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Ari Ashe has more than a decade of journalism experience working in the busy newsrooms of Washington D.C. He earned two bachelor’s degrees at George Washington University and a master’s in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University. In 2006, he began his career with WTOP-FM in Washington D.C., a 24/7 all-news radio outlet. Beginning as a producer, he was the commuter transportation beat reporter from 2012 through 2015. He won an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative journalism during the three-year stretch. In 2016, Ashe moved over to covering commercial transportation for Transport Topics, a publication of the American Trucking Associations, covering the business of trucking, railroads, and ocean carriers, including quarterly earnings reports and economic news affecting the industry. He joined the JOC in 2018 and reports on the Southeast US ports, intermodal, and trucking.

Paul Bingham is director of transportation consulting for the Economics & Country Risk team at IHS Markit. With over 30 years of experience in the trade and transportation sector, Bingham applies the company’s information products and models for clients who need to understand freight and logistics. He analyzes and forecasts freight transportation and supply chain logistics, including cross-border commodity flows between Mexico and the US. Bingham’s primary focus is on North American transportation, including the international supply chains that serve North America. He has provided market analysis to seaports and the US Department of Transportation and the US Army Corps of Engineers, including multimodal trade analysis for port and harbor planning for Gulf Coast ports. Bingham rejoined IHS Markit this year after having worked at IHS Markit-predecessor firms Global Insight, Data Resources Incorporated (DRI), and Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates (WEFA). He serves as an appointed member of the US Federal Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, a group that provides industry advice to the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of Transportation on policies affecting supply chains in the United States. He is the former chair and current emeritus member of the US National Academies of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB) Freight Systems Group. He is also a past National Council Member of the Transportation Research Forum.

Lawrence Burns joined Hyundai Merchant Marine as senior vice president of the trade management group in January 2017. He oversees all trade and sales functions. Burns has 30 years of extensive industry experience, most of which has been in a management capacity. He began his career as a sales representative at Hanjin Shipping in San Francisco. Burns then joined NOL and held various sales management positions. He served as the branch manager in Houston, and was responsible for Gulf intermodal operations, sales, customer service, documentation, and administration. Burns moved to APL, where he served as district sales manager and regional sales manager in Dallas and New York for the Gulf and Northeast regions. He later returned to Hanjin Shipping to serve as general manager of the Northeast region. Burns is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a B.S., in business administration, international business management.

Daniel Dagenais brings more than 25 years of shipping industry experience to his position as Montreal Port Authority vice president of operations. Before joining the port authority in 2007 as director of operations, he accumulated a wealth of experience as a terminal operator, for bulk, non-containerized, and containerized terminals. Dagenais was promoted to his current position in 2014. He oversees the following departments: Environment, Infrastructure Management, Port Logistics, Marine Operations, and Security and Fire Prevention. He holds a management undergraduate diploma from McGill University, Canada, specializing in transportation and logistics, and a certificate of training for executives exercise from HEC. Dagenais is president of the Groupe conseil maritime – Quebec region, member of Initiatives for the Future of Great Rivers (IFGR), member of the board of directors of the Association québécoise des transports (AQTR) and of the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council (SODES), and a member of the Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation, where he also served as a director on the National Board for three years.

Dave Earle is the president and CEO of the BC Trucking Association, a member-based, province-wide, non-partisan, non-profit motor carrier association formed solely to advance the interests of British Columbia motor carriers. He is a member of the Canadian Trucking Alliance Executive Board, Canadian Transportation Agency Policy Development Committee, and The Gateway Council. Earle’s board appointments have included Employer Caucus Chair for WorkSafeBC’s Policy and Practice Consultation Committee, president of the Employer’s Forum, vice chair of SkillPlan, secretary/treasurer of the Canadian Hoisting and Rigging Safety Council, and directorships with WSBC’s Research Secretariat, Technical High Angle Rope Rescue, and BC Safety Council.

