Terminal and in 2010 Marco started process automation projects introducing the concept of automated truck job stepping. Today is the project sponsor and functional design advisor of the GEMINI terminal digital twin project within DSP.

Norbert has been working for more than 15 years in the port and terminal industry implementing and integrating Terminal Operating Systems (TOS), initially for the terminal operator EUROGATE, and since several years as the managing director of the RBS EMEA Office implementing the TOPS Expert system. With akquinet port consulting as well, he has moved into the area of using data for simulation and emulation purposes on the CHESSCON suite. Norbert is a founding member of TIC4.0 since 2018 and is the Vice-President of TIC4.0, as well as a member of the Executive and Operation Councils of TIC4.0.

Tomi Tuulkari works as Senior Manager, Product Management in Kalmar. Tomi’s expertise comes from delivering multiple Automatic Stacking Crane projects, extensive customer collaboration as well as from Product Management, i.e. ensuring that the developed yard cranes fulfill the needs of the industry and that they can be maintained easily during the product’s lifetime.

Today Tomi focuses on the product management tasks dedicated to Kalmar One. He spends his time communicating with Kalmar’s customers and partners, steering product development, as well as designing and scouting new technologies that can help customers operate automated sites even more smoothly while increasing productivity.

Seasoned CEO with strong focus on strategy and change-management. Twenty years’ experience in senior leadership positions in Asia and Europe backed by early experience as a turn-around specialist and proven track record in building successful teams and creating shareholder value. Multi-industry, multi-company and multi-continent experience in diverse cultural environments and solid experience representing interests of financial institutions & PE type investors. Passionate communicator able to build trust and to convince stakeholders to envision and support important transformations of the business or of the industry.

Extensive negotiation and lobbying experience dealing at the top governmental levels in Europe, Asia and South America, as well as EU institutions.

Moritz Klein is Project Manager Sales Port Logistics at BOXBAY, a joint venture between SMS group and DP World. With degrees in electrical engineering and business administration, he combines technical expertise with commercial insight.
Moritz began his career as a commissioning engineer at FAT before joining AMOVA/SMS group as a software developer in 2022. In 2024, he transitioned to BOXBAY’s sales team, where he focuses on designing innovative container-handling systems tailored to local demands.
His recent work features a system that enhances container density and performance while reducing power consumption—critical advances in today’s port logistics landscape. Moritz is dedicated to minimizing environmental impact through efficient and sustainable terminal solutions.

Que has extensive senior technology and transformation leadership experience within international organisations. He also served as a diplomat with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

In addition to technology leadership, his is focused on cyber, innovation and sustainability initiatives to help protect, optimise and transform the organisation and industry. He is currently leading Technology and Digital across Europe at DP World, a leading enabler of global trade and an integral part of the supply chain. Que holds an Executive MBA from Cranfield School of Management, a Master of Science degree in Information Systems Management and Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He has been named among the top 30 leading business and technology executives in the CIO 100 by CIO UK for three consecutive years and has been conferred title ‘Fellow of the British Computer Society’ and recognised for outstanding achievements and contributions to technology.

Dr. Yvo A. Saanen is Managing Director and Founder (1996) of Portwise (formerly called TBA), a leading terminal design and simulation company in The Netherlands. He is in charge of all port & terminal related projects all over the world in their planning and optimization process of container terminals by means of simulation and emulation.

Gerhard L. Fischer graduated in 1987 with a Dipl.-Ing. (FH) degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Applied Science, Munich, Germany and visited Arizona state University, USA on a Fulbright exchange.

Since 2008 Gerhard is with Siemens AG in the Cranes business segment in Erlangen, Germany as head of sales for harbour cranes. He is member of IEEE Industry Applications Society, the VDI working group B1 for cranes, the VDE DKE working group for hoisting systems and vice-chairman of the PEMA committee for equipment design and infrastructure.

In 1990 Gerhard joined Siemens AG in Erlangen, Germany to develop high frequency and large-power converters. In 1995 he changed to sales/marketing of variable speed drives followed in 1996 by a posting in Siemens´ Centre of Competence in Singapore and Taiwan developing cranes business. From 2005 till 2008 he worked with Siemens in The Hague, Netherlands in a business development function for harbour cranes.

Daan Nap is responsible for Business Development and Sales of Autonomous Connection Devices (ACD’s) at Rocsys, for the segments Ports & Transportation. He is dedicated to implementing and scaling innovative technology solutions that contribute to a sustainable future.

Daan brings 16+ years of experience in the global eMobility market. At Epyon he helped realise the very 1^st commercial DC fast chargers for passenger cars in Europe as of 2010. In 2011, Epyon was acquired by ABB, a global leader in robotics, machine automation, and digital services. At ABB Daan served as the Global Head of bus charging, delivering the first pantograph systems and depot charging solutions for bus charging, covering more than 50 countries. He worked on the early solutions for Energy Management and delivered the world’s very first MegaWatt Charging Systems (MCS) to commercial customers already in 2022.

