2024 FIATA World Congress’ speakers revealed
SWITZERLAND / PANAMA CITY : For almost 100 years, FIATA has been convening industry leaders and innovators in logistics at its flagship FIATA World Congress (FWC) to discuss industry challenges and trends, hear perspectives from top industry leaders and their solutions, and exchange and network with supply chain actors from different parts of the logistics industry from all around the world. This annual event, which takes place around September and October, brings together around 700 to 1,000 participants from the logistics, transport, and cargo industries, as well as observers from other sectors and a number of institutional attendees.
Logistics and trade are in a state of constant evolution, driven by shifting consumer demands, rapid digitalisation, and an ever-changing geopolitical landscape. In this dynamic environment, the role of logistics service providers becomes increasingly critical as engaged and active partners to customers. The session will gather high-level global actors to explore perspectives on the future of global trade and transportation, setting the stage for more in-depth discussions in subsequent panels. Attendees will gain insights into the current trends shaping the market, how the logistics sector is adapting to new realities and what strategies are being implemented to foster innovation and sustainability.
2024 FIATA World Congress’ speakers are mentioned below.
Wednesday, 25 September
Plenary 1 – View from the top: Emerging trends and forces shaping logistics
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 11:00-12:30 EST
Speakers:
- Turgut Erkeskin, FIATA President
- Philippe Isler, Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation & Executive Committee Member, World Economic Forum
- Rodolfo Sabonge, Secretary General, Association of Caribbean States
- Ian Saunders, Secretary General, World Customs Organisation
- Alberto Aleman Zubieta, Advisor to Panama Government
Moderated by Michele Labrut, Americas Correspondent, Seatrade Maritime News
Special Session – B-READY report presentation on trade
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 13:30-14:00 EST
Exclusive presentation of the B-READY report on Trade, the World Bank’s flagship report benchmarking business environments and investment climates worldwide, presented by Nuno Mendes dos Santos, Private Sector Development Specialist, World Bank.
Plenary 2 – The Great Connection: Powering global trade
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 14:00-15:30 EST
Recent disruptions at critical logistics routes, such as the Panama and Suez Canals, underscore the urgent need to enhance the resilience and efficiency of main logistics infrastructures, and offer innovative services to shippers, to ensure the continuity of trade flows. This panel will explore innovative solutions and services to optimise multimodal trade flows and strengthen crucial global logistics hubs in a rapidly evolving world.
Speakers:
- Josué Alzamora, Director of Sales Excellence and Business Development, Latin America, Maersk
- Ilya Espino de Marotta, Deputy Administrator, Panama Canal Authority
- Pedro Heilbron, CEO, Copa Airlines
- Alan Murphy, CEO, Sea-Intelligence
Panel 1 – Strengthening Latin American Logistics Corridors
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 16:00-17:15 EST
Supply chains have continuously adapted to market changes and the evolving landscape of global manufacturing and distribution. Recent events have underscored the importance of “nearshoring” and supplier diversification as key strategic levers for shippers and cargo providers, creating a need for stronger logistics capabilities in Latin America to better connect production and consumption markets. This session will discuss the evolution of Latin America logistics infrastructure and trade facilitation efforts, as well as how this regionalisation trend has impacted logistics businesses in the region. It will also discuss what needs to be prioritised moving forward to increase the robustness of systems in the region.
Speakers:
- Mauricio Bayona Pulido, Lead Specialist – Transportation Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
- Arturo Frías, Nearshoring expert and General Director, Global Logistics & Consulting
- Anne Reinke, President, Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA)
- Paulo Roberto, Director, Associação Nacional dos Transportadores Ferroviários (ANTF) Brasil
- Birgit Viohl, Head, TFA Facility, World Trade Organization
Moderated by Miryam Saade Hazin, Officer-in-Charge, Infrastructure Services Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Panel 2 – YLP Talk Show: Future of Logistics
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 17:30-18:30 EST
The presentation of the Young Logistics Professional Award, with the participation of the regional finalists from Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
For the first time, FIATA will introduce live audience voting at the 2024 FIATA World Congress. The four YLP regional winners, chosen for their exceptional dissertations and rigorously evaluated by FIATA Logistics Institute’s Task Force 2, will present their work in this final round of the competition. The Global Winner will be decided by combining dissertation scores (80%) with audience votes (20%), creating a more dynamic and inclusive event that highlights the talents of young logistics professionals.
Speakers:
- Laura Cristin Egerer, DSLV, Germany, Regional Winner FIATA REU
- Rashaad Francisco D’Gama Rose, CIFFA, Canada, Regional Winner FIATA RAMs
- Thach Thao Nguyen, VLA, Vietnam, Regional Winner FIATA RAP
- Nompilo Zulu, SAAFF, South Africa, Regional Winner FIATA RAME
Moderated by Michael Yarwood, Managing Director, Loss Prevention, TT Club, United Kingdom.
Thursday, 26 September 2024
Panel 3 – Driving Business Growth with Digital Innovation
Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 08:30-09:45 EST
The digital transformation of logistics has significantly enhanced agility across the industry. From the digitalisation of government processes to the development of advanced tools for shippers and agents, and the integration of AI capabilities within supply chain solutions, these innovations present vast opportunities for all stakeholders in the trade chain. However, they also pose challenges for firms transitioning to digital platforms and processes. This session will explore the role of digitalisation and innovation ecosystems in shaping the future of trade and logistics services, and how emerging technologies are optimising and streamlining business transactions globally.