Bob Fredman is the director of global logistics at Big Lots Stores Inc., with responsibilities including international transportation, intermodal and drayage, import processing centers, and import compliance. Prior to joining Big Lots in 2013, Fredman was involved in transportation consulting and research, first with Battelle Memorial Institute and then as principal of SF Global Insights. He has held various global logistics leadership roles in the US and overseas, with Limited Brands from 1990-2007 and, prior to that, Distribution Centers Inc. Fredman has also been active in various working groups and advisory committees related to port productivity, transportation, and international logistics, including the Port of New York and New Jersey Council on Port Performance, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Supply Chain Optimization Working Group, and West Coast MTO Agreement PierPASS Advisory Committee. He has been a speaker and panelist at industry conferences, including IANA, RILA, TPM, JOC Port Performance North America, Transportation Research Board, the Columbus Logistics Conference, and Ohio Conference on Freight. Fredman is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.

Joe Gasperov is currently the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 63, representing the marine clerks in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. Gasperov started working on the docks more than 34 years ago and has been a member of ILWU Local 63 for the past 30 years. During this time, he has held various positions within the union including president, vice president, secretary/business agent, and convention/caucus delegate. In 2014, Gasperov was elected to serve on the ILWU West Coast negotiating committee for the 2014 contract bargaining. He has been an integral part of the coast technology committee since its inception in 2002 and has been closely involved with the implementation of technology at West Coast terminals. Most recently, he was selected to serve on the US Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC) in Washington, DC.

Paul Bingham is director of transportation consulting for the Economics & Country Risk team at IHS Markit. With over 30 years of experience in the trade and transportation sector, Bingham applies the company’s information products and models for clients who need to understand freight and logistics. He analyzes and forecasts freight transportation and supply chain logistics, including cross-border commodity flows between Mexico and the US. Bingham’s primary focus is on North American transportation, including the international supply chains that serve North America. He has provided market analysis to seaports and the US Department of Transportation and the US Army Corps of Engineers, including multimodal trade analysis for port and harbor planning for Gulf Coast ports. Bingham rejoined IHS Markit this year after having worked at IHS Markit-predecessor firms Global Insight, Data Resources Incorporated (DRI), and Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates (WEFA). He serves as an appointed member of the US Federal Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, a group that provides industry advice to the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of Transportation on policies affecting supply chains in the United States. He is the former chair and current emeritus member of the US National Academies of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB) Freight Systems Group. He is also a past National Council Member of the Transportation Research Forum.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba is the managing director of commercial operations and chief commercial officer for the Port of Long Beach. He is the senior executive responsible for developing and executing business development strategies to drive volume and revenue growth at the port, which handles more than $180 billion of cargo each year. Hacegaba also leads the prt’s Business Development, Port Operations, Customer Service, and Security departments, and collaborates with customers and industry partners to design strategies to drive efficiencies and optimize the supply chain. Prior to his current role, Hacegaba served as the port’s acting deputy executive director and chief operating officer and was responsible for managing the day-to-day business activities of the port. He began his career at the port as the executive officer to the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Hacegaba has more than 23 years of public and private sector experience spanning a variety of industries, including managing $200 million in contracts for a Fortune 500 company. In earlier roles, he served as a chief of staff for an elected official, a business executive for a growing international company, a research analyst for a policy research group, and a management consultant. He graduated from the University of Southern California and holds degrees in economics (BA and MA), business administration (BS) and urban planning (MPL). He also earned a doctorate in public administration from the University of La Verne. Hacegaba is a Certified Port Executive and Port Professional Manager and serves on boards and committees of various industry-related organizations, including the Marine Exchange of Southern California, Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce and the American Association of Port Authorities.

