Special Offer: Get 50% off your first 2 months when you do one of the following
Personalized offer codes will be given in each session

Hong Kong: the Leading Global Maritime Hub is looking ahead

About This Webinar

MARE FORUM and INVEST HONG KONG will host an online round table with the central discussion theme "Hong Kong: The Leading Global Maritime Hub is looking ahead" It will be held on Thursday 27 May at 17:00 PM HONG KONG TIME ( 11:00 AM CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME) 90 minutes.

With the spatial transformation of the global economic power from the West to the East, the rising power of China's economy and its maritime sectors like shipowning, shipmanagement, ship finance, shipbuilding, commodity trading, etc. make Hong Kong the excellent place for international maritime executives. At the same time, Hong Kong is looking forward to a brilliant maritime future by capturing the opportunities in high-end maritime services.

This theme will be discussed in a holistic approach, in a roundtable consisting of leading local and International Executives of the maritime industry chair-holders. They will exchange their thoughts, ideas, and visions and try to give the answer to the following questions.

Agenda
  • What are HKs' competitive advantages as an Asian and global shipping hub?
  • How can HK increase its competitiveness by tapping into the mainland Chinese market?
  • How can HK use its successful maritime cluster as a motor to profit at the ambitious Maritime Silk Road?
  • Can the HK Maritime Cluster excellence and the development in South China region create Asia’s' first nodal point and attract more global maritime business?
  • What are the perspectives of Hong Kong’s position as a global shipping, financial, tax, legal and arbitration centre in relation to the Chinas’ views and global maritime business developments?
  • Are we moving into an era of decreased trade tensions and softer regionalism and protectionism? Or do we still expect a continuing rise of these phenomena as we have experienced over the recent years?
  • What is the view of HK maritime Leaders?
  • Why Hong Kong is the place to be for foreign shipowning, shipmanagement, ship finance and leasing, and maritime tech start-ups?
  • What are the international Executives requirements from Hong Kong?
Who can view: Everyone
Webinar Price: Free
Featured Presenters
Webinar hosting presenter
Chairman of Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) and Chief Executive Officer at Anglo-Eastern Univan Group
Bjorn Hojgaard is Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association and CEO of Anglo-Eastern Univan Group, a ship management company.

Previously, he was Managing Director at Thome Ship Management, Brigantine Group, and A.P. Moller Singapore, as well as Manager of Operations, Efficiency & IT for APM Terminals.

A keen yachtsman and Master Mariner, Bjorn worked his way up through the ranks, from military service in the Royal Danish Navy to Captain of one of the largest container vessels in the A.P. Moller – Maersk merchant fleet, before moving into shore-side management.

A graduate of A.P. Moller – Maersk’s prestigious MAESTRO program, Bjorn also trained in executive leadership strategy and organization at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, Palo Alto, USA.

He has served two terms on the Singapore Shipping Association’s Council and as Chairman of its Technical Committee (2009-2011), delivering the SSA’s draft proposal on piracy to the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) in New York in June 2011.
Webinar hosting presenter
Head of Transport & Maritime Cluster, Invest Hong Kong
Mr Benjamin Wong is the Head of Transport and Industrial Sectors at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Government department responsible for attracting and facilitating foreign direct investment. He has a much diversified portfolio covering maritime, aviation, road transportation, logistics, energy, infrastructures, mining, natural resources and construction and has helped numerous multinational companies landed in Hong Kong.

With extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr Wong's expertise combines transport sector knowledge, international marketing and investment promotion. Before joining InvestHK, Mr Wong has spent years with some of the biggest European and American companies with regional responsibilities.
Webinar hosting presenter John Aune
CEO, Wallem Ship Management (Interim)
Webinar hosting presenter
Managing Director, Landbridge Ship Management
Capt. Sanjeev Verma is a Master Mariner with 27 years in the shipping industry with the last 11 years in different shore roles, from being a risk assessor for Oil Majors and Chemical Distribution Institute, heading the quality and safety department of a leading shipowner in Hong Kong, and now managing a fleet of VLCC ship owner from starting and setting up their ship management business in Hong Kong. Sanjeev had completed (MBA) from Asia's prestigious Business School – HKUST School of Business. He is an active member of the Nautical Institute HK branch executive committee, ICS HK Chapter executive committee, various sub-committees of HKSOA, Regional sub-committees of DNVGL, CCS, LR & ABS, and various committees at Intertanko
Webinar hosting presenter GEORGE XIRADAKIS
Founder and President of XRTC.
George Xiradakis was born in Athens and grew up in Volos. He graduated from the Nautical Marine Academy of Aspropyrgos-Athens and he holds a diploma in Commercial Operations from City of London Polytechnic and an MSc in Maritime Studies from University of Wales.
He served as Senior Manager in the French bank Credit Lyonnais both in Athens and Paris. In 1999 he founded XRTC which acts as a commercial representative of foreign banks and institutions in Greek Shipping Market.

