The SMF Board

The Board, which comprises leaders across Singapore’s maritime ecosystem, sets the strategic direction of the Singapore Maritime Foundation.

Mr. Hor Weng Yew

MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PACIFIC CARRIERS LIMITED

Mr. Hor Weng Yew is currently the Managing Director & CEO of Pacific Carriers Limited (PCL), the shipping arm of the Kuok Group based in Singapore. In his years in PCL, he has been leading the transformation of the organisation and business portfolio diversification, underscoring a renewed and dedicated focus on process excellence, strategy-driven decision-making and talent development. He is constantly seeking opportunities to integrate shipping services with customers’ supply chains and maintains a keen openness to innovative business ideas, technology and data intelligence.

Mr. Hor actively supports PCL’s contribution to the vibrancy of the Singapore maritime ecosystem. In recent years, PCL has participated in consecutive Maritime Port Authority (MPA) Smart Port Challenges, sharing problem statements and mentoring start-ups. He also sits on the advisory board of NTU Maritime programme and provides relevant industry insights towards the development of future maritime talents. Mr. Hor is a member of the Board of Directors of Gard P&I Club Bermuda and a member of the Singapore War Risk Mutual Committee.

Mr. Hor’s experience in maritime started in Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) in various capacities including strategy, business planning, ship-finance structuring and management of general cargo, drybulk and tanker shipping businesses. He was involved in the entrepreneurial start-up of American Eagle Tankers (AET), which has grown into a leading global tanker shipping company. He led AET as President & Chief Executive Officer between 2009-2015. Mr. Hor was schooled in Economics from the National University of Singapore, holds a Master of Science in Shipping, Trade & Finance (with Distinction) from the City University Business School and participated in the INSEAD Advanced Management Programme in France.

Mr. Teo Eng Dih​

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

Mr Teo was appointed Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore from 5 September 2022. Prior to this, Mr Teo was Deputy Secretary (Policy) in the Ministry of Defence.

Mr Teo had served in various government agencies in the areas of Policy and Planning, Manpower, Strategy, Technology, Energy, Climate Change, Enterprise Services and International Trade. He was Special Assistant to then-Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean from 2016 to 2018.

He is a volunteer with SAFRA, an association looking after the needs of national servicemen. 

He took up the Trade Development Board Scholarship in 1999 and obtained a Master’s in Chemical Engineering with a Year Abroad (First Class) from Imperial College London. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship in 2012 and graduated with a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

For his contributions to Public Service, Mr Teo was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2021.

Mr. Prem Gurbani

ARBITRATOR, MEDIATOR & COUNSEL, PREM GURBANI

Mr. Prem Gurbani has been in continuous practice since being admitted to the Singapore Bar in January 1978. He is the founder of Gurbani & Co., a maritime and commercial law practice in Singapore, and presently a Consultant in the same firm.
He is involved in litigious and non-litigious aspects of maritime law and international trade including ship sale and purchase, ship financing, marine insurance, collisions at sea and carriage of goods by sea.
In arbitration, he is involved either as an Arbitrator, an instructing Solicitor or as Counsel in arbitrations both in ad hoc arbitrations and arbitrations held under the Rules of leading arbitral institutions. He has acted as Arbitrator as well as Counsel for nearly twenty years in arbitrations held under the Rules of the LMAA (London Maritime Arbitrations Association), GAFTA (Grain and Feed Trade Association, London) FOSFA (Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Association Ltd, London), ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), PORAM (Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia), SIAC (Singapore International Arbitration Centre) and the SCMA (Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration). He is also on the panel of several leading arbitral institutions such as the SIAC, SIArb and the SCMA.
Mr. Prem Gurbani was also named Senior Statesman in shipping litigation by the Chambers Asia Pacific 2015.

Ms. Caroline Yang

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HONG LAM MARINE

Ms. Caroline Yang started her career with Hong Lam Marine and was an in-house counsel from 1991 to 2002. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the shipping industry. In addition to her role as Chief Executive, she directly oversees the Legal and Human Resources functions. 

Ms. Yang graduated with Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from University of London and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from National University of Singapore in 1990. She passed the Bar Exams of England and Wales in 1991 and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1992. She subsequently passed the Bar Exams of Singapore in 1992 and called to the Bar of Singapore in 1995. 