Tom Heimgartner founded Best Transportation as a one-truck operation in 1982, and since then it has evolved into one of the largest and most successful intermodal trucking companies at the Port of New York and New Jersey, with more than 100 trucks servicing the Northeast through the ports of New York and New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. A 40-plus-year industry veteran, Heimgartner is chairman of the board of the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers and a board member of the Intermodal Carriers Conference of the American Trucking Associations. Participating in Port Authority’s clean trucks focus group, the Port Productivity Task Force, and working directly with terminal operators, cargo owners, and shippers, Heimgartner is an advocate for improving the work environment, productivity, safety, and sustainability of intermodal transportation and is a proponent for the growth and efficiency of the Port of New York and New Jersey.

As co-founder, president, and CEO, Ken Kellaway is responsible for the overall leadership, vision, strategy, growth and development of RoadOne IntermodaLogistics. Kellaway was also one of the founders of RoadLink, the largest provider of intermodal trucking and workforce solutions in the United States from 2000‐2012. During his tenure there, Kellaway served in multiple roles, including chief commercial officer and president, and helped to develop and implement the strategic vision of RoadLink. He also founded E*Fill America, a national warehousing and distribution company, in 2002 and currently serves as its chairman. He founded Kellaway Intermodal & Distribution Systems in 1988, expanding the business from a standalone warehousing company to New England’s premier intermodal transportation and terminal services operation. Over a 10‐year period, Kellaway became New England’s largest, full‐service logistics company offering single-source logistics solutions to international shipping companies and importers/exporters alike. It was selected as an INC. 500 company two years in a row. Prior to founding Kellaway, he held management positions at Ryder Truck Leasing. He received his undergraduate degree from Providence College and MBA from Babson Business School.

Weston LaBar is the chief executive officer of the Harbor Trucking Association and president and CEO of Ventures 52, a bespoke venture capital and private equity advisory focused on early-stage transportation technology start-ups. He has a decade of experience as a strategic advisor and executive while managing trade associations, as well as large advocacy and external affairs projects. He is active in local, state, and federal policy making on goods movement and international trade. As CEO of the HTA, LaBar has lead countless initiatives with other stakeholders in the global supply-chain to increase port productivity. The HTA has been an industry leader in developing and adopting technology solutions that create efficiencies with various partners and have become the industry voice for the national drayage community.

Wim Lagaay was appointed president and CEO of APM Terminals North America region in 2018. Lagaay is responsible for the container terminals of APM Terminals Elizabeth, New Jersey; South Florida Container Terminal in Miami, Florida; APM Terminals Mobile, Alabama; APM Terminals Pier 400 Los Angeles; and APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas. Prior to this, he was based at APM Terminals global headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands as head of the US and European portfolio of terminals from 2016-2018, responsible for the financial performance and strategic development of the portfolio. Lagaay was named head of performance management and chief financial officer for the Mature Market Terminals for APM Terminals in 2013. In that position, he provided strategic direction, financial leadership, and terminal performance. He participated in the strategic development of regional business plans including key expansion initiatives. In 2006, Lagaay was named senior vice president for Maersk Line North American Operations, responsible for setting network strategy, product offering, infrastructure, and operations in North America. Prior to joining APM Terminals in 2012, he worked for another large port operating company as the COO and chief strategy officer. He has served on the boards of the Pacific Maritime Association, New York Shipping Association, OCEMA (Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association), and various container terminals based on his experience working in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Lagaay holds a B.A. degree in commerce from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, as well as a Chartered Management Accountant Certification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in England.

Alison Leavitt is currently the managing director of the Wine and Spirits Shippers Association (WSSA), having taking over association leadership in 2013. Under her management, WSSA has grown dramatically and formed coalitions with other industry associations, port authorities, and trade groups. WSSA represents more than 600 members involved in the import and export of alcoholic beverages and related products and manages over 35 service contracts as well as a cargo insurance program that covers more than $500 million in value in beverages shipped globally. Leavitt has been involved in the international logistics industry for more than 30 years. Prior to joining WSSA, she worked for 14 years on global accounts and strategic initiatives as the director of business development at Albatrans Inc., a global freight forwarder headquartered in Florence, Italy. Leavitt serves on various boards, including the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade, Maine College of Art, and American Shipper’s editorial board. She is also involved in the Agriculture Transport Coalition (AgTC). Leavitt has worked in all aspects of international trade, including ship agency, customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and contract negotiations. She has been a licensed Customs Broker since 1986.

