On 16-18 October, FONASBA (the Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents) held its annual meeting in Athens, Greece. The meeting brings together key players from the shipping value chain in a spirit of collaboration to discuss best practice and help shape the future of the industry. This year’s event, which was hosted by the International Maritime Union, drew a record attendance of delegates from over 40 countries.
The historic heart of maritime trade
Addressing the delegates at the meeting, outgoing President Javier Dulce said, “I am pleased to address you with my final speech as President. As you know by now, I am a strong believer in team work. As such, I want to pay tribute to the whole board who have worked incredibly hard and I would like to thank them for their commitment. Going forward I encourage each of you to take part in the extensive activities we’ve begun in recent months. The progress we have achieved confirms the vibrant role FONASBA continues to play in shaping the future of our sector.
“This Annual Meeting in Athens, at the historic heart of maritime trade, offers us a great opportunity to work together, share experiences, enhance our knowledge and help our federation to develop further into the future. It has been an honour to serve FONASBA. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together in advancing our goals. I remember saying, during my first speech as President of FONASBA, that we wanted to work with and for our members. At the end of my last speech, let me say that we must continue to work with and for our members because they are the essence of FONASBA’s existence. Thank you for your continued support, and I wish you all the best for the future.”
A new era of leadership
The Council meeting concluded with the election of FONASBA’s new board. Signalling a new era of leadership, Fulvio Carlini of Italy officially succeeded Javier Dulce as FONASBA’s President.
The FONASBA Board now consists of the following members:
Fulvio Carlini, President (Italy)
Javier Dulce, Past President (Argentina)
Botond Szalma, Executive Vice-President (Hungary)
Dureid Mahasneh, President Designate, and Regional Vice-President Middle East (Jordan)
Mohamed Mouselhy, Regional Vice-President Africa (Egypt)
Marcelo Neri, Regional Vice-President Americas (Brazil)
Takazo Iigaki, Regional Vice-President Asia (Japan)
Raymond Troch, Regional Vice-President Europe and Chair, ECASBA (Belgium)
Antonios Venieris, Chair, Education and Quality Committee (Greece)
Julio Delfino, Chair, Ship Agent Committee (Argentina)
Bahadir Tonguç, Chair, Ship Broking Committee (Turkey)
Adaptability, sustainability, collaboration
In addition to the networking opportunities afforded by this gathering of international shipping industry representatives, delegates attended a series of seminars and presentations delivered by top-tier speakers.
The meeting featured a forward looking agenda, representing FONASBA’s commitment to advancing the shipping industry with a focus on adaptability, sustainability and member-driven collaboration. Topics discussed were varied and included subjects such as environmental regulations, the future of maritime training, maritime digitalisation, the impact of geopolitical events and seafarers’ welfare, demonstrating FONASBA’s role as a forum for addressing critical industry concerns in an ever-changing landscape.
Key moments of the event included a workshop entitled ‘Show Me the Money’ delivered by ITIC, highlighting best practices in compliance and risk management. In addition, there were discussions on agency agreements and FONASBA’s quality standards, held in the presence of FONASBA’s close partner BIMCO.
Firm foundation for the future
Speaking during the meeting, FONASBA President Fulvio Carlini said, "I would like to offer my thanks to Javier Dulce for his service to FONASBA during his presidency. His hard work has done much to ensure the federation of the positive position it enjoys today and provides me with a firm foundation on which to build during my term as president.
“I would also like to thank IMU for their warmth and kindness in hosting this event. Due to their meticulous planning, the annual meeting ran smoothly and showed the best of Greek culture and hospitality.
“I look forward to working, together with my fellow board members, in supporting our members in the coming period. As this meeting highlights, there are some interesting times ahead for our industry. We are, however, incredibly proud of the progress made by FONASBA and our members’ commitment to addressing the transformative challenges of our industry. The environmental and digital challenges, combined with the geopolitical shifts we face today, require adaptability and resilience—qualities that FONASBA has championed since 1969.”
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