She is a member of Singapore Academy of Law and sits on the Board of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Maritime Foundation.

Mr. Simon Kuik

VICE PRESIDENT, SUSTAINABILITY, SEATRIUM LIMITED

Mr. Simon Kuik directly reports to the Chief Executive Officer and holds the responsibility of overseeing the Sustainability Office. In this capacity, he is dedicated to developing the Group’s sustainability strategy and facilitating the seamless integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations.

Mr Kuik is currently the President of the Association of Singapore Marine and Offshore Energy Industries (ASMI). He also serves as a distinguished member within several influential industrial councils and esteemed educational institution committees. Notably, he contributes his expertise to the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), Nanyang Technological University, and the University of Glasgow’s Singapore campus.

Mr. Kuik’s impressive academic background includes a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honors) in Naval Architecture and Marine Technology from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. He further fortified his knowledge with an MBA from the renowned Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Mr. Nick Potter

DIRECTOR, NAVIRE VENTURES

Mr. Nick Potter was most recently Shell’s Shipping & Maritime head in Asia-Pacific and Middle East. He is Immediate Past Chairman of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and Past Chairman of the Lloyds Register Asia Shipowners Committee.

He holds a Master of Engineering degree, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology. Mr Potter is a Global Ambassador of the Mission to Seafarers and Ambassador of WISTA (Singapore).

Mr. Potter has undertaken assignments in the UK, US, Russian Federation, Caribbean and Singapore. Prior to Shell, he was the global head of Maritime for BG Group.

Mr. Cyril Ducau

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, EASTERN PACIFIC SHIPPING

Mr. Cyril Ducau is the Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Pacific Shipping Pte Ltd, a leading shipping company headquartered in Singapore for the past 30 years.

He is also currently the Chairman of Kenon Holdings Ltd and a member of the board of directors of Gard P&I (Bermuda) Ltd. and of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation Limited, which was established by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He was previously Head of Business Development of Quantum Pacific Advisory Limited in London from 2008 to 2012 and acted as Director and Chairman of Pacific Drilling SA between 2011 and 2018.
Prior to joining Quantum Pacific Advisory Limited, Mr. Ducau was Vice President in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley & Co. International Ltd. in London between 2000 and 2008.
Mr. Ducau graduated from ESCP Europe Business School (Paris, Oxford, Berlin) and holds a Master of Science in business administration and a Diplom Kaufmann.

Mr. John Martin

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GARD SINGAPORE

Mr. John Martin began his career in London in 1989 with Richards Hogg Lindley Average Adjusters, and qualified as a Fellow of the UK Association of Average Adjusters in 2000.
At RHL he worked in their offices in Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2003 he joined Gard Hong Kong, as a claims handler. Mr. Martin also worked in Gard Japan, and in 2014 he moved to Singapore to set up the Gard Singapore office.
Besides running Gard Singapore, Mr. Martin also heads the P&I and H&M claims units and is the Senior Claims Representative for Gard in Asia.

Ms. Angeline Teo

MANAGING DIRECTOR & HEAD, GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION & OFFSHORE, OCBC BANK

Ms. Angeline Teo is the Managing Director and Head of Global Transportation and Offshore, Global Corporate Banking at OCBC Bank which focuses on the maritime, aviation, land & port ecosystems.
Ms. Teo has spent over three decades in maritime finance. Prior to OCBC, Ms. Teo was working at ING Bank, ABN Amro and DnB in Singapore focusing on maritime and offshore.
Ms. Teo graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Business Administration.

Mr. Lars Kastrup

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL LINES

Mr. Lars Kastrup is the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd (PIL).

Prior to joining PIL, Mr. Kastrup was CEO of NOL/APL, and subsequently assumed the role of Executive Vice President, Strategy and M&A at CMA CGM Group. A veteran in the global shipping industry with over 30 years of experience, Mr Kastrup’s other roles include Executive Vice President of Assets at CMA CGM Group heading up CMA Terminals, CMA Ships, Container Logistics as well as regional carriers such as MacAndrews, OPDR and Mercosul; as well as Vice President at AP Moller-Maersk.
Mr. Kastrup complemented his tertiary education with leadership and management training at Penn State University and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Nelson Quek

REGIONAL CEO OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, PSA INTERNATIONAL

Nelson Quek is currently the Regional CEO of Southeast Asia at PSA International. He sits on the Senior Management Council and has overall responsibility for PSA Group’s portfolio of operating terminals, investments and expansion in Southeast Asia. This includes PSA Singapore, which has seen major productivity improvements, deployment of technologies and the development of Tuas Port. Nelson is an active member in the maritime domain and is part of the Next Generation Port 2030 Steering Committee.

