Amanda Amroliwala CBE

Amanda has spent over 30 years in public service and law enforcement. Starting her career as an immigration officer, Amanda worked in a variety of roles in-and-around border control, law enforcement and intelligence. She was head of the UK’s National Document Fraud Unit, Head of UK Visas, Director of Crime and Policing Group, and Chief Operating Officer of UK Border Force, responsible for the immigration and customs controls of all UK air and sea ports.

As the UK’s Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Amanda was a member of the UK Home Office Board. Her role included responsibility for deportations, criminal prosecutions and an overseas network of intelligence officers. Throughout her public service career Amanda managed significant staff (7500+), budgets, operational delivery and training.

From 2016 until 2023 Amanda was the Chief Executive of the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, an organisation that investigates failings across government departments and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). She has also served as a Board member of ABTA, the UK Travel Association and for a large mental health and community NHS Trust.

From early 2024 to June 2025, Amanda was CEO of a technology start-up that uses proprietary algorithms to search open-source intelligence for vetting purposes. She also advices a UK Technology PLC on strategy, leadership and culture.

Amanda is an experienced and active C-suite mentor and coach, focusing on problem solving, culture change and inclusion. She is currently engaged in the selection process for King’s Counsels (across the legal profession) in the UK.

Dusty Amroliwala OBE

Dusty’s career spans seven diverse sectors, encompassing senior leadership roles in defence, international diplomacy, the UK civil service, higher education, healthcare, the judiciary, and global corporate operations. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Director of the Civil Service Workforce in the UK Cabinet Office. Between 2011 and 2017, he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of East London and the founding Chair of the London Design and Engineering University Technical College.

He has held a range of board appointments, including as a Trustee of Combat Stress, a charity supporting former servicemen and women facing post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. From 2017 to 2019, he was Chair of North Middlesex University Hospital Trust. He is also a Chair of Student Circus, a unique recruitment platform for international students studying in the UK.

Now based in Dubai, Dusty is Chief Operating Officer at VFS Global, with global responsibility for Education, Trade & Investment, and Migration Services. In this role, he has pioneered innovative services and technologies to support the mobility of students and migrant workers around the world. He co-developed the concept of blockchain-protected, fraud-proof 'immutable documents' and has led the deployment of the Dynamic Digital Verification Service, a real-time background verification solution now used by governments and private sector clients globally.

Alongside his executive work, Dusty is dedicated to writing, teaching and coaching. He delivers highly impactful one-day programmes that have been described as transformative and life-changing by participants from government, education, healthcare, financial, and corporate sectors worldwide.

Ana Arévalo Gandal

Ana Arévalo is a Naval Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and holds a Master's Degree in Management Development - PMD® from ESADE Business & Law School. Her professional career has developed over the last 25 years linked to the naval and port logistics sector.

Ana is currently the Head of the Shorepower Department of the Port of Barcelona, she is leading the implementation and deployment of NEXIGEN, an ambitious, complex and strategic plan for the energy transition, electrification and decarbonisation of the Port of Barcelona.

Her conviction and passion for collaboration and effective communication, continuous learning, a cross-cutting and multidisciplinary work approach are the keys to success in developing a unique and innovative project, addressing and solving complex challenges in a comprehensive and efficient way.

Ana participates as an expert in different associations and working groups at national, European and international level on Shorepower on behalf of the Port of Barcelona and Puertos del Estado. She also participates regularly as a speaker in different technical forums and is a lecturer at the Escola Europea Intermodal transport.

Peter Castberg Knudsen

Educational background in Mechanical engineering and business development.

Peter is a founding partner at PowerCon, a Danish engineering and dedicated Shore Power Company, specializing in shore power systems for different ports and vessel types.

With around a decade of experience in shore power, Peter has been involved in design, engineering, sales, and delivery of over 40 shore power installations across Europe and the US.

Peter has played a key commercial role in securing and executing major projects, including shore power installations in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Miami to mention a few recent completed projects.