Before Epyon, Daan had various roles at companies including Siemens, Royal Philips and IBM. He holds a BSc of engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in The Hague.

Jasper is Senior Sales Director at Portchain. He has extensive experience from Strategy Consulting and Technology & Innovation Management within technology intensive industries. He has 8 years of experience driving technology adaptation in the maritime sector: from Maersk, responsible for Future Technologies & Innovation, and Navis driving key client discussions on future requirements. Jasper has a MSc (with Merit) and a Ph.D. in Physics from Utrecht University (the Netherlands).

Harrison is an account executive at Realtime Business Solutions (RBS), and is passionate about how software can revolutionize industries.  He graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of commerce and computer science with distinctions. With his fresh ideas and burning ambition, Harrison is dedicated to helping terminals find the best solutions to optimize their operations.

Anton Bernaerd is Head of Sales and almost 20 years part of the Camco Technologies team. Anton has been sharing insights on process optimization and terminal automation in more than 250 terminals across the globe. His unique expertise in gate and crane automation makes him an authority speaker in industry events.

In 1991, Harry started one of the world’s leading TOS providers, Realtime Business Solutions (RBS), and he continues to lead the business today as the company’s director. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, he specializes in software research and development, piloting the company to develop the TOPS software. The TOPS system is a state-of-the-art, complete TOS, that helps terminals to optimize their execution and increase their performance. This suite of software has been implemented in dozens of terminals all around the world and continues to be an industry leading product.

The success of this product is only possible through Harry’s in-depth knowledge of current technologies, such as Cloud, AI, and digital twin. With an unwavering attitude of learning, he continues to push the boundaries of technology in the industry and provide premium services for all terminals across the globe. Ultimately, his immense knowledge and expertise will prove invaluable in helping to revolutionize this industry, and move it into a new digital age.

José Andrés Giménez is an Industrial Engineer (Polytechnic University of Valencia, 2005) and has 17 years of experience in the logistics-port sector, developing innovation and research projects focused on the fields of port logistics and maritime transport. His fields of expertise are related to increasing the efficiency of logistics and port operations through the development of Industry 4.0 models and technologies (IoT, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Process Automation, etc.).

He has been Director of Energy and Security and currently develops his work as Director of Port Logistics at the Valenciaport Foundation (Port of Valencia). He is responsible for the management and development of innovation projects through the coordination and direction of multidisciplinary technical and management teams, working in an international environment of innovative companies.

He has participated in innovation and research projects funded by the European Commission through programs such as Connecting Europe Facility – CEF and Horizon 2020 as well as in national innovation programs. His activity focuses on the implementation of Industry 4.0 and Smart Port solutions in port operations, including the improvement of processes along the logistics chain, automation of operations, standardization in information exchanges, etc.

He is currently Secretary General of the international association Terminal Industry Committee (TIC4.0), an entity that brings together global container terminal operators along with port machinery manufacturers and developers of digital solutions. TIC4.0 is an organization that aims at the operational and technological standardization of the port sector, with the purpose of integrating the innovation dimension in the companies of the sector at an international level.

John Lund has 20 years of experience helping marine and intermodal terminals achieve their operational objectives with digitalization strategies. Having worked on scores of complex process automation projects, John supports operators in defining, designing, developing, and deploying systems that improve safety, efficiency, and profitability. Underpinning his career motivation is the understanding that the solutions he provides are instrumental in guiding the industry towards being a more dependable and resilient network for international trade.

John holds an MBA and a law degree. A Boston, USA native, he currently resides in Tampere, Finland. In his free time, he is active in film production and the sport of wife-carrying (a Finnish pastime).

As Founder & Technical Lead of Next Port Dr. Oscar Pernia participates as advisor and thought leader in several innovation and R&D activities, with core focus on enabling the introduction of Artificial Intelligence in the Port Industry: his education was on Telecommunications Engineering, and he holds an Industrial Engineering PhD, where he focused on Algorithms Design and Simulation applied to Marine Operations Optimization – during last 20 years he accumulated an extensive and international experience in Container Shipping, covering technology solutions across all processes in the ocean supply chain, with specific focus in Ports & Terminals and participating in the automation and modernization of 25+ container terminals Worldwide. He is also an active contributor to Industry wide associations such as DCSA, TIC 4.0, ITPCO, ISO, PEMA and Maritime Informatics.

Besides his educational and academic activity with NextPort, Oscar´s core role is Director of Engineering for TIL (Automation & Digitalization), the Container Terminal business unit for MSC. Based in Geneva HQ, his focus covers Process Engineering, System Integration, Algorithms & Data Science and Applied Innovation competencies. As such he is the Technical Lead for Automated Terminal Design & Deployment, as well as different strategic initiatives to empower efficiency, safety and sustainability through Automation/Digitalization

Marie-Josée Messier is the IT Project Manager at Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, leading cross-functional technology implementation projects across IT, operations, and maintenance. With hands-on experience in logistics software implementation and IT project delivery, she is involved in the rollout of digital solutions focused on system integration, operational visibility, and day-to-day usability within container terminal operations. She holds a multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree in management, projects, and logistics, and is currently completing an Executive MBA.

