Following its 27th Annual General Assembly and elections for the new Board of Directors and Auditing Committee of WISTA Hellas, held on Thursday 31th March 2022, WISTA Hellas is pleased to announce the new Board of Directors and Auditing Committee, for the term 2022-2024:

President Mrs. Elpi Petraki, Operations/Chartering & Business Development Manager, Enea Management INC

Vice-President Mrs. Elina Kassotaki, Business Development Manager, Holland Hellenic Shipping Agencies Ltd.

General Secretary Mrs. Elina Souli, Regional Business Development Director V.P. – FD&D Manager, American P&I Club (Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc., Hellas)

Treasurer Mrs. Akrivi Brikou, CFO, Efshipping Company S.A.

Member Ms. Anna Giatra, Shipbroker, Renaissance Shipbroking S.A.

Mrs. Katerina Konsta, Mrs. Despina Kalfa and Christiana Prekezes have been elected Substitute Members of the BoD, while Mrs. Ioanna Topaloglou, Mrs. Vivi Kolliopoulou and Mrs. Elizabeth Ioannidi shall serve as members of the Auditing Committee.

The re-elected President of WISTA Hellas, Elpi Petraki, has been an active member of the Association for the last 22 years and she has served as Vice President of the BoD for 4 years and President for the past 2 years. She is also the II Vice President of Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (HSSA), member of the BoD of Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and member of the BoD of Hellenic Maritime Museum. She constantly works towards encouraging diversity and supporting the empowerment of women in all sectors of the shipping industry. She believes that sustainable development is achieved when people use new technologies and innovation for their own prosperity and for the benefit of the environment.

The Annual General Assembly was marked by an impressive turnout, with 123 members attending and 52 members represented by proxies. The members received a detailed update on the accomplishments of the Association and endorsed the balance sheet for 2021 and the budget for 2022. Furthermore, the amendment of the Association’s by-laws was deemed necessary, which was endorsed with a strong majority by the members.

The BoD of WISTA Hellas would like to express its most sincere gratitude to the past BoD members, Mrs. Christiana Prekezes and Mrs. Despina Kalfa for their devotion and achievements over the last two years.

The BoD of WISTA Hellas would like to thank the members of WISTA Hellas for their vote of confidence and especially for their loyalty and continuous support to the Association.

ABOUT WISTA HELLAS

WISTA Hellas is member of WISTA International, a global women’s network of maritime and trade professionals in 54 countries. Its members hold key managerial positions in companies and organizations and are influential decision makers. WISTA’s mission is the interaction among the members, the promotion of professional relations and the support and empowerment of women. It is an important and influential network with vast activity in national and international fora. WISTA International has received Consultative Status with IMO.

Photo Caption Photo WISTA Hellas BoD 2022-202:

L-R Anna Giatra, Elina Souli, Akrivi Brikou, Elpi Petraki, Elina Kassotaki

In March 2022, the Panamax Bulk Carrier “TINA IV” (GT 40,170 - DWT 75,200), laden with 66,000 tonnes of Indonesian steam coal, ran aground while transiting outbound passage from Balikpapan Port fairway, Indonesia, with destination to Yeosu, Korea.   

On 29 March, Tsavliris despatched the mega terminal barge “KFT-1” to lighten the vessel. On 30 March the discharging process commenced and 23,000 tonnes of coal were offloaded in record time of 29 hours. On 1 April the casualty was successfully refloated and the vessel was escorted by four port tugs to Balikpapan anchorage area, Zona A, where the cargo was efficiently reloaded from the “KFT-1” within 13 hours. On 2 April, the operation was successfully completed and on 3 April the vessel resumed her voyage.  

Sharing the vision of Marshall Islands Registry for highest levels of quality customer-services International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries, announced the promotion of Simon Bonnett and Theo Xenakoudis. Simon Bonnett, who has served as Senior Vice President, Technical since 2018 was promoted to Chief Maritime Officer and Theo Xenakoudis, the organization’s Director, Worldwide Business Operations since 2015 and Managing Director of the Piraeus office since 2007, now serves as Chief Commercial Officer.

Simon Bonnett and Theo Xenakoudis will manage and expand upon the responsibilities of the current Chief Operations Officer, John Ramage, who will retire at the end of June 2022 following a 51-year career in the maritime industry.

Speaking in Oslo during Nor-Shipping week, IRI President Bill Gallagher said, “we owe a debt of gratitude to John, and he will be greatly missed throughout the industry. We are honored to promote Simon and Theo who bring with them decades of experience and a shared commitment for ensuring the highest levels of quality customer-service.”

As the London based Chief Maritime Officer, Simon Bonnett will be responsible for the oversight of the Maritime Services Group, which supports the RMI Registry’s fleet of more than 5,200 vessels. With his extensive technical experience as a former Lloyd’s Register surveyor, and more than 12 years with IRI, Simon Bonnett brings the experience, knowledge, and capability needed to oversee the Maritime Services Group as it navigates and advises on new and advanced technologies.

“Demonstrating regulatory compliance is top of the agenda for most shipowners as is the use of new technologies and designs to reduce shipping’s environmental impact,” said Simon Bonnett. “We are and always have been a forward-thinking registry. Our high-quality technical experts and teams positioned around the world assist clients as they navigate this competitive market, and I am looking forward to the future as we continue to innovate with technology, alternative fuels, renewables, and autonomous vessels.”

Based in Piraeus, Greece, Theo Xenakoudis joined IRI in 2001 as Business Development Manager, became Managing Director of the Piraeus office in 2007, and in 2015 was promoted to Director, Worldwide Business Operations. As Chief Commercial Officer he will continue to support owners and operators globally and focus on the Registry’s growth worldwide, with a continued eye toward emerging markets such as the global renewables market. He will also be heading up the global vessel registration teams.

“The RMI is the flag of choice for many of the world’s leading owners because of our reputation for quality and client service,” said Theo Xenakoudis. “With more owners than ever before seeking to demonstrate their commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, choosing to flag with a registry with a demonstrable commitment to strong regulatory and trade compliance is more important than ever. We are proud of our commitment to a sustainable future for shipping.”

IRI’s collaborative approach to meet the highest standards of operation and client service is showcased by the RMI Registry’s outstanding PSC record including an unprecedented 18 consecutive years on the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP 21 program. It is also ranked in the top 10 of both the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of Understanding White Lists, and has an excellent record with the Australian Maritime Safety Administration.

“Our long-standing investment in building a global team and industry relationships, ensures that we are uniquely positioned with both an experienced team, strong relationships, and the right services to assist our clients,” said Bill Gallagher. “Simon and Theo have shown they have the qualities to drive our teams forward and I am excited for this next chapter.”