As vice president of information technology for 3PL provider The Triangle Group, Erin Lenzen is responsible for all areas of IT, including software and hardware, to ensure that the company stays on the cutting edge of what is available in order to exceed all customers’ expectations regarding data flow and system functionality. She is also the liaison between business and customer needs, matching them up with technology solutions. Lenzen has been in IT for 10 years and in supply chain for more than 20 years, including operational management of several facilities. She is a member of the Oracle Cloud WMS Customer Advisory Board.

Robert Loya is vice president, CMI West, of CMI Transportation. Loya directs and oversees all aspects of CMI West’s Wilmington and San Diego operations, safety and security, including financial management, purchase trucking, IOO relationships and compliance, safety compliance and adherence, marine terminal relationships, commercial development, and vendor relationships. He oversees its C-TPAT security program and provides security expertise for all CMI locations. Loya ensures that operations teams are meeting CMI client expectations in a cost-effective and productive manner, keeping administration and expense activities in line with corporate guidelines, and championing a fair and ethical environment for all employees and contractors. He is an advocate for the industry, active in local and national associations, such as Intermodal Association of North America’s Intermodal Interchange Executive Committee. Loya is currently the California Trucking Association’s Southern California intermodal chair, Harbor Trucking Association president, and an American Trucking Associations Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference board member. He represents CMI at industry workshops and is a member of the Federal Maritime Commission’s demurrage and detention and innovation teams, Port of Los Angeles-Port of Long Beach Supply Chain Optimization working group, PierPass advisory committee, and Extended Gates subcommittee. He is an active participant in industry conferences, and stakeholder meetings. Loya is currently a member of the Operational Supply Chain Management Advisory Board for the College of Business at Cal State University of Long Beach.

As chief operating officer of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), Ed McCarthy is responsible for sustaining the profitable growth and strategic development of GPA’s six operating facilities, while maintaining world-class operational standards. He is accountable for safety, operations, equipment maintenance, facilities, and engineering. McCarthy has held senior management and executive positions in APM Terminals and CMA CGM America. McCarthy obtained a Bachelor of Science from the Maritime College at the State University of New York, a diploma in terminal management at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy at Kent College, Dartford, United Kingdom, and a Master in Business Administration from William & Mary University, Mason School of Business. He has served as chairman of the board for Consolidated Chassis Management Co. and as a member of the board of directors for the Ocean Carrier Equipment and Maintenance Association.

Michael Mecca is the CEO and co-founder of PortPro (portpro.io), a software company that provides asset-based drayage carriers with a fully automated transportation management system. PortPro’s system is currently optimizing the operations of many carriers in the Port of New York-New Jersey and is actively expanding into new markets. Prior to PortPro, Mecca was the CEO and co-founder of Axle, a fleet management and ELD solution that was acquired in 2019. Mecca grew up in the trucking and warehousing industry, learning the ropes and managing various departments at his family’s 70-year-old business (Mecca & Son Trucking, Florence Warehouse, and Accem Warehouse). His extensive experience in asset operations, along with product development and management, has given him a deep understanding of the inefficiencies within drayage operations, which PortPro’s best-in-class technology now solves.

Barbara Melvin is the chief operating officer of South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA). In this capacity, Melvin oversees the SCPA’s terminal operations, carrier sales, information technology and support services, crane and equipment maintenance, engineering, environmental, port police, procurement, logistics solution center, and cruise operations. She also serves as the SCPA’s lead staff person on the Charleston Harbor Post 45 Project and the Jasper Ocean Terminal Project. During her more than 20 years with SCPA, Melvin has held several senior leadership positions including senior vice president of operations and terminals, senior vice president of external affairs, and vice president of government relations. Before joining the port in 1998, she served as director of government relations for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and as a policy analyst for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. Melvin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia Southern University with a minor in international relations and a master’s degree in business administration in global supply chain from the University of Tennessee Haslam School of Business.