Dr. Hein Ray Chetcuti is the Chief Transformation Officer at Malta Freeport Terminals, with over 20 years of leadership experience in operational excellence, digital transformation, and container terminal innovation. He has overseen the design and rollout of mission-critical systems, advanced analytics platforms, and process optimization initiatives that have strengthened the terminal’s competitive position within the Mediterranean transshipment market. Dr. Chetcuti combines industry expertise with a strong academic foundation, holding a BSc, MSc, MPhil, and DBA, and contributing nine years to university lecturing. His doctoral research focuses on innovation and technological adoption in container terminals, offering new insights into the sector’s evolving dynamics.ctor’s evolving dynamics.

Shalev Cohen is the Head of sales at ABB Ports, OCR division. He is responsible for sales, business development, and product management.

Shalev joined ABB in 2011 and was responsible for the OCR project management group before moving to his current position. He holds a master’s degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Christian Blauert is the Global Director in Port and Terminal Development for Moffatt & Nichol. Christian has over 25 years of experience within the maritime industry with a strong focus on container terminal developments, terminal management, automation projects and management-strategy as well as business development.

Christian joined Moffatt & Nichol having held various C-suite roles, including CEO, for global terminal operators.

During his time working for terminal operators, Christian led the businesses through significant organic and inorganic growth including the addition of several new container and multi-cargo concessions and capital works developments; both
brown and greenfield.

In a project context, Christian is a specialist in terminal planning, operational excellence and supply-chain integration, drawing on significant experience working for a broad range of port and terminal operators internationally. Christian also draws on extensive experience in terminal automation, having personally implemented several automation projects at container terminals.

Felix Paul Czerny is the Co-founder and CEO of CONROO, founded in 2021 after he witnessed long queues of truck drivers at an inland terminal in Germany. That moment exposed inefficiencies in truck handling and became the spark to build CONROO, subsequently automating terminal access and truck processes via the drivers’ smartphones to make global supply chains more predictable and efficient.

At CONROO, he and his team work closely with terminals and depots to automate container logistics and improve the coordination of third-party truck movements. CONROO transforms the driver’s smartphone into a secure, intelligent sensor, enabling the digitization of truck dispatch and execution. By acting as a missing link in terminal automation, the platform helps reduce congestion, improve planning accuracy, and strengthen operational resilience. CONROO is working with 35 terminals and depots across the globe, including APM Terminals, EUROGATE, Deutsche Bahn, Duisport and EUROGATE.

Felix holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Management from the University of St Andrews and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Konstanz and Hong Kong.

Rafael Velásquez is Director Optimization and Integration at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics Division. He has worked in optimization projects over the last 20 years within the Research and IT sector. Since joining INFORM in 2008 his focus has been on advancing optimization solutions in the container terminal industry in which time he has headed multiple notable international projects with customers such as GCT, DP World, and TraPac. He is a frequent specialist speaker at industrial and academic conferences promoting the real-world opportunities that Operations Research and AI open. Rafael holds a PhD in Mathematical Optimization from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern.

Gangadhar Gude is the founder and CEO of ATAI (2018) Labs Pvt Ltd and the Co-Founder of INVECAS Inc (2014). Under his leadership, INVECAS has received the Red Herring Global 100 award in 2016 and Most Innovative Product Winner: IESA Technovation Awards in 2018. ATAI, his latest venture, is an applied AI company that provides solutions in the supply chain industry (maritime & warehousing) using AI along with sensor fusion technologies and has won NASSCOM MIC 3.0. With a strong belief in innovation, Gangadhar envisions a future where we could solve problems in the supply chain Industry by making cutting edge technologies more accessible for everyone.

As Chief Commercial Officer at Embotech, Eva is driving the go-to-market strategy for industrial logistics automation and strengthening Embotech’s commercial expansion as well as market positioning. With a strong background in business development and sales, she has built a proven track record in the B2B deep tech and mobility sector, including experience at Lilium and BCG. Eva holds a Master’s degree in International Management.

With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Alex Van Winckel is an expert in the digitalization and automation of container terminals. He has been instrumental in driving innovation across globally distributed maritime and intermodal logistics operations, transforming small-scale facilities as well as spearheading large-scale automation projects. As Director of Strategic Relations and Sales and a member of the board of directors at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics division, Alex is responsible for shaping commercial strategy and forging long-term partnerships worldwide. His work focuses on delivering AI-powered optimization solutions that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness in terminal operations.

Kaj de Groot works as Director of Automation Projects at Portwise. He has worked in the ports and terminals field for about 9 years and has been involved in terminal design, decarbonisation and automation implementation projects.