Maritime Leadership News

Following three consecutive years of revenue growth and expanding international demand for efficient offshore power delivery, Verlume is evolving its leadership structure to support its next phase of global expansion transitioning from technology commercialization to global scale-up.After founding Verlume and leading the company as CEO for 13 years, Richard Knox will transition into the role of Founder-CTO. In this position he will focus on customer engagement, innovation and technology strategy.

Island Marine Electric has appointed marine technology sales veteran Doug Bennis as Vice President of Sales & Marketing.Bennis brings experience in the maritime and satellite communications industries, where he has led global sales initiatives, developed strategic channel partnerships, and driven revenue growth across commercial and recreational marine markets. With a career rooted in marine connectivity and technology solutions, he has built a reputation for aligning evolving onboard systems with customer and vessel requirements in an increasingly connected marine environment.In his new role…

At this year’s annual Legislative Summit, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) proudly named U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (MS-04) as the 2026 Port Person of the Year for his commitment to the seaport and maritime industry. AAPA celebrates his leadership as a champion of many port industry priorities, including his advocacy for the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 and his efforts to incentivize the reshoring of port crane manufacturing to the U.S."It is…

The Supervisory Board of AS Tallink Grupp has appointed Peep Jalakas as the new Chairman of the Management Board of the Group. His term will begin on April 6, 2026, and will last for three years. As of tomorrow, February 27, Margus Schults will step down from the Group’s Management Board and will continue working in the company as the head of the Finnish unit. Jalakas has been a member of the Management Board of AS SEB Pank and Head of Corporate Banking since 2023. Over the past 20 years…

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority has elected Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi to serve as Chairman for 2026. Governor Reeves will lead the four-state interstate compact as it advances economic development, freight mobility, and recreation along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the broader M-65 Marine Highway corridor.The M-65 Marine Highway is a federally designated inland waterway corridor extending from Paducah, Kentucky, to the Port of Mobile, Alabama…

Boksa Marine Design (BMD), a full-service naval architecture and marine engineering firm based in Tampa, announced a strategic leadership transition and the opening of a new Fort Lauderdale, FL, office.After more than 20 years as Founder and President, Nick Boksa will transition into the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Senior Engineer. In this capacity, Boksa will focus on technical leadership, complex engineering initiatives, and guiding the firm’s long-term direction.Jeff Kuenning has been appointed President of BMD.

Blue Water Shipping has announced Andy Tite as Senior Vice President, Head of Projects, effective July 1, 2026. Andy brings experience, knowledge and insight to the projects industry and will focus on further global expansion at Blue Water.Andy has, for the past six years, held senior management positions at DHL, including most recently Vice President, Global Business Development & Commercial Director, Industrial Projects. His career experience to date includes positions at Zeamarine…

IBIA – International Bunker Industry Association Board announced the outcome of their elections at the IBIA Annual General Meeting (AGM), ahead of the IBIA Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane.A total of eleven candidates stood for election for the four available Board positions. Following the close of voting, it is confirmed that the following candidates have been elected/re-elected to serve a three-year term on the IBIA Board:Claudia Beumer, C4 fuel B.V.Gianmichele Campanella…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has further enhanced its capabilities in China with the announcement of three new senior appointments. Tianxiang Li (TX), LR’s Director of Global Technical Support Office (TSO), has been appointed as President for Greater China. He will lead senior client relationships and strategic engagement, strengthening alignment between LR’s global technical leadership and the priorities of Chinese owners, yards and designers. TX joined LR in 2008 and held leadership positions in the Technical Support Office since 2011.

Zelim announced the appointment of Mike Collier as Sales Director, effective January 2026. He will lead the organization’s focus on key sectors globally including the cruise and defense industries.Mike joins Zelim from MARSS, where he led business development for the cruise and defense sectors. As part of his 20-year career, including over six years in the cruise sector at Carnival Corporation, Mike led the working group that developed ISO 21195 (man-overboard detection) which was formally published in 2020…

OrbitMI, a provider of maritime SaaS software, announced the appointment of Andrew Redfern as Sales Director for the Nordic & Americas region. In this role, Redfern will lead OrbitMI’s commercial growth across Northern Europe, working with shipowners, operators, and commercial teams to deliver measurable operational and financial results.Redfern brings more than a decade of experience spanning maritime technology, commercial strategy, and financial analysis. Most recently, he served in senior sales leadership roles at ZeroNorth…

HII announced that Fatina Brave has been appointed vice president of infrastructure and sustainability at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Brave succeeds Eric Crooker, who has transitioned into the role of vice president of program management at Ingalls, succeeding George Nungesser who is retiring at the beginning of February after 37 years of service to the company.Brave will oversee all environmental, health, safety, security, facilities and maintenance operations at Ingalls.

