Three New Members Confirmed to LA Harbor Board
Former U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, labor advocate Michael Muñoz and real estate businessman Lee Williams are the newest members of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners.
The Los Angeles City Council on May 2 approved Mayor Karen Bass’ nominations to the commission, the governing board that oversees the Port of Los Angeles.
The trio, which are replacing Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee and Commissioners Lucia Moreno-Linares and Anthony Pirozzi, Jr., are expected to participate in their inaugural commission meeting on May 11.
Roybal-Allard was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and was the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress. Before that, she served in the California State Assembly.
Muñoz is the research director for the nonprofit Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Before that, he was an organizer for the Teamsters/Warehouse Worker Resource Center at the port and a coordinator of the National Staffing Workers Alliance.
Williams is the owner and operator of The Lee Williams Real Estate Group, which mainly serves the Los Angeles South Bay. He’s also active in the community, serving on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles Harbor, past board chair of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and vice president of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council.
“I am looking forward to working with these three new, talented individuals on our Los Angeles Harbor Commission: a local community advocate, a veteran policy maker in Congress, and a leader in labor,” said Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker, whose district encompasses the port.
Schües Named President of BIMCO
In late May, Nikolaus H. Schües became the 46th president of BIMCO, becoming the first German national holding the position since 2011. He took over from Sabrina Chao of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings Limited, who has completed her two-year term.
BIMCO is one of the world’s largest of the international shipping associations representing shipowners. The organization states that its membership represents six tenths of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage, and that it has members in more than 130 countries
“I am honored to be elected president of an organization that represents over 60% of the world’s tonnage at a time when the task of decarbonizing our industry is becoming increasingly urgent,” Schües said.
“One of my key priorities over the next two years is for BIMCO to be a strong force within the area of digitalization and optimization of shipping. I believe it is crucial that we focus on the solutions that can help us advance today, and not fall into the trap of focusing exclusively on the right fuels of tomorrow. Our industry has digital solutions ready to go, which can cut our carbon footprint now. I see tremendous potential in helping the industry implement such solutions and making shipping greener in the process,” he added.
Nikolaus H. Schües has been with German shipping company Reederei F. Laeisz, which celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2024, since 1993. He is also a member of the Presidential Committee of the German Shipowners Association, Deputy Chairman of the UK P & I Club, Member of the Norwegian Hull Club Committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Schutzverein Deutscher Rheder shipowners mutual insurance association.
BIMCO Presidents serve a two-year term. To ensure organizational continuity, the president designate sits on the board for two years before being put up for election as president. The outgoing president remains on the board for an additional two-year term as immediate past president after which past presidents are ex-officio board members.
At the same general meeting where Schües was appointed to BIMCO’s presidency, Paul Pathy of Fednav International Ltd, Canada, was elected BIMCO’s President Designate.
Lowenthal Reappointed to Long Beach Harbor Commission
Longtime local civic leader Bonnie Lowenthal has been reappointed to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, the commission that governs the Port of Long Beach, one of the largest seaports in the nation.
The Long Beach City Council made Mayor Rex Richardson’s reappointment of Lowenthal official on May 2 when it unanimously approved it. Each term is six years, and the mayor can appoint each commissioner to up to two terms. Lowenthal is the 68th commissioner since the commission structure was established in 1925.
Before being named to the commission in 2017, Lowenthal served as a Long Beach City Council member representing the city’s First District, on the Long Beach Board of Education and as a member of the California State Assembly, where she chaired the Select Committee on Ports and Transportation Committee.
Lowenthal was first named to the commission in July 2017 and has had terms as president, vice president and secretary.
Five Shipping, Intermodal Leaders Inducted Into International Maritime Hall of Fame
In a ceremony held in New York City on May 17, five global shipping and intermodal leaders were recently inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Maritime Association of New York/New Jersey.
The ceremony was the highlight of the International Maritime Hall of Fame Award Dinner, which drew attendance from around the world.
The recipients, who were recognized for their leadership and commitment to advancing the maritime industry throughout their careers were:
- Griff Lynch, Executive Director, Georgia Ports Authority.
- Brian Buckley McAllister, President, McAllister Towing.
- Jeremy Nixon, Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.
- Semiramis Paliou, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Diana Shipping Inc. and Chair, Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association.
- Bill Shea, Chief Executive Officer, DCLI.
“These stellar industry leaders join more than 120 people previously inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame,” Maritime Association of the Port of NY and NJ Executive Director Stephen Lyman told the nearly 500 attendees. “It is fitting that so many have turned out to honor them.”
Also during his remarks, Lyman referenced a recent announcement that the Port of New York and New Jersey had regained the top spot as the busiest shipping port in North America.
“For 150 years,” he said, “the association has weathered the ebbs and flows of business through our port and remains a solid advocate for our members and those who do world commerce here.”
Maersk Supply Appoints Thorup Chief People Officer
Stine Thorup has joined Maersk Supply Service as Chief People Officer as of May 16.
With a career that includes time with energy company Ørsted, Maersk Oil and towage operator Svitzer, Thorup has extensive experience from the shipping and offshore energy industries.
She has held various HR leadership roles and holds an advanced degree in Economics & Business Administration, Human Resource Management, from Copenhagen Business School.
Thorup will report to the CEO and be part of the company’s senior management team.
“People are the reason for the success of Maersk Supply Service, so I am pleased to promote the Chief People Officer role to the senior management team,” Maersk Supply CEO Christian Ingerslev said in a statement. “With Stine’s vast experience and insights from the offshore sector, I am confident she will add immense value to Maersk Supply Service’s transformation.”
“Maersk Supply Service is on an exciting journey transitioning into offshore renewables. I believe that the company is bound to play an important role in finding the new solutions required to unlock and accelerate the energy transition,” Thorup said. “I look forward to contributing to this journey.”
Maersk Supply Service is a provider of marine services and project solutions for offshore energy sectors. With a fleet of anchor handling and subsea support vessels, the company specializes in towing, mooring and installing floating units.
The global company, which is a subsidiary of A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, employs around 1,100 offshore and 220 onshore staff and is headquartered in Lyngby, Denmark.
Maritime Startup Veteran Jim Daly Named COO of Bearing
Bearing, a Northern Calif.-based AI-powered vessel optimization and maritime shipping insights company, has appointed Jim Daly as its chief operating officer. Daly, who will report to Bearing CEO and co-founder Dylan Keil, brings extensive industry experience in building and leading teams that introduce new technologies.
“We’re excited to have Jim on board as we steer the maritime shipping industry toward more sustainable operations with our AI-driven solutions,” said Keil. “He understands the importance of our mission and he’ll be an integral part of our leadership team, helping us scale and create impactful technology to make maritime shipping a greener industry.”
Daly was previously Chief Operating Officer of startups Sea Machines Robotics and logistics robot pioneer Rethink Robotics. He helped scale Sea Machines through two venture funding rounds and the launch of several innovative autonomous and situational awareness products for workboats, ferries and cargo shipping.
At Rethink Robotics, he successfully scaled operations from a technology concept to first and second-generation products. The company pioneered the development of low-cost collaborative manufacturing and logistics robots. Its ‘Baxter’ industrial robot was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of the Year 2012.
“I’m eager to continue advancing new technologies for the maritime industry alongside the very talented team at Bearing,” Daly said in a statement.
Daly holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA in Finance from Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business.