Speakers
- Mike Bhaskaran, Group Chief Operating Officer – Digital Technology, DP World
- Nachi Mendelow, Global Customs Domain Owner & VP Business Development – Africa, CargoWise
- Magnus Ödling, Vice President, Business Development & Supply Chain Advisory, Digital Supply Chain Solutions, Wallenius Wilhelmsen
- Juan Ortuzar, CEO, Editrade
Moderated by Wolfgang Lehmacher, Global senior expert in supply chain, logistics & transport
Panel 4 – From Paper to Pixels: Crafting the Future of Multimodal Transport
Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 10:00-11:00 EST
The role of freight forwarders has evolved from being purely an intermediary, to being architects of transport and logistics services acting as contractual carriers, assuming responsibility as principal for the entire goods transportation. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has embarked on a pivotal project aimed at creating an international legal framework to support “negotiable cargo documents”, which could perform an analogous function as a maritime bill of lading for the carriage of goods in a multimodal or unimodal context. The project holds significant promise for freight forwarders as it will support and encourage the issuance of multimodal bills of lading (both paper and electronic versions). This session will explore industry needs for multimodal transport documents and the exciting opportunities that can be brought by this project for greater supply chain resilience.
Speakers:
- James Hookham, Secretary General, Global Shippers Forum
- Peter Kern, Vice President – Commercial, CargoX
- Yuntao Yang, General Counsel, Sinotrans
Moderated by José Angelo Estrella Faria, Principal Legal Officer, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
Panel 5 – Propelling airfreight growth through operational efficiency
Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 11:15-12:30 EST
The demand for airfreight services has surged, driven by multimodal transport strategies and the e-commerce boom, especially in light of recent global disruptions. However, the industry faces significant challenges, including capacity constraints, evolving regulatory requirements, and heightened safety and security concerns. This panel will explore innovative solutions to boost operational efficiency and resilience within the airfreight sector. This panel will provide insights into creating a more agile, customer-centric airfreight sector that can thrive amidst ongoing global challenges while meeting the evolving needs of its diverse clientele. What innovative solutions can the industry adopt to enhance operational efficiency and resilience in the airfreight industry? How can stakeholders better collaborate to enhance the customer experience and adapt to market changes in a sustainable and risk-based manner?
Speakers:
- Jose Machado Frías, Business Unit Head Panama, Emergent Cold LatAm
- Fabio Rahnemay Rabbani, ICAO Regional Director South American Regional Office
- Kerstin Strauss, Vice President Global Air Logistics Operations, Kuehne + Nagel
Moderated by Barbara Hiebendahl, Corporate COO, ECX Global Logistics
Panel 6 – Legal Currents: Reshaping contractual practices in global maritime trade
Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 14:00-15:15 EST
The global maritime supply chain has faced unprecedented challenges, exposing critical vulnerabilities. Extreme freight rate volatility and service unreliability have significantly impacted shippers and economies worldwide. In response, the 2022 US Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) aims to foster fair practices in detention and demurrage billing, contract enforcement, and dispute resolution. Meanwhile, technological developments, such as Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are emerging, bringing rise to new legal considerations. This panel will examine the evolving maritime trade regulations and technological advancements, their implications for global shipping practices, and lessons and best practices to foster resilience and legal clarity. It will also discuss the need to reassess standard contractual terms and how freight forwarders can better mitigate risks contractually and through insurance.
Speakers:
- Carl Bentzel, US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Commissioner
- Gordon Downes, CEO, New York Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX)
- Lori Fellmer, Vice President, Logistics and Carrier Management, BassTech International
- Xavier Pazmino, CEO, Chubb Panama & CAM; Regional VP, Marine Chubb Latin America
- Murat Sumer, The Nippon Foundation Lecturer in International Maritime Law & Academic Coordinator, International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Maritime Law Institute
Moderated by Andrea Tang, FIATA Legal Services Director
Panel 7 – Embracing Sustainability in Global Transport
Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 15:45-17:00 EST
Sustainability has become a central topic in logistics circles, yet the industry still faces significant challenges in making sustainable practices standard across the board. This panel brings together industry leaders to share their strategies for driving sustainability within their companies, partner networks, and the broader industry, balancing environmental and societal care with profitability and operational excellence. They will explore the transformative role of energy transition in reshaping the industry, highlighting cutting-edge approaches and technologies that are redefining sustainability in logistics. Importantly, the discussion will address the growing expectations from shippers for environmentally responsible supply chain solutions, and how these customer demands are influencing logistics providers to accelerate their sustainability initiatives and offer innovative, eco-friendly services. The discussion will also examine the critical function of industry organisations like FIATA in empowering freight forwarders to seamlessly integrate sustainable solutions into their service offerings, and how to foster globally harmonised and inclusive approaches.
Speakers:
- Julio Díaz Cohen, Senior Director, CCO at Panama and Regional Structuring and Analytics, AES Panama
- Arjen Kersing, Senior Expert, McKinsey
- Bernard Kilian, Dean of Faculty and Research, INCAE Business School
- Kim Waigel, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Central America
Moderated by Andrea Schoen, Programme Director, Clean Cargo/Clean Air Transport, Smart Freight Centre