Tim Mooney – Chairman

Tim Mooney is president of Fire Island Ferries, Fire Island Water Taxi and Fire Island Terminal, responsible for providing ferry, water taxi, freight and parking services originating from their Long Island, New York facility and servicing the communities of Fire Island, a 32 mile-long barrier beach. With a fleet of 25 vessels they provide transportation and related services to over 1 million passengers a year. Tim has a BS/BA from Nichols College in economics and computer science and started his career in the computer industry. He spent 25 years working with IBM, Wang Laboratories and Parametric Technology Corporation. In 2003 Tim left the computer industry to join his father to help run Fire Island Ferries. Since joining his father, he and his staff have worked to implement many new systems in support of websites, ticketing, freight billing, parking and advertising creating numerous incremental ridership and revenue opportunities for the organization. Tim has served on the Interferry Board since 2013.

Götz Becker – Vice-Chairman

Götz Becker, born 1967, is CEO of the FRS group of companies (Förde Reederei Seetouristik GmbH & Co. KG).

FRS looks back on a shipping history of more than 150 years. Today, the shipping company is one of Europe’s leading ferry specialists, having grown from a regional ferry operator to an internationally active business group operating 55 vessels with more than 2,000 employees worldwide.

FRS, with its headquarter in the north German city of Flensburg, has a portfolio that comprises of 16 vessel-operating-subsidiaries located in northern and southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America. FRS carries on numerous national and international ferry and catamaran lines around 7.9 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles every year. Nowadays FRS owns, manages and operates a varied fleet of conventional ferries, double-ended ferries, water taxis, six solar powered passenger boats and a broad variety of high-speed catamarans. FRS has operated in total more than 20 different High Speed Crafts (HSC) half of which were built under the order of FRS.

Götz Becker has been with FRS since 1994, CEO since 2005. In 2015, he joined the OPC committee of Interferry, since 2019 Götz became Chair of Interferry‘s OPC committee. One year later, he joined the DNV•GL committee. Götz has been member of the board of directors of Interferry since 2016.

Bernard Dwyer – President

Mr. Bernard Dwyer has been the Chief Executive Officer TT-Line  Company Pty. Ltd. since November 3, 2014. Mr. Dwyer serves as a Director of the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, a member of  the Brand Tasmanian Board and a member of the Tasmanian State Government’s Access Working Group.

Mr. Dwyer has significant experience in the Tasmanian tourism sector, working prior to TT-Line for 14 years in various senior management positions with the Federal Group, including nearly nine years as its Director of Tourism. During his tenure at Federal Group, Mr. Dwyer oversaw the development of the Saffire property on the east coast and assisted in developing the Federal Group’s tourism portfolio under the nationally awarded Pure Tasmania brand.

Prior to joining the Federal Group in 2000, Mr. Dwyer worked as a management consultant for KPMG Tasmania and Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Sydney and in various senior management roles with the former Trust Bank and SBT Bank – Tasmania.

Mark MacDonald, Treasurer

Mark MacDonald, QC is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Ferries Holdings Limited and subsidiary operating companies including Bay Ferries Limited and Northumberland Ferries Limited. This group of companies operates conventional and high-speed vehicle and passenger ferry services in Eastern Canada (including Canada to USA) and has undertaken various specific management and technical assignments elsewhere in the world.

Mark is a lawyer by profession having previously been a partner of Atlantic Canada law firm Stewart McKelvey until 2003 with professional practice concentrated in the shipping and transportation, energy, construction, and natural resources industries. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1999.

In addition to serving as Director of Interferry, Mark is a Member of the Board of Directors and/or Advisory Boards of several leading private companies in Atlantic Canada. He served as Chair of the Halifax Port Authority (2007-2012) and was previously a Director of the Authority. He has also served as a member of Canada’s Marine Transportation Advisory Council, a group of Canadian marine industry leaders that serves as liaison between the Canadian marine industry and the Government of Canada.

Claes Berglund

Claes Berglund is a senior executive in the shipping industry. As a Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Stena and active in many shipping organizations, he is a major influencer of shipping policy in Europe and globally. He holds a Bachelor in Science and is an officer in the Royal Swedish Navy (reserve). Before coming into the shipping world 15 years ago he had 12 years in road-based transport and third party logistic services.

Stena AB has activities within ferries, tankers, ports, offshore drilling, ship management, real estate and other investments. The group has a €4 billion turnover, 15,000 employees and operates more than 160 vessels worldwide. Stena is active in the challenge of finding sustainable energy sources for the shipping industry and has among other things introduces the world’s first methanol ferry.

Callum Campbell

Callum Campbell is part of the fourth generation to work within the family owned and operated Riverside Marine Group. The company has diverse marine operations around Australia and have recently begun operations in Canada.

After gaining considerable sea time on vessels from Tugs and barges to High Speed ferries, Callum acquired his marine engineering qualifications. It was at this time that he was asked to come ashore and manage operations, most notably the companies Sydney harbour Fleet comprising of 22 vessels and more recently assisted in the start up of the Canadian operations.