On January 28, 2026, President Donald J. Trump designated Laura DiBella to serve as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.Chairman DiBella was sworn in as a Commissioner on January 6, 2026. She was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025 and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025, to serve a term that expires on June 30, 2028.“It was a true honor to simply be nominated as a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission, and to now be tapped as Chairman is nothing short of a privilege…

US Hoists Corp has announced the appointment of Michael Cetta as Chief Operating Officer.A Center Moriches native, Cetta earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Farmingdale State College and brings an educational foundation and a proven record of leadership to his new role.With experience spanning business ownership, sales leadership, and project management, Cetta has demonstrated versatility across both small and large organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at A1 Roofing…

HII announced that Daniel Marks has been appointed vice president of contracts and pricing at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division. Marks succeeds Stephen Fitts, who has been appointed vice president of supply chain management at Ingalls and is succeeding Scott Weldon who retired at the end of December 2025 after 25 years of service to the company.In this role, Marks will be responsible for contract administration, estimating and pricing, and export/import licensing and compliance for Ingalls.

The Council of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has announced the election of Alex Gregg-Smith to the position of IACS Chair. Mr. Gregg-Smith will assume the role on July 1, and his term of office will run until December 31, 2027.Mr. Gregg-Smith has over twenty years’ experience with Bureau Veritas, as well as extensive in leadership roles in both shipyards and shipowners. He has also recently taken over the position of President, Marine & Offshore, Bureau Veritas, and is a dual UK-French national.Mr.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, announced the reappointment of Elizabeth B. Simmons, vice president of external affairs, to the reconstituted Seaport Economic Council.Named to the Council by Governor Maura Healey, Simmons serves on the newly reconstituted 15-member body, which is updating its mission and membership to better advance economic growth…

Robert Allan Ltd. has announced that Ms. Yufei Huang has earned her accreditation as a Professional Engineer with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC).Yufei is a valued member of the Naval Architecture and Weight Engineering team at Robert Allan Ltd. and has been working with the company since 2022, where she has been involved in many aspects of ship design.Yufei holds a Bachelor of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from the University of Strathclyde and a Masters in Naval Architecture from the University of British Columbia.In her spare time…

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced its new Board of Directors leadership David Carver, President of General Dynamics NASSCO, is ascending from his position as Vice Chairman to Chairman of the Board, assuming the role from Brad Moyer, Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning at BAE Systems.Mr. Carver has been a dedicated member of the SCA Board of Directors and has 38 years of shipbuilding and ship repair experience, bringing leadership to his new role.

Supermaritime, warehousing and breakbulk services provider, has announced that Milan Tevel will assume the role of General Manager Supermaritime Nederland, effective January 1, 2026. Milan Tevel succeeds Martien Burger, a longtime force behind Supermaritime’s expansion over the past decades. In addition, the company expands its warehousing capacity by almost 13,000 m2.Supermaritime provides stevedoring, cargo handling, global freight forwarding, and supply chain services for breakbulk shippers and carriers worldwide.

Adm. Kevin E. Lunday will officially be sworn in as the 28th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard during an Assumption of Command Ceremony. The ceremony will be presided over by the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.WHAT: Commandant’s assumption of command ceremonyWHEN: Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11 a.m.WHERE: The ceremony will be streamed live for public viewing at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/37352For more information, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters media relations office at mediarelations@uscg.mil.

Fluid Marine, a U.S. builder of mission-ready rigid inflatable boats for law enforcement, search and rescue, and commercial operators, announced today that Tony Van Meter has joined the company as Executive Vice President, effective January 12, 2026.Van Meter brings more than three decades of experience in the maritime industry, with a career that began in operational service with the United States Coast Guard, followed by service as a Marine Enforcement Officer, and later progressing…

OrbitMI, a provider of maritime SaaS and a voyage optimization platform used by shipowners and operators worldwide, announced its expansion in Japan to support its growing customer base and expanding partner ecosystem in the region. To lead its Japan presence, OrbitMI has appointed Kazuo Yamashita as Business Development Partner, Japan. Yamashita-san will oversee business development, partnerships, and market activation, serving as OrbitMI’s exclusive representative in the country.Yamashita-san brings more than four decades of experience in the maritime and offshore sectors…