Laura Cimaglia

Born in Taranto, in the south of Italy, she studied and graduated in Law at the University of Bologna. During her Erasmus year at the University of Canterbury, Kent, UK, she had the opportunity to study International Business Transaction and got fond of Maritime Law. She then moved back to her hometown and started working for a General Contractor Company whose clients was, amongst many others, Evergreen Marine corp. who opened the Taranto Container Terminal in the early 2000s. She then worked for the Port Authority of Brindisi (merged in 2016 with the ports of Bari, Manfredonia, Barletta, Monopoli and Termoli under the Port Network Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea) filling different positions such as Tender and Procurement Manager, Marketing and Promotion and also Operational manager for cruises and ferries in the Port of Brindisi. From 2017 to 2021 she was Vice President and Board Member of MedCruise – the Association of Cruise Ports in the Mediterranean and adjoining seas. She has also recently registered as a Lawyer and gained a 2nd level Master Degree in “Port City Relationship” at the University of Bari. During March 2024 she became Director of General and International Affairs in the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea – Port of Taranto where she manages the following divisions: general affairs, promotion, communication, international relations and ICT. She represents the Port of Taranto in the Board of Directors of MedCruise as Vice President for small ports and Board member for the task of Cruise Community Engagement in line with her previous experience in ports and cities relationship.

Charles (Bud) Darr

Charles “Bud” Darr is President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the global trade association that represents an expansive community of the world’s most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; a highly trained and certified travel agent community; and a widespread network of stakeholders, including ports and destinations, ship development, suppliers, and business services.

As President and CEO, Bud is responsible for leading the organization’s work as the leading authority and voice of the industry across the association’s five operating regions, including North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australasia, and Brazil.

Bud was announced in December 2024 as president and CEO of CLIA effective 3 February 2025—returning to CLIA, having previously held the post of Senior Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Affairs from 2010 to 2017. Prior to his return to CLIA, Bud served as Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, at MSC Group for more than seven years. During his accomplished career in maritime, he has also held positions within the U.S. Coast Guard, including Deputy Chief of Maritime & International Law, and he has served in the U.S. Navy, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard.

A highly respected figure in the maritime world, Bud’s leadership of CLIA comes at an important time for the industry as the cruise sector builds on a strong and responsible growth trajectory in support of its 2050 sustainability targets. He has exceptional maritime experience and over the course of his career has built outstanding relationships across the global cruise industry and with related trade, equipment, ports, shipbuilders, and service providers.

Bud has extensive experience across the broader maritime community, including through his involvement with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO, UK Chamber of Shipping, Liberian Shipowners Council, SEA-LNG, Society for Gas as Marine Fuel, World Shipping Council, IMO World Maritime University, Cruise Safety and Sustainability Forum, and the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI).

He began his education in Submarine Nuclear Engineering and later obtained his formal undergraduate education at the US Merchant Marine Academy. During his service with the US Coast Guard, he studied law at the George Washington University Law School.

Matthew Dass

Matthew has been working as an economist for 15 years and currently leads the EMEA tourism consultancy unit at Oxford Economics. Throughout his career, he has conducted numerous tourism impact and policy studies for destinations around the world, focusing on specific sectors such as the cruise, accommodation, and aviation industries. Notably, he has provided economic impact consulting services to various cruise operators and stakeholders within the cruise ecosystem. His work includes conducting cruise destination and port impact studies across the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. Additionally, Matthew has directed the development of a series of cruise economic impact studies—the first since 2019—in partnership with CLIA.

Luis De Carvalho

Luis de Carvalho, Commercial Cruise Director, Copenhagen Malmö Port and Cruise Europe Council Mamber.

Luis de Carvalho is one of the leading Port and Destination Development Planners in the World. His extensive career in the cruise and travel industry spans over 39 years including positions with Premier Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Hilton Hotels, Crystal Cruises, TUI AG, Tumlare Corporation, Kuoni DMC, Consult DC and Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc.

His experience visiting and working on more than 450 ports and destinations around the world allows him to understand the logistics and requirements involved in the planning and delivery of a successful cruise port and destination, and Luis has overseen the delivery of over 55 projects in the last 15 years.

Currently he is the Cruise Commercial Director for Copenhagen Malmo Port (CMP) responsible for the ports of Copenhagen, Malmö and Visby which welcome approx. 500 cruise ships and 1 million passengers yearly.

In 2025 CMP has inaugurated the largest shore power installation in Europe providing connections at 5 piers in Copenhagen, and the port is also well underway to become CO2 neutral by 2025.

Luis is also a Cruise Europe Council Board Member (the largest port association in Northern Europe representing over 140 ports and companies) and one of the most sought-by speakers in the cruise industry.

Over the last 15 years Luis made over 80 speaking appearances at international cruise and tourism events.

José González

A senior maritime professional who combines more than 20 years of relevant experience with a great passion for the shipping industry. His career began as a seagoing engineer on different types of ships prior pursuing a Naval Architect degree and a Ph degree. He has led Environmental, Sustainability and Energy departments for different companies like Cummins Engine Company Energy Solution Business (UK), DNV GL Power Generation and Sustainability (The Netherlands), and Stolt Tankers (The Netherlands). Dr Gonzalez is currently Senior Director Sustainability for CLIA Europe; in his role, he is responsible for advancing policies and activities that best represent the interests of CLIA members before regulatory authorities and with other industry partners.