Bill Mongelluzzo is Senior Editor, Trans-Pacific at the JOC, based in Long Beach, California. He is responsible for coverage of the trans-Pacific trades, West Coast labor issues, harbor trucking, West Coast ports, and marine terminal productivity for JOC.com, The Journal of Commerce magazine, and JOC Events, and chairs the annual Port Performance North America Conference. Mongelluzzo joined The Journal of Commerce in 1980 as New Orleans correspondent. He moved to Long Beach in 1985 and opened the Los Angeles-Long Beach bureau. He served as maritime editor of The Journal of Commerce in New York in 1992-93 and returned to Southern California in August 1993. Mongelluzzo began his journalism career in 1972 as a reporter with the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He is a native of Chicago and holds a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master's in history from the University of New Orleans

Turloch Mooney is a well-known Asia-based supply chain journalist. His area of specialization is global ports, covering issues such as port congestion, competition, mega-ship impact, productivity, hinterland access, and relevant supply chain issues, and he co-chairs the annual TPM Asia Conference in Shenzhen, China. Prior to joining the JOC, he was co-founder and managing director for Supply Chain Asia, based in Shanghai, China. He previously held posts at the International Air Transport Association as Chief Editor & Secretary for the Global Compliance User Group. He holds a bachelor's in English, History, and Anthropology from the National University of Ireland, and a master’s in International Studies from the University of Limerick, with specialization in International Law and International Trade.

Hugh Morley joined the JOC in 2016 from the Bergen (New Jersey) Record and covers ports in the US Northeast and Mexico, including the terminals, unions, port authorities, and shipping associations. He also reports on the trans-Atlantic trade. A journalist for 25 years, Morley has written on business for 15 years, reporting on a range of topics from government oversight to corporate legal battles and the fierce interstate competition for jobs and investment. He holds a bachelor’s in management and operational research from the University of Leeds and a master’s in management and global business from Rutgers University.

Chris Ng is vice president of sales and marketing for GCT Canada, responsible for commercial activities, securing contractual relationships and mutually beneficial sales strategies to generate volume via new markets for container traffic through its marine terminals in Vancouver, British Columbia and New York-New Jersey. With 20 years of experience in marine operations and supply chain logistics in global trades, Ng oversees 85 percent of Vancouver’s terminal capacity — including Deltaport, Canada’s largest marine terminal — representing more than 70 percent of Port of Vancouver’s market share in container traffic. He joined GCT Canada in 1999, and he held various positions in terminal operations before transitioning to commercial. In 2013, Ng was named vice president of marketing and sales. He has developed a trust-based network and established cross-functional alignment between shippers and terminal operations in growing the Vancouver Gateway. He received a bachelor’s of business administration and economics from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.

Anthony Otto is president of Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), where he is responsible for guiding the company through its groundbreaking Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project – a $2 billion modernization of two terminals into the most environmentally sustainable terminal in the world and the most technologically advanced terminal in North America. Under his management, LBCT, a subsidiary of Orient Overseas Container Line, has memorialized its commitment to the Middle Harbor Project through a 40-year, $4.1 billion lease with the Port of Long Beach. At full build out, Middle Harbor will boast zero-emission platforms in virtually every component of its operations – from quay cranes to a fleet of automated guided vehicles that transport containers on the terminal facility while running exclusively on battery power. In addition, the complex will house the world’s largest battery exchange facility in order to service the large fleet of fully electrified terminal equipment. Prior to joining LBCT in 2000, Otto served in various management capacities within the maritime industry. He began his career in 1984, and rose through the ranks at LBCT, named vice president in 2003 and president in 2009. His insight into balancing marine terminal operations with environmental stewardship is highly sough after by elected officials and regulatory agencies.

