An experienced global maritime leader in the areas of policy, government, and related law, Bud Darr is Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs of MSC Group which operates in 155 countries.

Having served in the US Navy, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard, as well as being an accomplished ocean yacht racer, Bud’s longstanding connection with the sea and ships is both personal and professional.

Bud began his education in Submarine Nuclear Engineering and later obtained his formal undergraduate education at the US Merchant Marine Academy, where he was trained as a Deck Officer. During his service with the US Coast Guard, he studied law at the George Washington University Law School. He most recently led the Maritime Policy efforts of the Cruise Lines International Association prior to joining the MSC Group in 2017.

Today, Bud is engaged across MSC’s Cargo and Passenger divisions, developing the company’s central Government Affairs function, based at the Group’s headquarters in Geneva. He is closely involved in MSC’s response to developments in environmental public policy and regulation and other industry-wide issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, maritime security, safety at sea, and international shipping policy.

He serves on the Boards for the UK Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners’ Council, and Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel.

Grahaeme Henderson has a 40-year career in Shell that includes working 24 years overseas on international assignments in Brunei (twice), Nigeria, Syria and The Netherlands (three times). His roles at both global and country level, have been in some of Shell’s largest, most challenging and impactful businesses.

Thought leader and spokesperson in the shipping industry with keynote addresses at many major International Conferences. Number 14 in the 2020 Lloyd’s List Top 100 People in Global Shipping.

Formally President of the UK Chamber of Shipping from 2016 to 2018 and Chair of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum from 2014 to 2018. He was a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council for the Oceans.

Since retiring from Shell in 2021, he was one of the founding members and is Chair of the Together in Safety Global Shipping Industry Foundation. It is a unique collaborative group to protect seafarers’ lives, while delivering improved business efficiency and commercial effectiveness, which is fundamental to the future success of global shipping.

From 2011 to 2021, he was Director of the Shell International Trading & Shipping Company and Senior Vice-President responsible for Shell’s international shipping and maritime activities, including over 2000 floating assets. His work spanned Shell’s entire global business and he developed a new far-reaching strategy with performance improvement across all Shell businesses.

From 2005 to 2011, CEO of Brunei Shell, the largest private company in Brunei, and a major oil and gas producer in the Asian Region.

Tom is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Mission to Seafarers and Vice Chair of Maritime UK. Tom has over 40 years’ experience in the maritime sector, including several years as Marine Director at Lloyds Register. His most recent full-time role was with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe, as Secretary General, based in Brussels. The first part of Tom’s career was in the container shipping and ports industry with P&O and NYK.

He also is a member of the UK Chamber of Shipping Supervisory Board, the Lloyd’s List Editorial Board and the Council of RINA (Royal Institution of Naval Architects).

Tom has featured several times in the Lloyd’s List Top 100 People in Global Shipping. He served on the UK DfT expert panel for the Maritime Growth Study and the Maritime 2050 report.

Tom is a chartered Naval Architect who started his professional career in British Shipbuilders in Barrow-in-Furness. He then joined Lloyd’s Register where he was involved in all aspects of shipbuilding and ship survey, finishing up as a Senior Passenger Ship Specialist. He joined Carnival Corporation & plc in 2000 and has had a variety of senior roles across the group, including three years as SVP Marine Operations for Costa Crociere. Tom is now SVP Maritime Affairs where he is responsible for the LNG strategy for Carnival as well as regulatory affairs in Europe.

Tom is a member of the Supervisory Board of the UK Chamber of Shipping, a board member of SGMF and SEA\LNG, and chairs a number of committees across the industry.

Nick joined Lloyd’s Register in 1996 and was appointed CEO in January 2021.

In an extensive career with LR, he has worked as a ship surveyor in Bahrain, Dubai, Finland and Germany before moving to China to spend seven years leading LR’s activities in the country.

He has since been Director for Business Development and Innovation, Marine Chief Operating Officer and Marine and Offshore Director.

His focus as CEO is to deliver Lloyd’s Register’s vision of ‘working together for a safe, sustainable and thriving ocean economy’, improving the performance, safety and sustainability of their clients’ businesses through LR’s trusted advice, insight and expertise.

Nick is a graduate of Nottingham University, a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and a Member of both the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.

Nick sits on the Supervisory Board of the UK Chamber of Shipping, Advisory Council of the Global Maritime Forum and is Vice-Chair of the Cruise Ship Safety Forum Steering Committee. From July 2021 Nick took up the additional role as the first elected Chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).