Julie Green

Julie Green joined CLIA in January 2020 as Vice President of Strategic Communications in Europe. Previously, Julie worked in a series of international roles in corporate PR and public policy, including heading up global communications for the infrastructure business at engineering firm Bechtel. During her time at Bechtel, she ran strategic communications and thought leadership programmes across multiple markets, including central and eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Julie has also served in the European Commission Directorate-General for Communication.

Martyn Griffiths

Martyn Griffiths is a welsh man who has been living and working in brussels since 1999.

He is currently the Director Public Affairs at the Cruise Lines International Association a position he has held since 2016. He is responsible for issues management and developing proactive communications around the industry’s tourism and sustainability initiatives.

Previously he spent six years at the animal welfare NGO, Eurogroup for Animals, helping the organisation redefine its purpose from a legislative focus to a proactive campaigning focus.

He has also worked for CEPI the European Paper Producers Association where he developed their sustainability approach including the Paper Value Tree and Meet Paper initiatives

His first appointment in Brussels was as Communications Manager with the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers where he developed the industry’s 10 year sustainability programme, Vinyl 2010 as well as the industry’s award winning specifier engagement programme, PVC for Life and Living.

His background saw him study Management Science at Aston University in the UK followed by post-graduate studies in Media and Public Relations at the Welsh School of Journalism, University of Wales, in Cardiff.

He is a specialist in issues and crisis management and has worked for many organisations in all sectors of society helping them manage major change programmes and major customer/audience issues management programmes.

Andy Harmer

Andy first joined the Association in 2006 after many years in the travel industry, including as a travel agent. Andy re-launched CLIA's travel agent programme in the UK and later extended it to European countries, during which time agent and cruise line membership reached record levels.

CLIA now offers a multi-layered programme that encompasses blended learning to recognise different learning styles. In 2021, Andy was promoted to CLIA UK & Ireland Managing Director.

Andy was recognised by Travel Weekly UK in 2019 for his contribution to the UK travel industry. He was presented with the 2022 Peter Grant Contribution to the Cruise Industry Wave Award for 'his tireless work to promote the cruise sector and provide valuable resources to travel agents', and a 2023 Travel Weekly Globe Travel Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Andy was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2022 Birthday Honours List, for services to the maritime sector.

Steffi Heinicke

Steffi Heinicke is Senior Vice President Guest Experience at AIDA Cruises, responsible for Guest Service, Guest Commerce, Entertainment, and Refits & New Buildings, a role she has held since 2019. In her position she is member of the AIDA Executive Team. Ms. Heinicke holds an MBA from Stralsund University of Applied Sciences and commenced her career with the company in 2006 within the Human Resources department. In 2015, she acquired international management experience as Vice President Corporate HR in Shanghai, playing a key role in advancing the Costa Group's operations in Asia. Since 2016, she has been based in Rostock, directing the guest experience strategy for the AIDA fleet. A native of Rügen, Steffi resides in Rostock with her husband and two children.

Grant Philip Holmes

Grant Holmes is the visionary VP of Global Cruise & Superyacht Sector at Inchcape Shipping Services, based in Dubai. With an impressive track record, Grant oversees the Cruise and Superyacht sector leading the global strategy, interaction with the industry.

Grant's journey began in shipbuilding at HMS Dockyard in Portsmouth, where he honed his craft as a master craftsman. His passion for exploration led him to Spain in 1986, marking the start of a remarkable career in leisure & tourism. Recognized for his exceptional performance, Grant swiftly ascended the ranks, eventually becoming the Area Manager for a leading UK Tour Operator's Caribbean gateway by 1990.

With well over two decades of experience in the Cruise Industry, Grant's pivotal roles include directing operations for First Choice Cruises and serving as the Director of Global Shore Excursion at Festival Cruises. His innovative approach and management of substantial budgets exemplify his leadership prowess.

In 2006, Grant founded Progress International, a consultancy firm providing bespoke services to major cruise lines, governments, and port authorities. Through Progress International, his courses trained over 75,000 industry professionals and conducted strategic studies for emerging destinations worldwide.

Today, Grant is also at the forefront of Inchcape's Cruise Destination consultancy efforts, shaping the tourism landscape in destinations such as Qatar, Oman, Indonesia, and beyond. His strategic vision and unparalleled expertise continue to elevate Inchcape's presence in the cruise industry, setting new standards of excellence.