Since 2009, XRTC has been working closely with the Chinese ship finance market aiming to
assist Chinese Banks to penetrate the Greek Shipping Market while since 2010 is the Preferred
Shipping Finance Consultant of China Development Bank. In 2010 XRTC awarded in Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards as “Financier of the Year 2010” for the completion of the first bilateral loan between a Chinese bank and a Greek shipowner which was signed in the presence of both countries Premiers. Mr. Xiradakis is a Banker of reference on Chinese financing in the Greek business cycles due to his long lasting relationship with PRC.

Mr. Xiradakis is Vice President of China Hellenic Chamber (HCCI), General Secretary of the
Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, Vice President
(International and Financial Relations) of the China-Greece Association, VP of the
International Propeller Club of the United States.

He is Emeritus President of International Propeller Club, Port of Piraeus, Emeritus Member of The Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry, member of the Mediterranean Committee of China Classification Society, Piraeus Marine Club, Hellenic Maritime Museum and Hellas Liberty Floating Museum etc.

In May 2019 he participated in the European Parliament elections.
Webinar hosting presenter Rosita Lau
Partner, Ince
Rosita is a partner of the 150 years old international law firm Ince & Co. She has over 20 years of experience in transportation law (covering the sea, the land, and the air), specializing in all aspects of dry shipping, aviation, logistics, insurance, international trade, and personal injury law. She has won many awards and has been repeatedly voted by clients and commentaries as a leading lawyer.

She studied law in England and holds a Master of Law Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science of the University of London with a Mark of Merits. She is admitted to practice in four jurisdictions, namely, England and Wales, Australia ACT, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

She acts for international shipowners, charterers, ship managers, P&I clubs, ports and terminal operators, freight forwarders, cargo interest, and logistic operators. She is an LMAA Support Member, advises and acts for clients in litigation at all levels of court and in international and domestic arbitration and mediation. Reported shipping cases include Fan Yun 203 (a Hong Kong High Court (Admiralty Court) case) which remains the authority on identification of Mainland China beneficial but not registered shipowners.

Awards and Accolades

Rosita is a litigation specialist in shipping, insurance, and aviation and well known for advising and acting for clients in multi-jurisdictional complex commercial disputes and resolving them in pragmatic ways. Particularly well-known for her shipping-related expertise, Rosita has been repeatedly ranked by legal directories as a lawyer of the highest tier and awarded numerous distinguished awards in the shipping and related practice.

The most recent accolade is that in early May this year, 2021, she was ranked as a ‘Litigation Star’ in Shipping by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific.

She has also been for consecutive years recognized as a Leading (Band 1) lawyer for shipping litigation and insurance by Chambers Asia Pacific and has been ranked by Legal 500 Asia Pacific for 20 consecutive years, since 2001 till now, as a Leading Individual in Shipping, which is a record.

In 2020, Legal 500 Asia Pacific launched its Fall of Fame accolade to recognize outstanding legal practitioners. Rosita was inducted into the Hall of Fame accolade, being one of the five (only) shipping lawyers so ranked. Earlier this year, 2021, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame accolade again, and she is one of the very few lawyers in the region who won this accolade for two consecutive years since its inception.

In 2019, she won the “Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector” Award presented by Seatrade Maritime Awards. She is the first outstanding female who received this award.

In 2019 and again in this year, 2021, she was ranked as one of the top 100 elite lawyers in “The A-List” by the China Business Law Journal.

She was ranked by Lloyd’s List twice as one of “The World’s Top Ten Shipping Lawyers” and one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Maritime Personnel in the World” in 2010 and 2016. To date, she remains the first and the only Chinese lawyer who obtained these awards twice.

In 2016, she won the Lloyd’s List Asia “Individual Maritime Lawyer of the Year” Award. She is also the first and hitherto the only Hong Kong and Chinese lawyer to win this award.

In 2014, she won the “Best in Shipping” Award by Euromoney at their Asia Women in Business Law Awards. She is also the first Hong Kong lawyer to win this Award.

Recognized by Asia Law & Practice since 2004 for 18 consecutive years till present as a Leading Lawyer in Aviation and Maritime.

Ranked by Who’s Who Legal – Transport for consecutive years since 2014 to present as a Leading Maritime Lawyer.

Ranked by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific - Hong Kong Guide for consecutive years as a “Disputes Star” for Commercial Disputes and Insurance Disputes.

She has been appointed to various public duties positions in her personal capacity, including, among others, the Maritime Development Council, the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. She is the honorable legal adviser of numerous maritime and logistics associations.

She had chaired, moderated, and spoken in international and regional conferences, forums, seminars, by invitation, in, among others, Canada, China, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Hosted By
MARE FORUM webinar platform hosts Hong Kong: the Leading Global Maritime Hub is looking ahead
Connecting people in the maritime industry
Registered (463)
Attended (165)
Recommended