Prior to his current position, Nelson was the Managing Director of Container Division at PSA Singapore, where he was responsible for its business development, operations excellence, and engineering services. He also held the position of Head of Tuas Development, where he played a pivotal role pioneering and spearheading the overall design and delivery of Tuas Port, including the planning of future businesses and ensuring its integration into the broader Port and Supply Chain Ecosystem.

Nelson’s professional career began in PSA as a mechanical engineer managing the running, repair and maintenance of container handling equipment. He went on to be one of the pioneers in Port automation where he piloted and introduced the overhead bridge cranes – a first in the world in terminal operations. He also facilitated the start-up of PSA’s terminals in Antwerp, Belgium before returning to oversee the continued expansion of Pasir Panjang Terminals. Subsequently, he assumed the role of Head of Engineering Division, where he was responsible for setting the direction to ensure the operational effectiveness of port equipment, and technology development and implementation at City & Pasir Panjang Terminals, as well as Tuas Port.

With a career spanning over 30 years in the Port & Maritime industry, Nelson continues to strategise the business growth of PSA in the Southeast Asia region as a leading global port operator and trusted supply chain partner to cargo stakeholders.

Mr. Jeremy Sutton

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SWIRE SHIPPING

Jeremy Sutton is Chief Executive Officer of Swire Shipping. He took on the role in August 2022, having previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer.

Jeremy is a New Zealander, and industry veteran, with 25 years of experience in diverse roles in the shipping and transportation industry in Asia, New Zealand and the USA. Jeremy joined Tasman Orient Line (a Swire subsidiary) in New Zealand in 2006 before moving to Singapore in 2008 and over the past 17 years has held various management roles with Swire Shipping.

Jeremy is a Board Member for the NorthStandard P&I Club and World Shipping Council, and Co- Chair of the Global Environment Facility ISLANDS (Implementing Sustainable Low and Non- chemical Development in Small Island Developing States Programme) Waste-free Shipping Partnership. He will also serve on the Board of the Singapore Maritime Foundation from 1 January 2024. He is currently based in Singapore.

Inaugural MSC Maritime Digital Challenge Grand Finals Prize Presentation

Over 129 tertiary students across 35 teams took part in the inaugural MSC Maritime Digital Challenge that seeks to plug Singapore students with a passion for technology into the maritime industry.
Students from the Singapore Management University and Nanyang Polytechnic were announced as winners of the challenges posed by Eastport Maritime, Kanda and Torvald Klaveness at the Prize Presentation held on 13 November 2021.

MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021

Three challenge statements, 35 teams, 129 students and 12 finalist teams from 4 universities & 3 polytechnics. Catch behind-the-scene highlights of the MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021.

Singapore Maritime Foundation | MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021

Catch highlights of the MSC Maritime Digital Challenge 2021. We thank Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport Mr. Chee Hong Tat for being our Guest-of-Honour at the event.

SMF New Year Conversations 2022: Year-in-Perspective Video

The past two years of learning to live with Covid-19 has been challenging, but Maritime Singapore has remained resilient. What are the fundamental tenets that attract companies to anchor their business in Singapore and grow their operations here? And what more can be done to leverage on Singapore’s strengths to enhance its attractiveness as a global business hub for maritime companies? How will the Singapore Maritime Foundation organize its work around Connectivity, Innovation and Talent to strengthen the maritime ecosystem? Find out in this Year-in-Perspective video.

SMF New Year Conversations 2022: Opportunities Amid Disruptions

The 2022 SMF New Year Conversations that took place on 13 January 2022 was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Transport & Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. Over 250 industry leaders across the breadth of maritime attended physically and virtually.
Singapore was announced to have secured the overall top spot as an international maritime centre for the fifth consecutive time in the DNV-Menon Leading Maritime Cities 2022 report.
Thank you to our industry partners for your strong support.