Anne Madison

Anne Madison has more than 25 years’ experience helping organizations develop and execute effective strategic plans that drive results, protect organizational reputation, and advance their brands based on her 3-5-7 rule of communications—creating simple truths messaging consistently shared via multiple channels for maximum impact. She specializes in strategy development, business planning, and multi-channel strategic communications plans that drive strong brand awareness, trust, and engagement with key stakeholders.

Over the course of her career, she has worked with companies in both the public and private sectors—from small nonprofits to large multi-national organizations—and led and supported a number of areas—including strategic planning, internal and external communications, business development, B2B and B2C marketing, research, public affairs, media relations, issues management, crisis communications, investor relations, and events.

Prior to supporting the Cruise Lines International Association as a strategic communications consultant and establishing her consultancy firm, 357 Communications, Anne was chief strategy and communications officer for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States in order to fuel the nation's economy and enhance the image of the USA worldwide. In that role, Anne established the strategic foundation on which Brand USA successfully pursues its mission, as well as developed award-winning communications strategies to build strong and positive engagement with internal and external stakeholders worldwide. Earlier in her career, she held similar roles with Choice Hotels, Enterprise Community Investment, and The Ryland Group.

Anne has been honored with awards for a variety of marketing communications campaigns, including Platinum, Gold, and Silver Adrian awards from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). In addition to being twice named by PR News as a Top Women in PR, she has been recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record and a Top Woman in Travel and Tourism Leadership by Women in Travel and Tourism International.

Anne earned her bachelor of science degree in communications from Wittenberg University and is a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School. Members of the board are nominated and accepted based on demonstrated leadership and professional accomplishments and as champions of diversity.

She and her husband, Dave, have four children and live in Columbia, Maryland.

Simone Maraschi

Simone Tommaso Maraschi was appointed Managing Director of Cruise Gate Hamburg on July 1st, 2020. Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH (CGH) is a subsidiary wholly owned by Hamburg Port Authority AöR. As the operator of Hamburg’s cruise centres, CGH oversees terminal operations, berthing allocation, cruise development and terminal planning – and is the single point of contact for all cruise liner companies.

Simone started his career in 1997 in the airline industry, first in sales and marketing and later moved to terminal and airport operations. In 2005, Simone joined the Italian ferry Group Grimaldi/Grandi Navi Veloci and oversaw sales and marketing for the German-speaking countries. In 2010, he moved to Sartori & Berger, one of Germany’s leading port agencies and cruise service providers, where he was responsible for operations in all German and Polish ports.

In addition to his active role in Hamburg’s cruise development as a board member of the Cruise Cluster "Hamburg Cruise Net", Simone is also involved internationally. Before being elected as the new Chairman of Cruise Europe in May 2024, he chaired the Cruise Europe Sustainability Committee and was active on the Marketing Board. Simone also serves as Chair of the IAPH Cruise Committee and is actively involved in association work for CGH as a member of CLIA.

Simone was born and raised in Milan, Italy.

Chris Mastrippolito

Chris Mastrippolito is Director, Global Research for Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In this role, he leads the research strategies for the industry - providing insights and data that help identify industry trends and opportunities, as well as demonstrate the leadership of the industry in responsible tourism, including environmental technologies and practices that illustrate the leadership and sustainability of cruise travel and the economic impact of cruise globally, regionally, and in key cruise markets.

Mastrippolito joined the organization in October 2015 and was promoted to his current position in March 2022. During his time at CLIA, Mastrippolito has greatly expanded the research program for the industry - expanding research related to global passenger data, automating a number of data sources to deliver greater value to partners and members.

Prior to joining CLIA, he was Director of Information Management for Waste Oil Recyclers, and previous to that role was with Maritz Travel Company where he was Information Manager with responsibility for data analysis in support of the organization’s strategic planning and operations. Mastrippolito attended Temple University for his bachelor’s degree with a concentration in computer science.

Nikos Mertzanidis

Nikos Mertzanidis is Executive Director for Europe at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) where he leads the association's European office in Brussels. In this role, he oversees advocacy efforts on behalf of CLIA's member cruise lines operating across Europe and champions policies and practices that support the cruise sector's energy transition towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

Mertzanidis joined CLIA in 2016 as Manager, European Government Affairs and was promoted to Director in 2020 and Vice-President in 2024, and to his present position in 2025.

Prior to joining CLIA, Mertzanidis was a political advisor, working on the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and later joined Imperial Brands Ltd. where he was the chief lobbyist focused on EU legislation for FMCG, taxation, new generational products, and consumer affairs.

A seasoned government and public affairs professional, with expertise in global public affairs, policy making and European business regulation, Mertzanidis is a long-standing member of the International Political Science Association and the Society of European Affairs Professionals.

