16 Jun 2022

Final preparations have been completed for the globally renowned maritime conference - Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022, which is set to take place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on Thursday, 23rd June 2022.

In its fourth iteration, the Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022, will see government ministers, politicians and leading industry figures come together to debate the most topical industry issues around the environment, innovation, technology, people, skills, regional growth and competitiveness.

Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022

A series of major announcements are expected at the Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022

A series of major announcements are expected at the Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022, of both national and regional significance. The whole event is being delivered by regional cluster body - Mersey Maritime, in close co-operation with national body, Maritime UK.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mersey Maritime, said “We are thrilled that this major fixture in the maritime calendar is once again able to offer an exceptional line-up of speakers. That’s no surprise to us given how significant the industry is to both the UK economy and indeed here in our own Liverpool City Region.

Maritime 2050 strategy

Chris Shirling-Rooke continues, “Despite all the challenges that the last two years have thrown at us, the Maritime Industry is buoyant and well placed to respond to all that lies ahead. Maritime has a £116 billion economic impact nationally – more than rail and aviation combined. It supported 1, 064, 000 jobs in 2019 and has some of the most productive, well paid workers in the country.

He adds, “At the heart of this success and ambition sits the Maritime 2050 strategy, which was first launched in early 2019 and debated thoroughly that year, at the very first Mersey Maritime Exchange. It directs every aspect of our industry’s future and is the focus for some much of what we all do. This conference will be an ideal opportunity for the biggest names in the industry to come together, take stock of where we are and plan for the future. It is not to be missed!

The conference will feature a number of keynote speeches and panel discussions that are focused on the major themes of Maritime 2050.

The line-up of speakers at the Mersey Maritime Exchange Conference 2022 is now confirmed and features:

Welcome Address:

  • Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Mersey Maritime
  • Robert Courts MP, the Department for Transport – Maritime Minister
  • Victoria Race, the Deputy Director, Maritime Policy – Department for Transport

Panel Chairs:

  • Sarah Kenny, Chair – Maritime UK and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMT Global
  • Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Mersey Maritime

Environment Panel:

  • Kevin Brown, the Commercial and Contracts Leader – Bibby Marine
  • Cllr Gill Wood, the Clean Growth Champion – LCR Growth Platform
  • Joe Parsons, the Senior Environmental Consultant – Royal Haskoning DHV
  • Peter Aylott, the Maritime Director – UK Chamber of Shipping

People & Skills Panel:

  • Robyn Pyne, the Principal Lecturer (Logistics and Maritime Management) – Liverpool John Moores University
  • Gary Jeffreys, the Area Managing Director UK & Ireland – Maersk
  • Mark Dickinson, the General Secretary – Nautilus International
  • Captain Rachael Smallwood, the Head of Human Performance – The Royal Navy

Regional Growth Panel:

  • Richard Ballantyne, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – British Ports Association
  • Thomas White, Maritime & Ports – Connected Places Catapult
  • Laura Marquis, the Deputy Director Logistics & Supply Chain Policy –  Department for Transport
  • John Lucy, Director – LCR Freeport

Technology & Innovation Discussion:

  • Sarah Kenny, Chair – Maritime UK and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMT Global
  • Ewan Chesser, Global Technology Center Manager – Chevron
  • Jonathan Taylor, Vice President – Marine – Expleo
  • Nusrat Ghani MP, the Non-Executive Chair of Artemis Technologies and Former Maritime Minister

Competitiveness Keynote:

  • Sir Michael Bibby Bt. DL, Chairman – Bibby Line Group

Closing Speech:

  • Mike Kane MP, Shadow Maritime Minister

The Mersey Maritime Exchange 2022 is sponsored by Expleo, Nautilus International, the Liverpool John Moores University, Royal HaskoningDHV and the Royal Navy.