Jennifer Polli is the president and chief executive officer of TRAC Intermodal, America’s largest marine chassis provider in the United States and a leading partner to the transportation industry. Polli has overall responsibility for the financial performance of the company, its long-term strategic vision and day-to-day operating performance. Prior to her 2018 appointment to this role, she was a key member of TRAC’s executive leadership team. Polli joined TRAC in 2012 and led multiple business functions, including pricing, asset management, marketing, and product development. From 2007-2012, she was a vice president in private equity at Fortress, where she focused on transportation investments, including TRAC Intermodal. From 2002-2007, Polli was managing director at global advisory firm FTI Consulting Inc. in the corporate finance-restructuring practice providing financial and operational advisory services to companies, including TRAC intermodal. She has an MBA in finance from New York University and a BA from Tufts University. TRAC offers expert marine chassis provisioning, nationwide tire and parts supply through TRAC Tire Services, emergency fleet roadside assistance through FYX, and maintenance and repair and depot solutions through TRAC Services. TRAC’s extensive footprint spans more than 650 locations and a nationwide network of more than 5,000 service partners.

Kevin Price is the chief operations officer of Virginia International Terminals (VIT). Price is responsible for all operations, information technology, safety, security, capacity expansion projects, and maintenance at state-owned and privately operated marine terminal facilities in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Richmond, and Front Royal, Virginia. He also is responsible for the Hampton Roads Chassis Pool, wholly owned by VIT, that operates and manages the intermodal chassis and empty container yards. Price ensures that his team strikes a balance between strategic and tactical goals. The operations division is simultaneously focused on today’s performance metrics, across all terminals, while planning for future innovations that will increase capacity and efficiency for Virginia’s customers. “It’s a balancing act. Vessel productivity, truck turn times, rail dwell … We will not lose sight of these key performance indicators. However, we must also commit to casting a vision for tomorrow’s sustainable growth. How and where will we innovate, building a better terminal experience for all stakeholders?” he said. Price joined VIT in 2018, as senior vice president of operations, and was promoted to COO in August 2019. Prior to joining the port, he advanced through multiple management positions with Sea-Land Service Inc., APM Terminals, and Global Container Terminals (GCT New York and GCT Bayonne). He also spent three years as a senior director with Bridge Terminal Transport, the former trucking division of A.P. Moller-Maersk. Price holds a diploma in terminal management from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy and a bachelor’s from East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania. He is anticipating a 2020 completion of a master’s degree from the University of Denver’s Transportation Institute.

Sam Ruda was appointed director of the port division of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on April 15, 2019. Ruda joined the port authority in 2015 as assistant director of port business development, overseeing retention and growth of the port’s maritime business segments of auto, bulk, containers, and cruise. Additionally, this role had oversight of the port’s marine property and leasing division. In 2016, Ruda was named deputy director with additional responsibilities covering port performance initiatives and innovation. Ruda was named acting port director in 2018. Prior to joining the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, he was chief commercial officer for the Port of Portland, Oregon, responsible for maritime and aviation business activity as well as its industrial real estate portfolio. From 2003-2012, he was the the Port of Portland’s director of marine and industrial development. Born and raised in New Jersey, Ruda began his career as a management trainee with the global container carrier Sea-Land Service. He has also held sales and management positions with American President Lines and NYK Line. From 1997-2001, Ruda was coordinating manager for NYK’s North American Liner division based in Tokyo, Japan, and later had responsibility for North Asia marketing and pricing based in Hong Kong, PRC. Prior to joining the Port of Portland, Ruda was director of global transportation for Nike, overseeing international logistics for the Oregon-based athletic footwear and apparel company. Ruda holds a bachelor’s degree in economics (1985) from Rutgers University, New Jersey.