Born and raised in Greece, he studied political science and international relations at the University of Macedonia in Greece, working in parallel for the UNESCO Chair for Intercultural Policy. In 2009, he earned his Master's degree in International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, and in 2022, he submitted his PhD, with an emphasis on International Relations, to the University of Macedonia.

Sean Morgan

Sean has a wealth of tourism, and specifically, cruise industry market research and analytics experience having spent nearly two decades undertaking a wide variety of research and consulting assignments in the UK and beyond.

Sean’s responsibilities include managing primary and secondary research activities, including survey work, for Tourism Economics’ consulting projects and collaborating closely with clients to enable a deeper understanding of tourism trends. He oversees Tourism Economics’ cruise market research studies which includes the delivery of regular cruise industry consumer and business research.

A meticulous analyst with a deep understanding of the industry, Sean plays an important role delivering tourism research reports and regularly shares travel and consumer insights at industry conferences.

Prior to joining Tourism Economics in 2023, Sean was a Director at STR for over 5 years and prior to that he was Managing Director of LJ Research, a boutique tourism market research agency. During his tenure at STR he was responsible for leading their Tourism Consumer Insights division which delivered a broad range of tourism and hospitality studies.

Sean studied Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Adam Newman

Adam leads CLIA's political engagement in the UK and Ireland. Adam's work is split between CLIA's Strategic Communications and Government Affairs functions. With an extensive background in helping a range of organisations with their political relations, Adam previously worked with CLIA for four years as an external consultant before joining the organisation in May 2024.

Jon Olav Stedje

With over 15 years of dedicated experience in sustainability within the cruise and travel industry, Jon Olav has accomplished many significant professional achievements through his strong community engagement, extensive network, and commitment to sustainable development.

Originally from the fjords of Norway, Jon Olav has developed his sustainability and maritime expertise throughout his career. Before joining MSC Cruises, Jon Olav served as Manager of Port Operations at the Port of Flam in Norway for nine years. During his tenure, he engaged in several industry related environmental and sustainable initiatives, including being member of the Sustainable Committee at Cruise Europe. His role in Flam involved navigating various governmental and political processes, achieving favourable outcomes for sustainable practices. He has also collaborated closely with organisations such as Cruise Norway and CLIA, further enhancing his impact in the industry. He holds a degree in Travel and Tourism Management from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Marcus Puttich

Marcus Puttich, a certified ship agent by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, started his career in the port agency department of Biehl & Company in the ports of Houston and New York. Before joining TUI Cruises in January 2014, Marcus received Bachelor of Arts degree in Cruise Industry Management from the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and graduated with a Master of Science with Distinction in Maritime Operations from the Liverpool John Moores University.

Marcus currently holds the position of Director Destinations at TUI Cruises and is in charge for all operational, planning, sourcing and development aspects of Port Operations (both brands Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises), Tour Operations and Ground Operations (only Mein Schiff). His responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the port agency, ground agency and tour operator selection, as well as the governmental, economic and operational aspects for all ports of call, as well as strategic decision-making in the port operations, ground operations and tour operations of TUI Cruises.

Sahar Rashidbeigi

Sahar Rashidbeigi is the Global Head of Decarbonisation at APM Terminals. She leads APM Terminals’ ambitious program to achieve NetZero across the entire portfolio through a range of solutions that will fundamentally change the asset and energy consumption footprint of the terminal operator over the next two decades. She has been instrumental in pioneering key industry advancements with publishing the ground-breaking white paper, "Reaching a Tipping Point in Battery-Electric Container Handling Equipment." and establishing the Zero Emissions Port Alliance (ZEPA) to make the battery electric CHE the norm before end of the decade.

Sahar is a civil engineer by training and also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Georgios Tsakalis

Georgios Tsakalis is working for FRONTEX, for almost 4 years, in the Assistance Centre Unit of the ETIAS Central Unit Division, working with the carriers’ industry towards the implementation of two new, EU border management initiatives, the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

He has been engaging with the cruise community in various fora as a speaker, interacting with, and providing guidance to, all stakeholders, within the cruise industry, affected by those new EU systems.

Before joining FRONTEX, he served in the Hellenic Police for 15 years, reaching the rank of Police Captain, having experience in border management, detective departments and tackling cross-border, economic offences.

Georgios holds a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Balkan, Slavic and Oriental Studies of University of Macedonia-Greece and a Master’s degree in Political Science, issued by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-Greece, focusing on Political History, War and Strategic Studies. He speaks Greek, English, Turkish and French.