Meet our Speakers

Mathieu Girardin was born in 1982. He graduated from ESCP Europe with a Master in Management in 2005 and later earned an Executive MBA from INSEAD in 2018.
After 8 years in Strategy and Management consulting, Girardin began his career in the maritime industry by joining CMA CGM in 2013. Over nearly a decade, he held various senior management positions in Europe and Asia (Singapore), contributing significantly to the company’s operational and corporate strategies.

In 2022, Mathieu Girardin joined DFDS as the Executive Vice President for the Ferry Division. In this role, he oversees all Passenger, Ro-Ro, and Ro-Pax activities, along with their associated terminals. His leadership has been pivotal in strategic decisions, such as the acquisition of Spanish-Moroccan ferry operator FRS Iberia, or the sale of the Copenhagen-Oslo cruise ferry route to Gotlandsbolaget, which aimed to refocus DFDS’s efforts on transport and logistics services.

Girardin is known for his forward-thinking approach, particularly in expanding DFDS’s presence in high-potential freight corridors like the Strait of Gibraltar. His vision includes introducing environmentally friendly vessels powered by electric, methanol, and ammonia by 2030.

Outside of his professional life, Mathieu is passionate about sustainable maritime practices and innovation in the shipping industry. His contributions continue to shape the future of maritime transport, balancing commercial success with environmental responsibility.

Background
• ESCP Business School
• INSEAD Master of Business Administration

Career
• Accenture 2005 - 2007
• RISE CONSEIL 2007 – 2013
• CMA CGM:
- Deputy Line Manager 2013 – 2014
- Line Manager 2014 – 2015
- Senior Line Manager 2015 – 2016
- Deputy Chief Trade Officer APL, Singapore 2016 – 2018
- CEO Asia Regional Office, Singapore 2018 – 2019
- Chief Trade Officer CMA CGM Asia and APL, Singapore 2019 – 2020
- Senior Vice President Group Operations 2020
- Senior Vice President Short Sea Lines 2020 – 2022

Volunteer work
• Maritime Industry Cluster President – French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
• French Trade Advisor Denmark

Board work
• Board Member - French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (2019-2021)
• Board Member – French Chamber of Commerce in Denmark (since 2024)

Björn Boström is since 2008 Managing Director at Port of Ystad. He has 40 years of experience in shipping in companies like Saga Line, DFDS, Lion Ferry, DSØ A/S (i.a. The Hydrofoils Copenhagen-Malmö), the domestic island ferry company Ven-Trafiken AB and for 16 years now Port of Ystad. He has a broad experience of ferry operations and has worked as Sales Representative, Sales- and Marketing Manager, Route Manager and Managing Director.

The port has undergone a major development as two new ferry berths, for vessels up to 240 meters, were built ready for service in January 2021, an investment of more than 100 million euro securing the future port operations.

Since 2008, Port of Ystad has strengthened its position as Sweden's third largest ferry passenger port. Port of Ystad is now also developing as a cruise port as the city of Ystad is well suited as cruise destination. The new berths make this possible.

Mr. Achille Onorato, the eldest son of Vincenzo Onorato, represents a fifth generation ship – owner.
He graduated in Business Administration at Bocconi University in Milan. Later received his Master always Bocconi in Logistics and Transport Infrastructure.
Even before his degree, he already participates actively in the business of the company, working on board of the ship fleet of the family alternately to studies
from the age of 13 years old until the end of university, spending on board a total of more than 3 years.
He then later started to work in the commercial area of the group and then became the Hospitality and on Board Services Director of the company Moby SpA.
On January 2012 he became the CEO of the company Toremar, first public shipping company that was privatized in Italy, achieving a radical revolution and innovation of the company.
Mr. Achille Onorato has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Moby and Tirrenia – CIN since 2015 and he has also served as the sole director of both companies from its formation until its conversation into a joint stock companyand the subsequent appointment of the Board of Directors.

On July 2015 Mr. Achille Onorato has become the Vice Executive Chairman of Moby SpA and subsequently on April, 2016 he became the Chief Executive Officer and in the same time he still keeps the position of Vice Executive Chairman of the company.
In addition to the Ship - owner's family tradition, just like his father, he has also the passion for sailing on regattas.

Summary of Current Position in the Company:
* Moby CEO and Vice Executive Chairman
* Member of the BoD of Tirrenia – CIN
* Executive Member of the BoD of Toremar
* BoD Member of San Cataldo
* Chairman of Agemar and Renzo Conti sr

Brian Thorsted Hansen joined Fjord Line AS as the CEO in 2021.

Fjord Line was founded in 1993 and is Norway's second largest shipping company for international passenger traffic and freight transportation between Norway and Denmark. Being a link between coastal communities and in connecting Norway and Continental Europe has always been important throughout Fjord Line's history.
Fjord Line has led the way in the green transition at sea being pioneers within green shipping and sustainable fuels. This includes being an early adopter of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) technologies.
Brian is a seasoned executive within the shipping industry and has previously served as Head of DFDS' passenger business including successfully led DFDS' digital transformation within the passenger division. His focus has always been on innovation, growth and execution based on people, customer centricity and value creation

Juan Pablo Molina, born in Madrid in 1971, is MSc. In Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering by Polytechnic University of Madrid and MBA by IDE.
With more than 25 years of experience in different areas in maritime industry and with a large worldwide background, in Latin America, Singapore and The Netherlands.
He has developed different projects and business management responsibilities in ship repairs and ship building shipyards like NAVANTIA, VULKAN SHIPYARD and DAMEN SHIPYARDS GROUP both on commercial vessels, military ships as well as mega-yachts.
Since 2021, he joined for a second time the ferry and ro-pax owner BALEARIA, where in total has accumulated almost 10 years of experience as Technical Director.

Coming soon!

With a distinguished career and educational background, Panagiotis G. Anastassopoulos seamlessly blends technological expertise with strategic leadership.
As CEO OLPA, he oversees overall strategic management, implementing innovative approaches to enhance port services and fortify the port's position at the national and international levels. He has spearheaded initiatives for the development and enhancement of port infrastructure, elevating the efficiency and competitiveness of Organization. Actively seeking and promoting strategic collaborations with other ports, businesses, and agencies,
he strengthens the position of OLPA in blue economy. Panagiotis G. Anastassopoulos boasts a BA in Mathematics from the University of Patras
and an MBA from the Hellenic Open University and several IT accreditations.
Furthermore, he holds specialized knowledge in the development of IT systems, particularly in WEB2.0 applications.
With over 25 years of experience, he possesses excellent expertise in innovative business models and digital transformation.

Chief Commercial Officer of OSK Group comprising OSK-ShipTech A/S and Steen Friis Design A/S – leading Danish marine consultancy group specialising in innovative ferry designs and ship interiors, maritime risk assessment and green propulsion technologies to name just a few.

Anders has served as Secretary General of Danish Society for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and has been recommended as fellow of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects in London. He spends the majority of his time advising shipowners on Fleet Strategy, concept development and technical advisory on tender processes and negotiation of newbuilding projects.

Anders holds a master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and is a specialist in the field of RoRo and RoPax ferries, innovative concept designs, passenger flow, and on-board experience economy.

Coming Soon!

Michael Rudnik has been Head of Marketing and Sales at Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft (LHG) since 1st October last year.
A qualified shipping agent and business economist, Rudnik has many years of experience in the shipping industry.
He previously worked for Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) as Executive Sales Manager.