Nathan Seeds is currently the CEO of American Intermodal Management, LLC, an intermodal asset management and leasing company founded in 2016 to bring innovative, high-quality, technology-enabled assets to the US maritime and intermodal markets. Prior to AIM, Seeds was the Chief Operations Officer of APL, where his career spanned nearly 24 years. Seeds started his career in operations at APL's terminal in Los Angeles, where he participated in the opening of the Global Gateway South terminal, including oversight of new terminal systems and technology deployment. He went on to develop extensive experience managing day to day operations in North America including terminal operations and technology, labor relations, trucking and intermodal, equipment and maintenance, alliance and industry cooperation, fleet and cargo management. In 2012, Seeds was appointed to head APL's global operations in Singapore where he was responsible for marine, network and terminal operations, equipment and maintenance, ship management and technical services, environment and security. Seeds has served on various industry boards of directors including PMA, OCEMA, and PMSA. He is a US Navy veteran and holds an MS degree in intermodal transportation.

An industry-known leader, Gene Seroka brings more than 29 years of experience in shipping, global logistics and executive management to the Port of Los Angeles. As executive director of the busiest container port in North America, he is responsible for managing more than a $1 billion budget, leading a team of more than 900 employees, advancing major capital projects, growing cargo volumes, and promoting innovative, sustainable practices that improve Southern California's economy and quality of life. His duties involve interacting with a wide range of stakeholders, including port customers worldwide, supply chain partners, labor, community members, and elected and appointed officials at all levels. He is a member of the US Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness, US Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group, US Maritime Administration Marine Transportation System National Advisory Committee, and Federal Maritime Commission Supply Chain Innovation Team. He is an alumnus of the University of New Orleans, where he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and a master's degree in business administration.

As Port Houston’s director of planning and technology, Michael Shaffner is responsible for strategic planning and execution of the Operations Technology Master Plan. These efforts in collaboration with port-wide initiatives ensure Port Houston delivers service levels that provide value to its customers. Shaffner’s department drive process improvement, elevates the technical expertise of colleagues, and provides all levels of support for operational-based applications. Recent projects include: gate automation, TWIC facial recognition, operator crane simulation, terminal operating system upgrades, remote ship-to-shore crane operations, rubber-tire gantry crane auto steer, automated work instructions, position detection systems, business intelligence, and truck transaction pre-advise system. Prior to joining Port Houston, Shaffner worked for 15 years at a global terminal operating company at marine terminals located along the US east, west, and gulf coasts, performing operational roles as a stevedore, yard-gate manager, vessel planner, and director of operations.

investor in the Company since March 2012. In that capacity, Shea has been instrumental in shaping the strategic vision of DCLI and facilitating the acquisition of major legacy chassis fleets while maintaining oversight of the company's growth and financial performance. He has extensive experience in the transportation leasing industry, beginning his career with Itel Corp. in 1979 after graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1984, Shea co-founded Kelley Transportation Services to market intermodal equipment manufactured by Stoughton Trailers Inc. In 1989, he also co-founded Bay Cities Leasing LLC, creating a pool of 15,000 piggyback trailers servicing the US Rail Industry. In 1994, Bay Cities was selected to manage the first domestic container and chassis pool, called EMP, for Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern with Mr. Shea serving as program manager of the pool. The EMP program, through its affiliation with REZ-1 (now Blume Global), developed the first reservation and billing systems for intermodal equipment and continues to manage domestic 53-foot containers and chassis for Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern and CSX rail networks today. Shea is the key executive who oversaw the creation of DCLI, formerly the chassis leasing division of Maersk, and was the thought-leader behind the 2015 creation of the Pool of Pools, the grey daily-use chassis pool that operates in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Shea serves on the board of directors of DCLI and is chairman of the Blume Global board. He served on JB Hunt’s board in 2009-2010 and on the board of the IICL. Shea has a long history serving charitable organizations which benefit children in the San Francisco Bay Area with life-threatening illnesses.

Mark Sisson is associate vice president, transportation planner, and analyst for AECOM. He leads its marine analysis group and is responsible for business development, project execution, and oversight of research and development of its simulation models. He has more than 24 years of experience managing and executing a wide range of marine and rail terminal planning, simulation, and analysis projects. Typical projects involve supervision of field data collection, model development, and presentation of analysis results. Sisson received a B.A. in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University and an M.S. in civil engineering from Northwestern University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of California.