Callum is now based in head office, Brisbane, Australia as part of the senior management team, assisting in delivering the vision for the company as it approaches 100 years old.

Torben Carlsen

Torben Carlsen (54) was appointed President & CEO of Danish Ferry & Transport Group DFDS from 1 May 2019. He joined the company in 2009 as CFO and was, among other things, responsible for DFDS’ acquisition of Ferry and Transport Group Norfolkline in 2010 as well as other acquisitions, digitisation of DFDS and major change projects. Torben has a broad and international managerial background, with leading positions in Switzerland and the USA, primarily within the airline industry. In addition to this comes experience from private equity. He holds an MSc in Finance and various board positions in the finance and shipping industries.

Robert Clifford

Bob Clifford is the founder and Chairman of the Incat group of companies. The Incat Tasmania shipbuilding business has developed over five decades, now building a range from small commercial ferries through to very large vehicle carrying wave piercing catamarans.

Robert is still very actively involved with the design and production of the Incat product. The Incat shipyard is renowned for producing large high speed wavepiercing catamarans with the focus now as much on operating efficiency as speed.

Incat vessels operate around the world, Incat built vessels have now held the Hales Trophy continuously since 1990, and LNG powered Francisco operating in Argentina is the world’s fastest large passenger Ro-Ro.

Emanuele Grimaldi

Emanuele Grimaldi was born in Naples (Italy) in 1956 and, after finishing the military high school of “Nunziatella”, he studied at the University of Naples obtaining the Degree in Economics and Commerce with “summa cum laude” in December 1980. After his studies he immediately started working at the Grimaldi Group’s companies, founded by his father Guido and uncles in the late 40’s. Throughout his professional career, he has covered various top managerial positions, both in Italy and abroad.

Within the Group’s organization, Emanuele has gradually taken the helm of the Euro-Mediterranean short-sea services and motorways of the sea network, thus heavily contributing to their remarkable development over the last 20 years.

Emanuele is currently Chairman of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, Managing Director of Grimaldi Group SpA and Board Member of Grimaldi Deepsea SpA, President and CEO of Finnlines Plc, President of Minoan Lines and Malta Motorways of the Sea and Board Member of ACL. He is also Past President of Confitarma (Italian Shipowners’ Association) as well as Board Member and Past President of ECSA  (European Community Shipowners’ Associations), Vice Chairmen of ICS (International Chamber of Shipping), Board Member of Interferry Inc. and Board Member of Rina SpA.

Terry MacRae

Running a marine hospitality company wasn’t exactly the course Terry MacRae expected to take when he received his BS in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After launching his career as an environmental engineer, MacRae rose through the ranks of Industrial Clean Air and later Ecolaire Systems, Inc., which acquired it. As Ecolaire’s vice president of sales, MacRae was always on the lookout for interesting venues for client entertainment and employee motivation. That’s when he discovered and later acquired a small charter yacht business in Berkeley, CA. MacRae eventually bought out his early partners and investors, and over the past four decades built Hornblower Group, boat by boat, into the largest private dining, charter cruise and ferry company in North America. As his company dramatically grew its fleet and number of employees, its focus expanded from chartering private yachts for corporate events to operating cruises as a setting for school dances, weddings, gala fundraisers, social events, film shoots and private parties of all sizes and types. Beginning from its San Francisco roots, Hornblower Group has grown into a global organization through both organic and M&A initiatives. With a portfolio today covering 112 countries and territories, 125 U.S. cities and serves more than 25 million unique guests annually. MacRae has worked hard to ensure that its mission remained the same: to deliver amazing experiences with an emphasis on safety, customer service and teamwork.

Christophe Mathieu

Christophe Mathieu was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Brittany Ferries in April 2016. He has worked with Brittany Ferries since 1992 in various roles including work in the Finance, Operation, Marketing and Revenue Management Departments, Group Business Controller, Strategic Development Director, Group Strategy & Commercial Director and Member of the Executive Board. Christophe has a Master in Management Science from Paris 1 University, and has completed the International Executive Program through INSEAD. Christophe has been an Interferry Board Member since 2010.

Anders Ørgård

Anders Ørgård is Chief Commercial Officer of OSK Group comprising OSK-ShipTech A/S and Steen Friis Design A/S, a leading Danish marine consultancy group specializing in innovative ferry designs and ship interiors.

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.

Mauricio Orozco

Mauricio Orozco is President of the Ultramar / Aquaworld Group in the state of Quintana Roo, México. In mid-1989 he joined his brother Germán to be part of Aquaworld as Vice President and was responsible for maintenance and operations of their fleet. In 2003 Germán and Mauricio started Ultramar, a passenger ferry corporation. Mauricio has been a hands on person and has been involved in the design, construction and operation of their vessels. The fleet has grown from one monohull with a 350 passenger capacity to a fleet of 23 monohulls and catamarans, capable of transporting more than 7,523 passengers in one seating. Germán and Mauricio formed UltraCarga in 2018, which owns and operates RoRo Ferries, and currently provides service to two runs in the Yucatan Peninsula of México.

Chet Pastrana

Christopher Pastrana founded the CAPP Group of Companies involved in the trading of bulk raw materials for the cement industry. In 2002, he ventured into tug and barge operations. In the same year, he started Philharbor Ferries and Port Services and Archipelago Philippine Ferries which connects the major Philippine Islands with RoRo service. He has since expanded into ship management, ship repair, port operations and maritime training.

“Chet” is currently the President of the Philippine RoRo Operators Association, an organization of shipowners closely collaborating with the government with the goal of improving and strengthening its niche in the maritime industry. He holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute of Management, has completed the Executive Leadership Program at MIT, and he holds the rank of Captain in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Supapan Pichaironarongsongkram

Mrs. Supapan Pichaironarongsongkram is the Chairperson of Chao Phraya Express Boat Co., Ltd., Chao Phraya Tourist Boat Co., Ltd., and the Supatra Group of companies. Supapan oversees the operations of these companies, which has a fleet of over 90 vessels and transports over 12,000,000 passengers a year along the Chao Phraya River.

Chao Phraya Express Boat is currently in the process of modernizing its fleet by replacing wooden boats with aluminum catamarans.
Supapan received her B.A degree from American University in Washington DC, and an EMBA from Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. She has received numerous awards including “The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World “ in Vancouver, 2005 and “ASEAN Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs” from Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council in Hanoi, Vietnam 2015. She is also active with leading roles in various organizations. Supapan was the President and founder of The Thai Boat Association, her most recent position is an Advisor to the President of the President of the National Assembly of Thailand.

The Supatra Group of Companies celebrate our 100th Anniversary of river transportation this year.

Francis Portelli

Francis Portelli joined the family ship-owning company, The Virtu Steamship Co. (Holdings) Ltd., in 1968. In 1987 he set up and managed Virtu Rapid Ferries Ltd., which was rebranded as Virtu Ferries Ltd. in 1990. In 2003 he was named Managing Director of Virtu Holdings Ltd., a group with interests in shipowning, ship operation, hospitality, and real estate.

Francis was appointed to the Interferry Board of Directors in 2010, and he served as Interferry president for the year 2013 when Virtu Ferries hosted the Interferry conference in Malta. Mr. Portelli is a member of the Institute of Directors U.K, and is a member of the Board of Directors of a number of subsidiary and affiliated companies of the Virtu and Westin Dragonara Hospitality Group.

Patty Rubstello

Patty Rubstello serves as the head of the largest ferry system in North America. With 30 years at the Washington State Department of Transportation, Patty oversees a fleet of 21 vessels and ten routes which normally serve around 24-million customers a year. Commuters in the Seattle area and tourists and locals in isolated island communities all depend on the economic lifeline the system provides. Patty’s experience in design, construction, planning, traffic operations and tolling help ensure this critical marine highway continues to serve the people of Washington State. Patty is also a licensed civil engineer, and a member of Women in Transportation (WTS).

Anders Rundberg

Anders Rundberg is the founder and CEO of Carus, the world leading commercial IT solution provider of consumer facing solutions to the passenger shipping industry.

As CEO, Anders has led Carus through their acquisition by Anite Travel Systems and the subsequent Management Buy Out which returned ownership predominantly to the original management and staff and, more recently, the merger with Winpos to form the Carus Winpos Group.

Anders has been part of the passenger shipping industry for his whole life and it is his vision that has guided the evolution of the company’s core Reservations, Departure Control and Administration solution to todays integrated Passenger Experience Platform, that can manage all aspects of the Customer Journey to maximize the revenue and customer satisfaction.

Anders is a Master in Business Economics from the Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland and an active Rotarian.

David Sopta

David Sopta is president of the management board of Jadrolinija, Croatia’s largest passenger shipping company with a 100 year long tradition. He graduated as a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and has finished Postgraduate study from the Faculty of Economics and Business. Prior to Jadrolinija, he was Manager of International Affairs at international marketing agency. During his professional career David was Deputy Minister in Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was also Board Member of the Croatian largest insurance company. Through his career he gained experience in management of foreign investments and capital projects. Furthermore, David has a large experience in business development and corporate management with high sense of initiative and entrepreneurship.

Per Westling

Per Westling has been employed by Stena since 1985. In addition to a M.Sc. degree in Naval Architecture from Chalmers Technical University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Per is trained as an Engineer within the Royal Swedish Navy. Within the Stena group he has been project manager for several newbuildings and major conversion projects but also served for five years within the Stena Line Ship Management division. In 2001 he moved to Stena RoRo as Conversion Manager, took on the role of Deputy Managing Director in 2008 and subsequently Managing Director in 2011.

Heidi Wolden

Heidi Wolden is CEO of Norled AS, one of Norway’s largest ferry and express boat companies in Norway.

Wolden joined Norled in 2020, after three years as CEO of Kruse Smith. She has previously worked for Equinor where she held several management positions along most of the value chain within oil and gas, primarily within strategy, business development and finance. Heidi Wolden holds a Master’s degree in science from Nord University Business School, an MBA from NHH and executive education from the University of Berkeley in California and London Business School.