Mark Szakonyi leads JOC.com and The Journal of Commerce. The JOC editorial team of 18 editors and correspondents provides business-critical and data-heavy business intelligence and analysis. Szakonyi oversees the magazine's 100-plus special reports a year, including the Annual Review and Outlook and Top 100 Importers and Exporters issues. In addition to supporting all JOC events, including TPM, TPM Asia, and the Inland Distribution Conference, he is chairman of the annual Canada Trade Conference. His analysis and work have been quoted in mainstream news media including the BBC, The Economist, NPR, and USA Today. Szakonyi, a Chicago native now calling Washington D.C. home, is an avid reader, traveler and vinyl record collector.

Peter Tirschwell is vice president of Maritime & Trade, IHS Markit, publisher of The Journal of Commerce, JOC.com, Dredging & Port Construction, Safety at Sea, PIERS maritime trade data, and JOC events such as TPM. In his expanded role within IHS Markit, he is responsible for all editorial content appearing in Maritime & Trade media and events. A career transportation journalist, Tirschwell has been a reporter, West Coast bureau chief, editor-in-chief, and publisher of The Journal of Commerce in his 20-plus-year career with the company, which began in 1992. He is the founder and chairman of the annual TPM Conference in Long Beach, California, one of the world’s largest shipping events, and led the development of the JOC Port Productivity project, the first global database of port performance. He writes a regular column in The Journal of Commerce.

Jonathan Wahba is vice-president of sales and marketing, intermodal and automotive for Canadian Pacific (CP). Wahba joined CP as vice-president of sales and marketing, intermodal and grain in February 2017 and was appointed to his current position at the end of that same year. Wahba started his career as a sales representative with United Parcel Service (UPS). He was director of business development with Canadian National, leaving in 2010 to join truckload transportation provider Schneider National as general manager for Canada. Prior to joining CP, Wahba was chief operating officer with Kriska Transportation Group, where he oversaw a doubling of the organization's revenue through a series of acquisitions. His extensive general management experience in the transportation industry, from trucking to rail, supports CP's strong intermodal business. Wahba holds a Bachelor of Arts with honours from Queen’s University.

Charles Wellins serves as president and chief operating officer of FlexiVan, a leading intermodal chassis leasing service organization in North America. He spent 23 years of his career with the APM Møller-Maersk Group, serving in various senior management capacities in Asia and the United States. Before joining FlexiVan in 2017, Wellins was based in Hong Kong as head of global strategic business development, freight management and USA, for LF Logistics, a division of the $20 billion global sourcing and logistics company Li & Fung. He also held senior management positions at CEVA Logistics, Global Freight Management, and its global Supply Chain Solutions division. Wellins is currently a director on the board of the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) and actively involved in US regulatory issues regarding international trade and transportation. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Penn State University and is a graduate of the Ohio State University logistics/distribution management program and London Business School senior executive program.

Mike Wilson is currently chief executive officer for Consolidated Chassis Management (CCM). Prior to joining CCM, Wilson was senior vice president of business operations for Hamburg Süd, where he was responsible for all Marine & Terminal Operations, Equipment & Intermodal, Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources & Administration. Wilson has 39 years of experience in international shipping, where his past duties have included senior positions in logistics, operations, and customer service, covering a geographical scope that includes North America, Europe, Central America, the Caribbean, and the north coast of South America. Wilson has worked with some of the best-known companies in the industry, including United States Lines, Crowley Maritime, United Arab Shipping Co., and Atlantic Container Line, in addition to being active in several industry organizations. He is a board member and past chairman of the Intermodal Association of North America and has served for nearly 20 years, making him the longest-serving director to date. He is also a past board member of the NYSA (New York Shipping Association) and is an active participant on the Port of New York and New Jersey Council on Port Performance.